Sig Ruman

Acting · Born 1884-10-10 in Hamburg, Germany

Biography

Sig Ruman was a German-American actor known for his portrayals of pompous and often stereotypical Teutonic officials or villains. Ruman made his film debut in Lucky Boy (1929). He became a favorite of the Marx Brothers, appearing in A Night at the Opera, A Day at the Races, and A Night in Casablanca. His German accent and large stature kept him busy during World War II, playing sinister Nazi characters in a series of wartime thrillers. During this period, he also appeared in several films by director Ernst Lubitsch including Ninotchka and To Be or Not to Be. Ruman continued playing over-the-top German characters later in his career for Billy Wilder in The Emperor Waltz, Stalag 17, and The Fortune Cookie.

Filmography

• To Be or Not to Be as Col. Ehrhardt
• Stalag 17 as Sgt. Johann Sebastian Schulz
• Ninotchka as Comrade Iranoff
• A Day at the Races as Dr. Leopold X. Steinberg
• Only Angels Have Wings as Dutchy
• A Night at the Opera as Gottlieb
• One, Two, Three as Count von Droste Schattenburg (voice) (uncredited)
• The Fortune Cookie as Professor Winterhalter
• White Christmas as Landlord (uncredited)
• The Last of the Secret Agents? as Prof. Werner von Koenig

TV

• The Addams Family as Eric Von Bissell
• Maverick
• Petticoat Junction as Professor Lieberschmit
• General Electric Theater as Dr. Haegendorff
• Johnny Staccato
• Daniel Boone as Van Coot
• One Step Beyond as Franz Schuldorf
• Pete and Gladys
• Private Secretary
• The Dinah Shore Chevy Show as Self