Oskar Werner (born "Oskar Josef Bschließmayer", November 13 1922) was an Austrian stage and screen actor. He was renowned in his native Europe but later gained international recognition for his performances in films such as Ship of Fools, for which was nominated for a Best Actor Oscar, and The Spy Who Came in from the Cold, for which he won a Best Supporting Actor Golden Globe. His only ever appearance on American television came in 1975, when he starred opposite Peter Falk in the Columbo episode Playback. He played the murderer, Harold Van Wick, and apparently Falk himself traveled to Austria to convince Werner to take the part.
Werner was an alcoholic which caused his career to decline in later years. On October 22 1984, feeling ill, Werner cancelled a public appearance in Germany. The following morning he was found dead; he'd suffered a fatal heart attack. He was 61 years old.