Get a closer look at some of Hollywood's perfect pairs.

Hollywood Power Couples

Get a closer look at some of Hollywood&#39;s perfect pairs.

Take a peek at the biggest new and returning series coming to your screens in 2025, including new seasons of "Reacher" and "The White Lotus"

IMDb's Guide to TV in 2025

Take a peek at the biggest new and returning series coming to your screens in 2025, including new seasons of &quot;Reacher&quot; and &quot;The White Lotus&quot;

Though born in Czechoslovakia, actor Karel Stepanek was generally regarded as a German actor due to his extensive film work in Germany (as Karl Stepanek) in the years before World War II. Stepanek fled to England in 1940, where, like many European refugee actors, he specialized in portraying Teutonic villains. He tried to stay away from out-and-out Nazi roles, but his predilection for wearing black uniforms and barking out guttural commands left little doubt as to the political preferences of Stepanek's screen characters. One of his most typical characterizations could be found in the 1946 POW drama, The Captive Heart; Stepanek also registered well as a friendlier foreigner in The Fallen Idol (1949). Commuting between London and Hollywood, Karel Stepanek continued to fight World War II, usually on the wrong side, into such '60s films as Sink the Bismarck! (1960), I Aim at the Stars (1960) and Operation Crossbow (1965).

The 2nd Best Secret Agent in the Whole Wide World

He often was engaged to play Nazi villains - roles he hardly could elude.

The Czech actor Karel Stepanek joined an acting education in Germany and from 1920 he worked on different stages, first in Brünn, later in Vienna and finally Berlin. There he was able to launch an impressive film career as Karl Stepanek.

He continued his film career successfully in the 50s and 60s and took part in many movies and TV productions.

He made his film debut with the silent movie &quot;Ein Lied, ein Dieb, ein Warenhaus&quot; (1928) before his started his impressive sound film career in Germany with &quot;Berlin-Alexanderplatz&quot; (1931).

While his last movies were still running in the cinemas he already emigrated to Italy in 1939 when World War II broke out, the year after he went to England. There he was able to continue his career both on stage and in movies.

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Karel Stepanek

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