Ivan Dixon American actor, director and producer Date of Birth: 06.04.1931 Country: USA

Biography of Ivan Dixon

Ivan Dixon was an American actor, director, and producer who became very popular in the 1960s after portraying the role of Staff Sergeant James "Kinch" Kinchloe in the sitcom "Hogan's Heroes" and starring in the TV movie "The Final War of Olly Winter." As a director, Dixon directed hundreds of episodes for television series. He was also known for his active involvement in civil rights movements and served as the president of an organization that united African American actors.

Dixon was born on April 6, 1931, in Harlem, a neighborhood in New York predominantly populated by African Americans. His father owned a grocery store. During his youth, Dixon lived in a brownstone at 518 West 150th Street, in the same neighborhood as singer and guitarist Josh White, writer Ralph Ellison, and the Hines brothers, who were actors, dancers, and choreographers. After graduating from Lincoln Academy, Dixon attended North Carolina Central University, where he studied drama and received his bachelor's degree in 1954. During his time at university, he organized a theater group and was a member of the Omega Psi Phi fraternity.

In 1957, Dixon made his Broadway debut in William Saroyan's play "The Cave Dwellers," and a year later, he became a standby for Sidney Poitier in the play "The Defiant Ones." In 1959, Dixon partnered with Lorraine Hansberry in her groundbreaking play "A Raisin in the Sun," the first Broadway play written by an African American woman. Two years later, Dixon reprised his role in the film adaptation of the play.

Dixon's first notable television work was in several episodes of the science fiction series "The Twilight Zone." In 1964, he landed one of the leading roles in the independent film "Nothing But a Man" directed by Michael Roemer. This film was included in the National Film Registry, a list of outstanding films selected for preservation in the Library of Congress. Dixon's most famous role was as Staff Sergeant James "Kinch" Kinchloe in the hit TV series "Hogan's Heroes," which depicted the lives of American soldiers and officers in a German prisoner of war camp. He portrayed the specialist in negotiations and was the second-in-command to Colonel Hogan, played by Bob Crane. Dixon remained in this role for five years, from 1965 to 1970, appearing in 145 out of 168 episodes and becoming the only original cast member not to stay for the sixth season.

From 1970 to 1993, Dixon primarily worked as a television director, contributing to successful projects such as "Trouble Man," "The Waltons," "The Rockford Files," "The Bionic Woman," "Magnum, P.I.," and "The A-Team." He occasionally returned to acting in films, playing small but memorable roles. In 1973, Dixon directed the controversial film "The Spook Who Sat by the Door" based on the novel by Sam Greenlee. The film, which depicted the first African American CIA agent using his espionage skills to lead a nationalist group in Chicago, faced limited theatrical release but gained cult status through underground home video copies and was released on DVD in 2004. Dixon stated that he aimed to portray racial anger but never advocated armed rebellion as a solution.

Until 2002, Dixon owned the radio station KONI on the island of Maui, Hawaii. In 2001, due to health issues, he was forced to relocate and sold the radio station. Ivan Dixon passed away on March 16, 2008, at the age of 76, due to complications from kidney failure.