SOMMER, Josef 1934–

(Josef Somer, M. Josef Sommer)

PERSONAL

Full name, Maximilian Josef Sommer; born June 26, 1934, in Greifswald, Germany; raised in North Carolina; son of Clemons (a professor of history) and Elisebeth Sommer; children: Maria. Education: Carnegie Institute of Technology (now Carnegie Mellon University), B.F.A., 1957; also studied at the American Shakespeare Festival, Stratford, CT, 1962–64.

Career: Actor. Military service: U.S. Army, 1958–60.

Awards, Honors: Fulbright grant to study professional theatre in Germany, 1960–61; Obie awards, outstanding performance, Village Voice, 1982, for Lydie Breeze, and 1986, for Largo Desolato.

CREDITS

Stage Appearances:

Bodo, Watch on the Rhine, Carolina Playmakers, Chapel Hill, NC, 1943.

Lord Ross, Richard II, American Shakespeare Festival, Stratford, CT, 1962.

Sir Richard Vernon, Henry IV, Part I, American Shakespeare Festival, 1962.

Antonio, Much Ado about Nothing, American Shakespeare Festival, 1964.

First player, Hamlet, American Shakespeare Festival, 1964.

Lord Rivers, Richard III, American Shakespeare Festival, 1964.

Cominius, Coriolanus, American Shakespeare Festival, 1965.

Duke of Albany, King Lear, American Shakespeare Festival, 1965.

Lord Capulet, Romeo and Juliet, American Shakespeare Festival, 1965.

Fourth tempter, Murder in the Cathedral, American Shakespeare Festival, 1966.

Title role, Julius Caesar, American Shakespeare Festival, 1966.

King Henry IV, Falstaff (Henry IV, Part II), American Shakespeare Festival, 1966.

Tartuffe, Seattle Repertory Theatre, Seattle Center, Seattle, WA, between 1966 and 1967.

Captain E. Dumain, All's Well That Ends Well, San Diego National Shakespeare Festival, Old Globe Theatre, San Diego, CA, 1967.

Malvolio, Twelfth Night, San Diego National Shakespeare Festival, Old Globe Theatre, 1967.

Captain, Androcles and the Lion, American Shakespeare Festival, 1968.

Don Adriano de Armado, Love's Labour's Lost, American Shakespeare Festival, 1968.

John of Gaunt, Richard II, American Shakespeare Festival, 1968.

All's Well That Ends Well, American Shakespeare Festival, 1970.

Brabantio and understudy for Iago, Othello, American Shakespeare Festival, American National Theatre and Academy, New York City, 1970–71.

Defense, The Trial of the Catonsville Nine, Theatre at Good Shepherd Faith Church, New York City, then Lyceum Theatre, New York City, both 1971.

Dr. Karl Yaeger, Children! Children!, Ritz Theatre, New York City, 1972.

Nikolai Skrobotov, Enemies, Lincoln Center, Vivian Beaumont Theater, New York City, 1972.

Antonio, The Merchant of Venice, Lincoln Center, Vivian Beaumont Theater, 1973.

Schmidt, Full Circle, American National Theatre and Academy, 1973.

Arnold J. Pilger, Who's Who in Hell, Lunt-Fontanne Theatre, New York City, 1974.

Richard III, Long Wharf Theatre, New Haven, CT, 1974–75.

William, The Dog Ran Away, Ensemble Studio Theatre, New York City, 1975.

The Government Inspector, Hartman Theatre Company, Stamford, CT, 1975–76.

Alphabetical Order, Long Wharf Theatre, 1976–77.

The Archbishop's Ceiling, John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, Washington, DC, 1976–77.

Interviewer, later Brian, The Shadow Box, Morosco Theatre, New York City, 1977.

Alan, Drinks before Dinner, Public Theatre, Estelle R. Newman Theatre, New York City, 1978.

Spokesong, Long Wharf Theatre, 1978.

