Bob Hiltermann

Bob Hiltermann (born August 1, 1952) is a deaf writer, director, actor, and musician. He is best known

as a founding member of the world's only all-deaf rock band, Beethoven's Nightmare, and for his involvement in groundbreaking deaf theatre and film productions. His acclaimed short film, This is Ed!!, has won 24 awards internationally. Hiltermann has appeared in numerous film and television productions, and is a co-founder of Deaf West Theatre, a Tony Award-winning company known for its Broadway productions.^[1]

Hiltermann was born in Wiesbaden, West Germany, to Maria Albert and Karl Hiltermann. He was the second youngest of eleven children. At the age of four, he contracted spinal meningitis, which resulted in his hearing loss. His deafness remained undiagnosed until he was ten years old, which caused significant challenges in school.

In 1957, his family emigrated to Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Despite academic struggles, Hiltermann developed an early passion for music—especially drumming—after being exposed to powwows on the Blackfoot Indian reservation with a childhood friend and listening to The Beatles through his sister Dagmar.

Following high school, a guidance counselor encouraged him to apply to Gallaudet College (now Gallaudet University) in Washington, D.C., a university for the deaf and hard of hearing. He was accepted, likely due to his strong performance in mathematics. There, he learned American Sign Language (ASL), as well as English reading and writing skills, opening the door to creative and communicative expression.

While at Gallaudet, Hiltermann met fellow deaf musicians Ed Chevy and Steve Longo, with whom he formed Beethoven's Nightmare.^[2]

Hiltermann made his film debut in 1986, portraying Orin Dennis in the Academy Award-winning film Children of a Lesser God.^[3] He reunited with co-star Marlee Matlin in the 1989 CBS television movie Bridge to Silence.^[4]

Other notable appearances include roles in:

• All My Children (ABC, recurring role as Walter Novak)
• Cold Case (CBS)
• Hawaii Five-0 (CBS)
• The Blacklist (NBC)
• The Hammer (2010)
• Camp Arrowhead (2020)
• The feature documentary See What I'm Saying: The Deaf Entertainers Documentary (2009)^[5]
• The PBS documentary Through Deaf Eyes (2007)^[6]

In 2017, he wrote and directed the short film This is Ed!!, which won 24 awards at international film festivals, including Best Director nominations at the Atlanta Comedy Film Festival and the Shanghai International Deaf Film Festival.^[1]

In 1980, Hiltermann co-founded MUSIGN, a musical theatre troupe integrating sign language, dance, and mime. The group toured internationally to critical acclaim. In 1989, he co-founded the Theatre of the Deaf at the Fountain Theatre in Los Angeles. A year later, this evolved into Deaf West Theatre, co-founded with Ed Waterstreet. Deaf West would go on to present award-winning productions, including Broadway runs of Big River and Spring Awakening.^[7]

Hiltermann's band, Beethoven's Nightmare, gained international recognition as the only all-deaf rock band in the world. Formed at Gallaudet University, the band has performed at music and arts festivals globally.^[2]

His stage performance as the sinister character, The Minister, in the musical The Black Drum (2019) received acclaim in Canada, the United States, and France.

Hiltermann is also an accomplished screenwriter. His script Grateful Deaf was a Top 10 Finalist, Kinolime Script-to-Screen Competition. Additionally, 3 accolades from other screenplay competitions (specific listings available).^[8] His more recent script, Fly Boy Fly, has received 10 accolades from various screenwriting competitions.

He is also a star and executive producer of Shut Up and Sign, an educational sign language series.^[9]

As an educator, Hiltermann teaches English to deaf students and ASL to hearing students with the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD). He has also served as an ASL consultant for film and television, including working with William Hurt on Children of a Lesser God and Ashton Kutcher in A Lot Like Love.

• This is Ed!! — 24 awards from international film festivals
• Grateful Deaf — Top 10 Finalist, Kinolime Script-to-Screen Competition.  Additionally, this screenplay also has 3 accolades from other screenplay competitions (specific listings available).
• Fly Boy Fly — 10 accolades from screenplay competitions (specific listings available)

• Love Wins (2018) – Dad
• The Hammer (2010) – Purdue Professor
• See What I'm Saying: The Deaf Entertainers Documentary (2009) – Himself
• The Heart of a Drum Machine (2009) – Himself
• Children of a Lesser God (1986) – Orin Dennis

• The Blacklist (2021) – The Colonel
• Camp Arrowhead (2020) – Victor
• Hawaii Five-0 (2018) – Hal
• Cold Case (2008) – Ed Rierdan
• Through Deaf Eyes (2007) – Himself
• All My Children (2007) – Walter Novak
• Sirens (1995) – Guest Star (Jacob)
• Playboy: Erotic Fantasies (1992) – Himself
• Tin Men (1990) – Secret Agent
• Bridge to Silence (1989) – John Warner
• Entertainment Tonight (1985) – Himself

Hiltermann has been married to Adylia Roman since 1991. They have two children, Kayla and Ryan. He resides in California and continues to be active in film, music, and education.