To Be or Not to Be
Person· Acting
Sig Ruman
- Born
- October 10, 1884
- Died
- February 14, 1967
- From
- Hamburg, Germany
Also known as
Sig Rumann · Siegfried Rumann · Sigfried Rumann · Siegfried Carl Alban Rumann
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.
