Born into a Jewish family in Vienna, Askin wanted to be an actor already as a child. His dream came true, and in the 1930s he also worked as a cabaret artist.
Persecuted by the Nazis, Askin escaped to the United States via France, arriving in New York in 1940 with no money and less than a basic knowledge of English. When the U.S. entered the Second World War Askin joined the U.S. army. While serving in the military he learned that his parents had been killed at Majdanek Concentration Camp near Lublin, Poland.
After the war, Askin went to Hollywood, invariably portraying foreign characters who speak English with a strong accent. He gained wide popularity by appearing in the sitcom Hogan's Heroes in the late 1960s.
As opposed to other exiled Austrians, Askin never refused to work again in his home country. In 1994 he permanently took up residence in Vienna, where he is still active.
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