Summerfolk, Long Wharf Theatre, between 1978 and 1979.

Francis, Spokesong; or, The Common Wheel, Circle in the Square, New York City, 1979.

Clifton A. Feddington, The 1940s Radio Hour, St. James Theatre, New York City, 1979–80.

Dr. Michael Emerson, Whose Life Is It Anyway?, Royale Theatre, New York City, 1980.

George, The Lady and the Clarinet, Center Theatre Group, Mark Taper Forum, Los Angeles, 1980.

Joshua Hickman, Lydie Breeze, American Place Theatre, New York City, 1982.

Martin Engel, Black Angel, Circle Repertory Theatre, New York City, 1982–83.

George, The Lady and the Clarinet, Lucille Lortel Theatre, New York City, 1983.

Victor Marsden, Love Letters on Blue Paper, Hudson Guild Theatre, New York City, 1984.

Bullie's House, Long Wharf Theatre, 1985.

Dr. Leopold Kopriva, Largo Desolato, New York Shakespeare Festival, Public Theatre, LuEsther Hall, New York City, 1986.

Audrey Botvinnik, A Walk in the Woods, Yale Repertory Theatre, New Haven, CT, 1987.

Andrew Makepeace Ladd III, Love Letters, Promenade Theatre, New York City, 1989.

Polonius, Hamlet, New York Shakespeare Festival, Public Theatre, Anspacher Theatre, New York City, 1990.

Austin, Later Life, Westside Theatre Upstairs, New York City, 1993–94.

Blair, Hapgood, Mitzi E. Newhouse Theatre, New York City, 1994–95.

Reverend Lionel Espy, Racing Demon, Lincoln Center, Vivian Beaumont Theater, Lincoln Center, 1995–96.

Cardinal Wolsey, Henry VIII, Public Theatre, Delacorte Theatre, New York City, 1997.

John, Labor Day, Manhattan Theatre Club Stage I, New York City, and Old Globe Theatre, both 1998.

John, The Shadow Box, Old Globe Theatre, 1998.

Arthur Kipps, The Woman in Black, Bay Street Theatre, Sag Harbor, NY, 2000.

Charlie, Seascape, Bay Street Theatre, 2001.

Where's Annie? (staged reading), Hudson Stage Company, Croton Free Library, Croton-on-Hudson, NY, 2004.

The pope's legate, The Controversy of Valladolid, Public Theatre, Estelle R. Newman Theatre, 2005.

Appeared in productions of the American Conservatory Theatre, San Francisco, CA, 1970–71; Hartford Stage Company, Hartford, CT, 1975–76; McCarter Theatre Company, Princeton, NJ, 1975–76; and the American Shakespeare Theatre, Stratford, CT, 1976.

Major Tours:

George, Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf, Seattle Repertory Theatre Company tour, 1969.

Film Appearances:

District attorney William T. Rothko, Dirty Harry, Warner Bros., 1971.

Peter "Pete" Russell, Man on a Swing, Paramount, 1974.

(As Josef Somer) Ted Van Sant, The Stepford Wives, Columbia, 1975.

(As M. Josef Sommer) Committee chair, The Front, Columbia, 1976.

Ralph Brody, Pleasantville, Visions/KCET/Pleasantville, 1976.

Larry Butler, Close Encounters of the Third Kind (also known as CE3K, The Close Encounter of the Third Kind, and Watch the Skies), Columbia, 1977, also released as Close Encounters of the Third Kind: Special Edition.

Dr. Dienhart, Oliver's Story, Paramount, 1978.

Jason R. Reid, Hide in Plain Sight, United Artists, 1980.

McAdam, Absence of Malice, Columbia, 1981.

Roy Lefcourt, Rollover, Warner Bros., 1981.

State Department official, Reds, Paramount, 1981.

Adrian Pruitt, Hanky-Panky, Columbia, 1982.

George Bynum, Still of the Night, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer/United Artists, 1982.

Narrator, Sophie's Choice, Universal, 1982.

