Allô Allô, uma retrospectiva... (VII) - Guy Siner

Guy Siner encarnou na série a personagem de Lieutenant Hubert Gruber, que provocava gargalhada geral quanto tentava fleurtar com o René.

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Guy Siner (born 16 October 1947) is an American-born British actor known for his role as Lieutenant Hubert Gruber in th e British television series 'Allo 'Allo!.

Early life

Siner was born in New York City. His father was American, born in Newark, New Jersey, and his mother English, born in Bexhill-on-Sea, East Sussex. His mother wanted him to be educated in the United Kingdom, and the family returned there when he was five. After attending public school, he trained for the stage at the Webber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Art in London.

Career

In 1980, Siner portrayed director Mack Sennett in The Biograph Girl, a short-lived West End musical about the silent film era. He played Lieutenant Hubert Gruber in the sitcom 'Allo 'Allo! between 1982 and 1992. Other credits include I, Claudius, Babylon 5, Seinfeld, You Rang, M'Lord?, The Brittas Empire, Martial Law, 'Diagnosis

Murder, Secret Army, Star Trek: Enterprise and in the Doctor Who story Genesis of the Daleks. He also played a small role in the movie Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl. In addition to this he also appeared in Chucklevision.

After 'Allo 'Allo came to the end of its run in 1992, Siner worked for a time in the United States, based in Los Angeles, California. He has since returned to the United Kingdom, and now resides in Chesham in Buckinghamshire.

Siner is notable as being one of only ten actors to appear in both the Star Trek and Doctor Who franchises. The others are Simon Pegg, Daphne Ashbrook, Alan Dale, Maurice Roëves, Christopher Neame, Olaf Pooley, John Franklyn-Robbins, Barrie Ingham and Deep Roy. (Gregg Palmer also appeared in both franchises but his role in Star Trek went uncredited.)

In 2006, Siner appeared in two films by writer and director David Roden (of Dimensions In Time fame) called Beginner's Please and The Resurrectionist.

In June and July 2007 he reprised his role of Lieutenant Gruber in the stage play of 'Allo 'Allo, for Twelfth Night Theatre in Brisbane, alongside Gorden Kaye and Sue Hodge, playing their original roles of René Artois and Mimi Labonq. The other characters were portrayed by various Australian actors including Katy Manning, Steven Tandy, Chloe Dallimore, Jason Gann, Tony Alcock and David Knijnenburg.

Lieutenant Hubert Gruber, generally known only as Lieutenant Gruber, is a fictional character from the British sitcom series 'Allo 'Allo! and is portrayed by Guy Siner. Gruber is an Oberleutnant in the Panzer division in the Wehrmacht (evidenced by the rose-pink piping on his uniform and single gilted star on the silver eppaulette), although in very early episodes he wears the rank of Leutnant. He has an armoured car, which he often refers to as "my little tank" and is driven by the unseen character "Clarence". The vehicle resembles a Leichter Panzerspähwagen, probably the SdKfz. 222 version, or possibly a modified Russian Ba64. However dimensions and configuration (the show vehicle has a rear access - the real 222 does not), mean that the show vehicle only resembles an existing model of tank.

Gruber comes from Baden-Baden. He attended art school in his youth, but was expelled (just after they had done fish). Prior to the war, he worked as a window dresser, and as an assistant in an art gallery in Cologne. Later his artistic talent comes useful, when he is ordered by Colonel Von Strohm to make copies of the Fallen Madonna by Van Klomp (or "The Fallen Madonna With The Big Boobies"), and the Vase With Twelve Sunflowers by Vincent Van Gogh (referred also as "The Cracked Vase With The Big Daisies").

Gruber never admitted his sexuality, though his mannerisms and characteristics are that of a stereotypical gay male who has an obvious crush on René. He often finds René in embarrassing situations, for example by walking into a room and catching René in his underpants. Nevertheless, in the last episode of the series, we discover that Lieutenant Gruber has married Helga, with whom he has had six children after the war, and he is a wealthy art salesmen. He hired his former superior Colonel Von Strohm as his chaffeur. This marriage led to confusion on whether he was really homosexual or if he pretended in order to obtain vital information from both allies and enemies without creating any suspicions to either party. However, in The Return of 'Allo 'Allo!, it was specifically made clear that Gruber was intended to be gay, even though it's shown in the last episode that he could also maintain a relationship with a woman - effectively making him bisexual.

Gruber is the aide-de-camp to General Von Klinkerhoffen, and lives in the local château. Later he also becomes the unofficial assistant of Colonel Von Strohm, after Captain Hans Geering goes missing in series 3.