Max Gail facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Max Gail
Gail in 1975
Born	Maxwell Trowbridge Gail Jr. (1943-04-05) April 5, 1943 (age 82) Detroit, Michigan, U.S.
Alma mater	Williams College (BA) University of Michigan (MBA)
Occupation	Actor
Years active	1970–present
Spouse(s)	Willie Beir ​ ​ (m. 1983; died 1986)​ Nan Harris ​ ​ (m. 1989; separated 2000)​
Children	3
Awards	Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series (General Hospital; 2019)

Maxwell Trowbridge Gail Jr., born on April 5, 1943, is an American actor. He has performed in plays, on television, and in movies. He is well known for playing Detective Stan "Wojo" Wojciehowicz in the TV show Barney Miller from 1975 to 1982. This role earned him two nominations for a Primetime Emmy Award. Max Gail also won the Daytime Emmy Award for Best Supporting Actor in 2019 and 2021. He received these awards for his role as Mike Corbin on the soap opera General Hospital.

Early Life and First Steps in Acting

Growing Up in Michigan

Max Gail was born in Detroit, Michigan. His parents were Mary Elizabeth and Maxwell Trowbridge Gail. His father was a businessman. Max grew up in Grosse Ile, Michigan. He has a twin sister named Mary Gail, who is also an actress. He also has another sister, Emily T. Gail.

Education and Early Career

Max Gail went to Williams College and earned a Bachelor of Arts degree. He then studied at the University of Michigan, where he received a Master of Business Administration degree. Before becoming an actor, he taught at the University Liggett School.

First Acting Role

His first acting job was in 1970. He played the character Chief Bromden in the play One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest. This was at the Little Fox Theatre in San Francisco, California. In 1973, he performed this same role when he made his New York stage debut.

Max Gail's Acting Career

Famous TV Roles

The 1977 cast of Barney Miller; (Back): Max Gail, Ron Glass, Abe Vigoda and Jack Soo; (front): Hal Linden

Max Gail is most famous for his TV role as Det. Stan "Wojo" Wojciehowicz. He played this character in the sitcom Barney Miller from 1975 to 1982. He also directed several episodes of Barney Miller. His most well-known movie role was Harold, the owner of a taxi company, in D.C. Cab (1983).

Other TV Shows and Movies

In 1984, Max Gail starred in a play called The Babe on Broadway. This play was filmed and later shown on PBS. He has also appeared in other TV series. These include Whiz Kids (1983), where he played an investigative reporter. He was also in Normal Life (1990) and Sons & Daughters (2006).

Max Gail has made many guest appearances on popular TV shows. Some of these include Walker, Texas Ranger, Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman, Murder, She Wrote, Hawaii Five-0, Quantum Leap, Psych, NCIS, and Mad Men.

In 2013, Gail played Brooklyn Dodgers manager Burt Shotton in the movie 42. This film was about Jackie Robinson's first years with the Dodgers.

Recent Work and Awards

In 2015, Max Gail was nominated for Best Actor at the Los Angeles International Film Festival. This was for his role in the short film In Memory.

He took on the role of Mike Corbin on General Hospital. He first appeared on the show on February 5, 2018. For this role, he won the Daytime Emmy Award for Best Supporting Actor in both 2019 and 2021.

Production Company

Max Gail also runs a production company called Full Circle. This company has created documentaries on important topics. These topics include Agent Orange, Native Americans, and nuclear issues.

Personal Life

Family and Relationships

Max Gail's first wife, Willie Bier, passed away in 1986. They had been married for three years. They had a daughter named India. This experience led Gail to narrate a documentary about healing in 1988.

He later married Nan, and they had two children, Maxwell and Grace. They separated in 2000. Since 2007, Max Gail has been in a relationship with Chris Kaul.

Grace Gail's Family

Max Gail's daughter, Grace Gail, became a model. She married actor Adam Rodriguez in 2016. They have three children together. Their son, Bridgemont Bernard Rodriguez, was born on March 16, 2020.

Selected Film and TV Appearances