Max Richter, Silkwood, Twentieth Century-Fox, 1983.

Sam Taylor, Independence Day (also known as Follow Your Dreams), Warner Bros., 1983.

Whitman, Iceman, Universal, 1984.

Barney Taber, Target, Warner Bros., 1985.

Dr. Jeffrey Stewart, D.A.R.Y.L., Paramount, 1985.

Paul Schaeffer, Witness, Paramount, 1985.

Lieutenant Walt Koznicki, The Rosary Murders, New Line Cinema, 1987.

Lieutenant Lannon, Dracula's Widow, De Laurentiis Entertainment Group, 1988.

Judge Fenwick, Chances Are, TriStar, 1989.

Waldo Winchester, Bloodhounds of Broadway, Columbia, 1989.

Richard Kline, Forced March, Shapiro Glickenhaus, 1990.

Gerald Ducksworth, The Mighty Ducks (also known as Champions and The Mighty Ducks Are the Champions), Buena Vista, 1992.

Priest, Shadows and Fog, Orion, 1992.

Lester Adams, Malice (also known as Bodily Harm and Damage), Columbia, 1993.

Prescott Putney, Cultivating Charlie, GMS Productions, 1993.

Clive Peoples, Jr., Nobody's Fool, Paramount, 1994.

Palmer Strickland, Strange Days, Twentieth Century-Fox, 1995.

Thomas Trager, Moonlight and Valentino, Gramercy Pictures, 1995.

Phelps Bowen, The Chamber, Universal, 1996.

Shakespeare's Sister (also known as Tempting Fate), Ascot Elite Entertainment, 1997.

(Uncredited) Doctor, Bulworth (also known as Tribulations), Twentieth Century-Fox, 1998.

Dr. Eaton, Patch Adams, Universal, 1998.

Father Dryer, The Proposition, Polygram Filmed Entertainment, 1998.

Peter Shine, Lulu on the Bridge, 1998.

Curt Fleming, Shaft (also known as Shaft—Noch Fragen?), Paramount, 2000.

Peter Lassiter, The Family Man, MCA/Universal, 2000.

Richard Whittaker, The Next Best Thing, Paramount, 2000.

Carl Greenslate, Searching for Paradise, Sundance Channel Home Entertainment, 2002.

Senator Jessup, The Sum of All Fears (also known as Der Anschlag), Paramount, 2002.

Bill, Summer in Siam, De Warrenne Pictures/Unison Films, 2006.

Film Director:

Thoughts Are Free, 1984.

Television Appearances; Series:

Dr. Sam Garrison, Hothouse (also known as The Clinic), ABC, 1988.

Stuart Merriman, Under Cover, ABC, 1991.

Television Appearances; Miniseries:

Jacob Riis, The Best of Families, 1977.

Ezra Mannon, "Mourning Becomes Electra," Great Performances, PBS, 1978.

Nathaniel Hawthorne, host, and narrator, The Scarlet Letter, PBS, 1979.

Franklin D. Roosevelt, The Kennedys of Massachusetts (also known as The Fitzgeralds and the Kennedys), ABC, 1990.

Joseph Kennedy, Sr., A Woman Named Jackie (also known as A Woman Called Jackie), NBC, 1991.

The Hunt for the Unicorn Killer, NBC, 1999.

Cotton Mather, Benjamin Franklin, PBS, 2002.

Television Appearances; Movies:

Henry Mills, Too Far to Go, NBC, 1979.

Dr. Martin Grossman, The Henderson Monster, CBS, 1980.

Mr. Parker, Doctor Franken (also known as Dr. Franken), NBC, 1980.

George Barton, Sparkling Cyanide (also known as Agatha Christie's "Sparkling Cyanide"), CBS, 1983.

Jack Ockham, Saigon: Year of the Cat, HBO, 1983.

Mr. Rafferty, Brotherly Love, CBS, 1985.

