Josef Sommer facts for kids

Maximilian Josef Sommer (born June 26, 1934) is a German-American actor who is now retired. He worked in plays, on television, and in movies.

Early Life

Maximilian Sommer was born in Greifswald, Germany. He grew up in North Carolina, USA. His parents were Elisabeth and Clemens Sommer. His father was a professor of Art History at the University of North Carolina. Maximilian studied at the Carnegie Institute of Technology. He has one daughter named Maria.

Acting Career

Sommer started acting when he was nine years old. His first role was in a play called Watch on the Rhine in North Carolina. His first movie was Dirty Harry in 1971. He appeared in many other films. These include The Stepford Wives (1975) and Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977).

He also acted in Still of the Night (1982) and Silkwood (1983). In the thriller Witness (1985), he played a police officer. He acted alongside famous actor Harrison Ford in that movie. Other films include Target (1985) and Malice (1993). He was also in Patch Adams (1998) and X-Men: The Last Stand (2006).

On television, he played President Gerald Ford in the TV movie The Betty Ford Story (1987). In 1992, he had a very important role as Gerald Ducksworth in The Mighty Ducks. In this movie, he played a kind person who helped young hockey players. He gave money for ice time, equipment, and uniforms. He is seen as the real founder of the fictional District 5 Ducks team. He also helped create the real-life NHL Anaheim Ducks team.

In 1974, he played Roy Mills on the TV show The Guiding Light. He was also George Barton in the 1983 TV version of Agatha Christie's Sparkling Cyanide. He had main roles in two short TV series: Hothouse (1988) and Under Cover (1991). By 2007, he had been in almost 100 films. He was the narrator for the movie Sophie's Choice (1982). He also played a detective in the horror comedy Dracula's Widow (1988).

Film and TV Roles

See also

In Spanish: Josef Sommer para niños