Maximilian Josef Sommer (born June 26, 1934) is a German-American retired stage, television, and film actor.

He was born inGreifswald, Germany, and raised in North Carolina, the son of Elisabeth and Clemens Sommer, a professor of Art History at the University of North Carolina.^[1] He studied at theCarnegie Institute of Technology.^[2] He has a daughter, Maria.^{[citation needed]}

Sommer made his acting debut at the age of nine in a North Carolina production ofWatch on the Rhine. He made his film debut inDirty Harry (1971) and appeared in films such asThe Stepford Wives (1975),Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977),Still of the Night (1982),Silkwood (1983),Peter Weir's thrillerWitness (1985) oppositeHarrison Ford (where he played a dirtycop),Target (1985),Malice (1993),Patch Adams (1998), andX-Men: The Last Stand (2006). He appeared as PresidentGerald Ford oppositeGena Rowlands in the TV movieThe Betty Ford Story (1987). In 1992 he played his most impactful role as the eponymous Gerald Ducksworth inThe Mighty Ducks. A kind-hearted benefactor of inner city youth hockey, he not only sends one of his best lawyers to coach the team but also donates the necessary funds for rink time, safe equipment and proper uniforms. Indeed, Gerald Ducksworth is the true founder of both the fictional District 5 Ducks and NHL Anaheim Ducks teams.^[3]

In 1974, he appeared in the role of Roy Mills onThe Guiding Light, and played George Barton in the 1983 TV version ofAgatha Christie'sSparkling Cyanide. He had starring roles in two short-lived series:Hothouse (1988) andUnder Cover (1991). As of 2007, he had appeared in almost 100 films. He lent his talents as the poignant narrator inSophie's Choice (1982). He played a rare leading role oppositeSylvia Kristel, as thefilm noir-esque detective in the quirky horror comedyDracula's Widow (1988).

• Josef Sommer atIMDb
• Josef Sommer at theInternet Broadway Database