Sig Ruman
Known for ActingBorn 1884-10-10 — died 1967-02-14Hamburg, Germany
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.
Read full bioShow less
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
Ninotchka
1939 · as Comrade Iranoff
White Christmas
1954 · as Landlord (uncredited)
Government Girl
1943 · as Ambassador
One, Two, Three
1961 · as Count von Droste Schattenburg (voice) (uncredited)
Night and Day
1946 · as Wilowski
To Be or Not to Be
1942 · as Col. Ehrhardt
The Fortune Cookie
1966 · as Professor Winterhalter
Robin and the 7 Hoods
1964 · as Hammacher (uncredited)
Heidi
1937 · as Police Captain
Houdini
1953 · as Schultz
Living It Up
1954 · as Dr. Emile Egelhofer
Only Angels Have Wings
1939 · as Dutchy
A Night at the Opera
1935 · as Gottlieb
Stalag 17
1953 · as Sgt. Johann Sebastian Schulz
China Girl
1942 · as Jarubi
The Song of Bernadette
1943 · as Louis Bouriette
The Glenn Miller Story
1954 · as W. Kranz
36 Hours
1964 · as German Guard