Sad news as it has been announced that Michael Byrne, the ruthless Nazi Ernst Vogel in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade who battled Indy on top of a tank until he ran off a cliff, has died. Born 7th November 1943 in London, Byrne launched a successful TV career, taking roles in No Hiding Place, NET Playhouse, New Scotland Yard, and Thriller. He arrived on the big screen in 1963’s The Crimson Blade, later appearing in Vampyres, The Omen, and Champions. On TV he appeared in the worlds longest running drama Coronation Street (11,891 episodes and counting) along with appearances in the James Bond and Harry Potter franchises.
Even in supporting roles, Byrne left indelible marks on his films. In Last Crusade he was the ruthless Nazi Ernst Vogel, whose end comes in a run-in with a tank. In Braveheart, he played Smythe, a soldier who attempts to rape the wife of William Wallace and gets an ax in his back for his crime. And in 2010’s Deathly Hallows he was the elderly dark wizard Grindelwald who, when threatened by Voldemort, rats out his old friend Dumbledore. he also played an ill-fated German commander in the 1978 WWII film Force Ten from Navarone.
Our sincerest condolences from the team at Fantha Tracks to his family, friends and colleagues.
