Biografie

According to his widow, actress Marilyn Cooper, Sabu had a complete physical just a few days before his death, at which time his doctor told him, "If all my patients were as healthy as you, I'd be out of business." Thus, his sudden death of a heart attack at the age of 39 came as even more of a shock than it would have been otherwise. His last film, Disney's Der Tiger ist los (1964), was released posthumously, to good reviews.

He became an American citizen on January 4, 1944, after which he served in the US Army Air Force during World War II as a tail gunner.

Was one of the many dozen of Hollywood celebrities who made regular weekend visits to Ralph Helfer's Africa U.S.A. Exotic Animal Ranch in Soledad Canyon, California to play with the animals and to pitch in with the chores.

In the late 1940s and 1950s, he was among the richest stars in Hollywood. In an era in which white actors often played Asian characters, he was respected not only for his physique but also for his natural acting abilities. He was a friend to many Hollywood actors including James Stewart and Ronald Reagan.

He enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Force during World War II and served with distinction.