Josef Sommer facts for kids

Maximilian Josef Sommer (born June 26, 1934) is a German-American retired stage, television, and film actor.

Early life

He was born in Greifswald, Germany, and raised in North Carolina, the son of Elisabeth and Clemens Sommer, a professor of Art History at the University of North Carolina. He studied at the Carnegie Institute of Technology. He has a daughter, Maria.

Career

Sommer made his acting debut at the age of nine in a North Carolina production of Watch on the Rhine. He made his film debut in Dirty Harry (1971) and appeared in films such as The Stepford Wives (1975), Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977), Still of the Night (1982), Silkwood (1983), Peter Weir's thriller Witness (1985) opposite Harrison Ford (where he played a dirty cop), Target (1985), Malice (1993), Patch Adams (1998), and X-Men: The Last Stand (2006). He appeared as President Gerald Ford opposite Gena Rowlands in the TV movie The Betty Ford Story (1987). In 1992 he played his most impactful role as the eponymous Gerald Ducksworth in The Mighty Ducks. A kind-hearted benefactor of inner city youth hockey, he not only sends one of his best lawyers to coach the team but also donates the necessary funds for rink time, safe equipment and proper uniforms. Indeed, Gerald Ducksworth is the true founder of both the fictional District 5 Ducks and NHL Anaheim Ducks teams.

In 1974, he appeared in the role of Roy Mills on The Guiding Light, and played George Barton in the 1983 TV version of Agatha Christie's Sparkling Cyanide. He had starring roles in two short-lived series: Hothouse (1988) and Under Cover (1991). As of 2007, he had appeared in almost 100 films. He lent his talents as the poignant narrator in Sophie's Choice (1982). He played a rare leading role opposite Sylvia Kristel, as the film noir-esque detective in the quirky horror comedy Dracula's Widow (1988).

Filmography

See also

In Spanish: Josef Sommer para niños