Sig Ruman

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.

Known For

To Be or Not to Be

as Col. Ehrhardt

Stalag 17

as Sgt. Johann Sebastian Schulz

White Christmas

as Landlord (uncredited)

A Night at the Opera

as Gottlieb

The Addams Family

as Eric Von Bissell

Ninotchka

as Comrade Iranoff

One, Two, Three

as Count von Droste Schattenburg (voice) (uncredited)

The Fortune Cookie

as Professor Winterhalter

Only Angels Have Wings

as Dutchy

A Day at the Races

as Dr. Leopold X. Steinberg