Josef Sommer

• Birth Name — Maximilian Josef Sommer • Born — 26 June 1934 • Birthplace — Greifswald, Germany • Education — Carnegie Mellon University (BFA) • Years Active — 1971–2010 • Occupation — Actor

Sommer was born in Greifswald, Germany, from which he and his parents, Elisabeth and Clemens Sommer, a professor of art history at the University of North Carolina, emigrated in 1938 with his sister Maria and brother Sebastian. He studied theatre at the Carnegie Institute of Technology. Sommer served in the U.S. Army. Afterwards, he trained as an actor at the American Shakespeare Festival in Connecticut.

• Stage Sommer made his acting debut in 1943 at the age of nine in the Carolina Playmakers production of Lillian Hellman's 1941 American drama play, Watch on the Rhine. He performed with the Seattle Repertory Theatre in Washington. In 1970, he made his Broadway debut as Brabantio in Othello. In 1971, Sommer played the Defense in the original production of Friar Daniel Berrigan's The Trial of the Catonsville Nine (1971) based upon the real-life Catonsville Nine. Gregory Peck later produced a 1972 film adaptation, The Trial of the Catonsville Nine based on the play. Also during the 1970s, Sommer's Broadway roles and performances include Dr. Karl Yaeger in Jack Horrigan's thriller Children! Children! directed by Joseph Hardy (1972), Nikolai Skrobotov in Maxim Gorky's play Enemies (1972), Antonio in Shakespeare's play The Merchant of Venice (1973), Schmidt in by Erich Maria Remarque's Full Circle directed by Otto Preminger (1973), Arnold J. Pilger in Peter Ustinov's original comedy Who's Who in Hell (1974), Michael Cristofer's original award-winning drama The Shadow Box (1977), and Francis in the musical play Spokesong (1979). In 1980 he played Clifton A. Feddington in the original musical The 1940's Radio Hour, and Dr. Michael Emerson in the revival of Brian Clark's drama Whose Life is it Anyway? Sommer also played The Reverend Lionel Espy in the original production of Racing Demon (1995). Sommer won Obie Awards for his off-Broadway performances in Lydie Breeze (1982) and Václav Havel's semi-autobiographical play Largo Desolato (1986). He also appeared off-Broadway at Lincoln Center's Mitzi E. Newhouse Theater as Blair in the 1994 revision of Tom Stoppard's play Hapgood. In 1991, Sommer was nominated for a Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Featured Actor in a Play for his role in Hamlet. • Film Sommer made his film debut in Dirty Harry (1971), followed by roles in The Stepford Wives (1975), The Front (1976), Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977), Reds (1981), and Still of the Night in 1982. That same year, he was the narrator in Sophie's Choice. He appeared in Silkwood (1983), Peter Weir's thriller Witness (1985) opposite Harrison Ford (where he played a dirty cop), and Target (1985). In 1988, Sommer played the lead role opposite Sylvia Kristel, as the film noir-esque detective in the quirky horror comedy Dracula's Widow. He then appeared in Shadows and Fog (1991). In 1992, he played the eponymous role of Gerald Ducksworth in The Mighty Ducks, a kind-hearted benefactor of inner city youth hockey, who sends his best lawyer to coach the team and donates funds for rink time, safe equipment and proper uniforms. In the film, Gerald Ducksworth is the founder of both the fictional District 5 Ducks and NHL Anaheim Ducks teams. He then appeared in Malice (1993), Nobody's Fool (1994), Patch Adams (1998), and X-Men: The Last Stand (2006). • Television On television Sommer appeared in the role of Roy Mills on The Guiding Light (1974), and played George Barton in the 1983 television adaptation of Agatha Christie's Sparkling Cyanide. He played President Gerald Ford opposite Gena Rowlands in the television film The Betty Ford Story (1987). He had starring roles in the short-lived series, Hothouse (1988) and Under Cover (1991). In 1989, Sommer guest starred on the CBS action drama The Equalizer as master wargame villain Ernest Rasher in the episode "Endgame." He has a daughter Maria, and has a sister Maria, and a brother Sebastian

Josef Sommer television credits • Year — Title — Role — Notes — Ref. Reference(s) • 1973–1974 — The Doctors — Dave Davis — 23 episodes • 1974 — The Guiding Light — Roy Mills • 1974-1990 — Great Performances — Nikolai/Polonius — 2 episodes • 1975 — Valley Forge — Brigadier General 'Dusty' Varnum — TV movie • 1976 — The Adams Chronicles — Charles Lee — Episode: "Chapter VI: John Adams, President" • 1977 — The Andros Targets — Benson Fischer — Episode: "The Killing of a Porno Queen" • 1978 — Another World — Rev. Higley — 1 episode • 1979 — The Scarlet Letter — Nathaniel Hawthorne — Miniseries • 1983 — Sparkling Cyanide — George Barton — TV movie • 1985 — I Had Three Wives — McWilliams — Episode: "Runaround Sue" • The Execution of Raymond Graham — Jim Neal — TV Movie • 1986 — Screen Two — James Angelton — Episode: "Double Image" • Scarecrow and Mrs. King — Raoul Nesbitt — Episode: "Needs to Know" • 1987 — American Playhouse — Doc — Episode: "The Wide Net" • 1988 — Hothouse — Dr. Sam Garrison — 7 episodes • 1989 — Bionic Showdown: The Six Million Dollar Man and the Bionic Woman — Charles Estiman — TV movie • The Equalizer — Ernest Rasher — Episode: "Endgame" • 1990 — The Kennedys of Massachusetts — Franklin D. Roosevelt — Miniseries • 1991 — A Woman Named Jackie — Joseph P. Kennedy Jr. — Miniseries • 1992 — Citizen Cohn — Albert Cohn — TV movie • 1993 — The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles — President Woodrow Wilson — Episode: "Paris, May 1919" • 1996-2000 — Law & Order — Judge Lawrence Hellman/Defence Attorney Patrick Rumsey — 2 episodes • 1997 — Early Edition — John Dobbs • 2000 — Law & Order: Special Victims Unit — Defence Attorney Patrick Rumsey — Episode: "Entitled" Part 2 • 2002 — Benjamin Franklin — Cotton Mather — TV miniseries • 2003 — Law & Order: Criminal Intent — Spencer Durning — Episode: "Cold Comfort" • 2004 — The West Wing — Steve Gaines — Episode: "Slow News Day"

Josef Sommer is recorded as actor.