Josef Sommer
Biography
Maximilian Josef Sommer, also known as M. Josef Sommer and Josef Somer, is a German-American retired stage, television, and film actor. He was born on June 26, 1934, in Greifswald, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany. Sommer has one hundred known acting credits. His notable film roles include Rothko in Dirty Harry, Chief Paul Schaefer in Witness, Max Richter in Silkwood, Mr. Duckworth in The Mighty Ducks, Clive Peoples Jr. in Nobody's Fool, Phelps Bowen in The Chamber, Dr. Eaton in Patch Adams, Curtis Flemming in Shaft, Senator Jessup in The Sum of All Fears, The President in X-Men: The Last Stand, Sam Taylor in Independence Day, and serving as the narrator for Sophie's Choice. He also portrayed Peter Lassiter in The Family Man.
Career overview
Maximilian Josef Sommer, also known as M. Josef Sommer and Josef Somer, is a German-American retired stage, television, and film actor. Born on June 26, 1934, in Greifswald, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany, Sommer has accumulated 100 known acting credits over the course of his career.
Sommer is best known for portraying a wide variety of characters across numerous notable feature films. His prominent film roles include Rothko in Dirty Harry, Max Richter in Silkwood, Chief Paul Schaefer in Witness, Mr. Duckworth in The Mighty Ducks, Clive Peoples Jr. in Nobody's Fool, Phelps Bowen in The Chamber, Dr. Eaton in Patch Adams, Sam Taylor in Independence Day, Curtis Flemming in Shaft, Peter Lassiter in The Family Man, Senator Jessup in The Sum of All Fears, and The President in X-Men: The Last Stand. In addition to his screen performances, he also served as the narrator for the film Sophie's Choice.
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Career timeline
Full Filmography
103 titles- The Other Guys (2010) as District Attorney Radford (uncredited)
- Stop-Loss (2008) as Senator Orton Worrell
- The Invasion (2007) as Dr. Henryk Belicec
- The Elephant King (2006) as Bill Hunt
- X-Men: The Last Stand (2006) as The President
- Without a Trace (2002) as Peter Ducek
- The Sum of All Fears (2002) as Senator Jessup
- Searching for Paradise (2002) as Carl Greenslate
- Law & Order: Criminal Intent (2001) as Spencer Durning
- The Family Man (2000) as Peter Lassiter
- Shaft (2000) as Curt Flemming
- The Next Best Thing (2000) as Richard Whittaker
- The Adventures of Young Indiana Jones: Winds of Change (2000) as Woodrow Wilson
- Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (1999) as Patrick Rumsey
- The West Wing (1999) as Steve Gaines
- Providence (1999) as Thomas Wheelock
- The Hunt for the Unicorn Killer (1999)
- The Hunt For The Unicorn Killer (1999)
- Patch Adams (1998) as Dr. Eaton
- Bulworth (1998) as Doctor (uncredited)
- The Proposition (1998) as Dryer
- Ally McBeal (1997) as Henry Thompson
- Early Edition (1996) as John Dobbs
- Mistrial (1996) as Nick Mirsky
- Hidden in America (1996) as Edward Millerton
- The Chamber (1996) as Phelps Bowen
- Strange Days (1995) as Palmer Strickland
- Moonlight and Valentino (1995) as Thomas Trager
- Kansas (1995) as Joseph 'Joe' Farley
- Letter to My Killer (1995)
- Nobody's Fool (1994) as Clive Peoples Jr.
- The Enemy Within (1994) as Defence Secretary Charles Potter
- Assault at West Point: The Court-Martial of Johnson Whittaker (1994) as Col. Morrow
- Don't Drink the Water (1994) as Ambassador Magee
- Malice (1993) as Atty. Lester Adams
- The Mighty Ducks (1992) as Mr. Ducksworth
- Citizen Cohn (1992) as Albert Cohn
- An American Story (1992) as Henry Meade
- Hostages (1992) as Tom Sutherland
- A Woman Named Jackie (1991) as Joseph Kennedy Sr.
