Cynthia Lynn (born Zinta Valda Ziemelis; April 2, 1937 – March 10, 2014) was a Latvian-American actress.

Early life

Lynn was born in Riga, Latvia, as Zinta Valda Ziemelis. At age eight, she and her mother, Alisa, fled the country prior to the

Soviet re-occupation of Latvia in 1944 The Soviet re-occupation of Latvia in 1944 refers to the military occupation of Latvia by the Soviet Union in 1944. During World War II Latvia was first occupied by the Soviet Union in June 1940, then was occupied by Nazi Germany in 1941–194 ...

during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

, eventually arriving in the United States in 1950.

Career

Lynn portrayed "Fräulein Helga", Colonel Klink's original secretary in '' Hogan's Heroes'' during the first season (1965–1966). The role was played by

Sigrid Valdis Patricia Annette Olson (September 21, 1935 – October 14, 2007), known by her stage name Sigrid Valdis, was an American actress who played "Hilda" in the American television series '' Hogan's Heroes''. Early life and career Valdis began acti ...

as "Hilda" in the next five seasons. Lynn returned to the series in the 1968 and 1971 episodes "Will the Blue Baron Strike Again" and "Easy Come, Easy Go", respectively. Her last acting role was in 1975 in an episode of ''

Harry O ''Harry O'', sometimes spelled ''Harry-O'', is an American Detective fiction, private detective series that aired for two seasons on American Broadcasting Company, ABC from 1974 to 1976. The series starred David Janssen, and Jerry Thorpe was exec ...

''. She also appeared in such television series as ''

Gidget Grows Up ''Gidget Grows Up'' is a 1969 American made-for-television comedy film directed by James Sheldon with stars Karen Valentine, Edward Mulhare and Paul Petersen as well as alphabetically listed special guest stars Warner Anderson, Bob Cummings, Nina ...

'', '' Mission: Impossible'', ''

The Odd Couple Odd Couple may refer to: Neil Simon play and its adaptations * ''The Odd Couple'' (play), a 1965 stage play by Neil Simon ** ''The Odd Couple'' (film), a 1968 film based on the play *** ''The Odd Couple'' (1970 TV series), a 1970–1975 televisi ...

'', ''

Love American Style ''Love, American Style'' is an anthology comedy television series that aired on ABC from 1969 to 1974. The series was produced by Paramount Television. During the 1971–72 and 1972–73 seasons, it was a part of ABC's Friday primetime lineup ...

'', and ''

The Six Million Dollar Man ''The Six Million Dollar Man'' is an American science fiction and action television series, running from 1973 to 1978, about a former astronaut, USAF Colonel Steve Austin, portrayed by Lee Majors. After a NASA test flight accident, Austin is re ...

''. Lynn wrote an autobiography, ''Escape to Freedom'', in 2000, with the assistance of Edward Ansara.

Personal life

Lynn was romantically involved with actor Marlon Brando. After Brando's death in 2004, Lynn's daughter, Lisa, claimed that her mother and Brando's short-lived affair resulted in her birth in 1964. Lynn had also been in a romantic relationship with ''Hogan's Heroes'' costar

Bob Crane Robert Edward Crane (July 13, 1928 – June 29, 1978) was an American actor, drummer, radio personality, and disc jockey known for starring in the CBS situation comedy '' Hogan's Heroes''. Crane was a drummer from age 11, and he began his en ...

Death

Lynn died on March 10, 2014, at age 76, from multiple organ failure after being stricken with

hepatitis Hepatitis is inflammation of the liver tissue. Some people or animals with hepatitis have no symptoms, whereas others develop yellow discoloration of the skin and whites of the eyes ( jaundice), poor appetite, vomiting, tiredness, abdominal ...

. She is survived by her daughter, Lisa, and son, Tony.

Filmography

References

External links

*
AllMovie.com profile
accessed April 16, 2014 {{DEFAULTSORT:Lynn, Cynthia 1937 births 2014 deaths American memoirists American television actresses Latvian emigrants to the United States Latvian World War II refugees Deaths from hepatitis Infectious disease deaths in California American women memoirists Deaths from multiple organ failure 21st-century American women