Friedrich von Ledebur, a tall, lean, and austere-looking Austrian character actor, made his screen debut in small parts from 1945. As the younger brother of renowned Viennese stage and film actor and director Leopold von Ledebur, he was born into a distinguished aristocratic family, with forebears including high-ranking clergy, politicians, and military leaders.
Before pursuing a career in acting, Friedrich served as a cavalry officer in an Ulan Regiment of the Austro-Hungarian Army during World War I, where he gained a reputation as a superb rider. After the war, he spent two decades traveling the world, working odd jobs such as gold mining, deep sea diving, and rodeos, before finally settling down in the United States in 1939. He later anglicized his name to Frederick.
Friedrich's friendship with director John Huston paved the way for more substantial character roles in Hollywood. His breakthrough role was as the laconic cannibal Queeqeg, chief harpooneer on the ship "Pequod" in Huston's Moby Dick (1956),a role for which he is best remembered.
Throughout his career, Friedrich specialized in eccentric character roles, playing stoic Indian chiefs, Vikings, German Field Marshals, imposing Pirate Captains, and Spanish aristocrats. He appeared in a wide variety of genres, including historical epics, spy thrillers, European westerns, and even as one of the monastic guardians of the devil in the "The Howling Man" episode of The Twilight Zone (1959).
Friedrich was first married to English actress, poet, and wit Iris Tree, and later married Countess Alice Hoyos, who was descended from a titled Spanish dynasty and later resided in Austria.