- Shadows and Fog (1991) as Priest
- Before the Storm (1991) as Stewart Merriman
- Under Cover (1991) as Stewart Merriman
- Under Cover (1991) as Stewart Merriman
- Law & Order (1990) as Defense Attorney Patrick Rumsey
- Law & Order (1990) as Judge Lawrence Hellman
- The Kennedys of Massachusetts (1990) as Franklin D. Roosevelt
- When Will I Be Loved? (1990) as Martin Ransil
- William Shakespeare's Hamlet (1990) as Polonius
- Bloodhounds of Broadway (1989) as Waldo Winchester
- Chances Are (1989) as Judge Fenwick
- Bionic Showdown: The Six Million Dollar Man and the Bionic Woman (1989) as Charles Estiman
- Bridge to Silence (1989) as Al Duffield
- Money, Power, Murder. (1989) as Jack Finley
- Forced March (1989) as Richard Kline
- Hothouse (1988) as Dr. Sam Garrison
- Dracula's Widow (1988) as Lannon
- The Rosary Murders (1987) as Lieutenant Koznicki
- The Betty Ford Story (1987) as President Gerald Ford
- A Special Friendship (1987) as General Winder
- Double Image (1986) as James Angleton
- Screen Two (1985) as James Angleton
- The Equalizer (1985) as Ernest Rasher
- Witness (1985) as Schaeffer
- D.A.R.Y.L. (1985) as Dr. Jeffrey Stewart
- Brotherly Love (1985) as Mr. Rafferty
- The Execution of Raymond Graham (1985) as Jim Neal
- Target (1985) as Barney Taber
- Iceman (1984) as Whitman
- Scarecrow and Mrs. King (1983)
- Saigon: Year of the Cat (1983) as Jack Ockham
- Silkwood (1983) as Max Richter
- Sparkling Cyanide (1983) as George Barton
- Independence Day (1983) as Sam Taylor
- American Playhouse (1982) as Doc
- American Playhouse (1982) as Waldo Winchester
- Sophie's Choice (1982) as Narrator (voice)
- Hanky Panky (1982) as Adrian Pruitt
- Still of the Night (1982) as George Bynum
- Absence of Malice (1981) as McAdam
- Reds (1981) as State Department Official
- Rollover (1981) as Roy Lefcourt
- The Henderson Monster (1980) as Dr. Martin Grossman
- Hide in Plain Sight (1980) as Jason R. Reid
- Doctor Franken (1980) as Mr. Parker
- The Scarlet Letter (1979) as Nathaniel Hawthorne
- Too Far to Go (1979) as Henry Mills
- Oliver's Story (1978) as Dr. Dienhart
- Mourning Becomes Electra (1978) as Ezra Mannon
- Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977) as Larry Butler
- The Andros Targets (1977) as Benson Fisher
- The Adams Chronicles (1976) as Charles Lee
- The Front (1976) as Committee Chairman
- Judge Horton and the Scottsboro Boys (1976) as Pomeroy
- Valley Forge (1975) as Brig. Gen. Varnum
- The Stepford Wives (1975) as Ted Van Sant
- Man on a Swing (1974) as Pete Russell
- Enemies (1974) as Nikolai
- The Witches of Salem: The Horror and the Hope (1972) as Proctor
- Great Performances (1971) as Nikolai
- Great Performances (1971) as Polonius
- Dirty Harry (1971) as Rothko
- Hallmark Hall of Fame (1951) as Brig. Gen. Varnum
Frequently Asked Questions
What movies or TV shows is Josef Sommer best known for?
Josef Sommer is widely recognized for notable roles and projects including The Other Guys (2010), Stop-Loss (2008), The Invasion (2007), X-Men: The Last Stand (2006).
When and where was Josef Sommer born?
Josef Sommer was born on June 26, 1934 in Greifswald, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany.
How many credits does Josef Sommer have?
Josef Sommer has accumulated over 103 film and television credits across a career spanning from 1951 to 2010.
What is Josef Sommer's background in cinema and television?
Maximilian Josef Sommer, also known as M. Josef Sommer and Josef Somer, is a German-American retired stage, television, and film actor. He was born on June 26, 1934, in Greifswald, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany. Sommer has one hundred known acting credits. His notable film roles include Rothko in Dirty Harry, Chief P...