James Angelton, Yuri Nosenko, KGB (also known as Yuri Nosenko: Double Agent), HBO, 1986.

General Winder, A Special Friendship, CBS, 1987.

Gerald Ford, The Betty Ford Story, ABC, 1987.

Al Duffield, Bridge to Silence, CBS, 1989.

Charles Esterman, Bionic Showdown: The Six Million Dollar Man and the Bionic Woman (also known as Return of the Six Million Dollar Man and the Bionic Woman II), CBS, 1989.

Jack Finley, Money, Power, Murder (also known as Dead Air), CBS, 1989.

Martin Ransil, When Will I Be Loved?, NBC, 1990.

Albert "Al" Cohn, Citizen Cohn, HBO, 1992.

Tom Sutherland, "Hostages," HBO Showcase, HBO, 1993.

Ambassador Magee, Don't Drink the Water, ABC, 1994.

Colonel Morrow, Assault at West Point (also known as Assault at West Point: The Court-Martial of Johnson Whittaker and Conduct Unbecoming: The Court-Martial of Johnson Whittaker), Showtime, 1994.

Secretary of Defense Charles Potter, The Enemy Within, HBO, 1994.

Joe, Kansas, ABC, 1995.

Martin Prescott, Letter to My Killer, USA Network, 1995.

Edward Millerton, Hidden in America, Showtime, 1996.

Nick Mirsky, Mistrial, HBO, 1996.

Television Appearances; Specials:

Nikolai Skrobotov, Enemies, 1974.

Brigadier general Varnum, "Valley Forge," Hallmark Hall of Fame, NBC, 1975.

The Making of "Absence of Malice," 1982.

Jim Neal, "The Execution of Raymond Graham," ABC Theater, ABC, 1985.

Doc, "The Wide Net," American Playhouse, PBS, 1987.

Narrator, Fires of the Mind (also known as The Infinite Voyage), PBS, 1988.

Polonius, "Hamlet," Great Performances, PBS, 1990.

Henry Meade, "An American Story" (also known as "After the Glory"), Hallmark Hall of Fame, CBS, 1992.

Sam Turner, The Last Ferry Home, syndicated, 1992.

Voice, The Impressionists (documentary), Arts and Entertainment, 2001.

Television Appearances; Episodic:

Raoul Nesbitt, "Need to Know," Scarecrow and Mrs. King, CBS, 1986.

Ernest Rasher, "Endgame," The Equalizer, CBS, 1989.

Woodrow Wilson, "Paris, May 1919," The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles, ABC, 1993.

Judge Lawrence Sullivan, "Corruption," Law & Order, NBC, 1996.

John T. Dobbs/J. T. Marley, "The Wall: Parts 1 & 2," Early Edition, CBS, 1997.

Patrick Rumsey, "Entitled: Part 1," Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (also known as Law & Order: SVU and Special Victims Unit), NBC, 2000.

Patrick Rumsey, "Entitled: Part 2," Law & Order, NBC, 2000.

Henry Thompson, "The Pursuit of Unhappiness," Ally McBeal, Fox, 2001.

Thomas Wheelock, "Magician," Providence, NBC, 2001.

Spencer Durning, "Cold Comfort," Law & Order: Criminal Intent (also known as Law & Order: CI), NBC, 2003.

Peter Ducek, "Trials," Without a Trace (also known as Vanished), CBS, 2004.

Steve Gaines, "Slow News Day," The West Wing, NBC, 2004.

Appeared as Granville Kramer in an episode of Michael Hayes, CBS; also appeared in episodes of The Adams Chronicles, PBS; and The Doctors, NBC.

Television Appearances; Pilots:

Stuart Merriman, Under Cover (also known as Before the Storm, The Company, Spy Games, and Undercover), ABC, 1991.

RECORDINGS

Audiobooks:

Reynolds Price, The Promise of Rest, Simon & Schuster, 1995.

Tad Szulc, Pope John Paul II, Simon & Schuster, 1995.