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Josef Sommer

Josef Sommer

Actor · Born June 26, 1934 (92) · Greifswald, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany

Maximilian Josef Sommer (born June 26, 1934) is a German-American retired stage, television, and film actor. His best known roles are as The President in X-Men: The Last Stand, Senator Jessup in The Sum of All Fears, Peter Lassiter in The Family Man, Curtis Flemming in Shaft, Dr. Eaton in Patch Adams, Phelps Bowen in The Chamber, Clive Peoples Jr. in Nobody's Fool, Mr. Duckworth in The Mighty Ducks, Chief Paul Schaefer in Witness, Max Richter in Silkwood, Sam Taylor in Independence Day, Rothko in Dirty Harry, and narrator for the film Sophie's Choice.

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Biography from TMDB.

Born
June 26, 1934 (92)
From
Greifswald, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany
Works as
Actor
Titles
61 on MovieCove · 100 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 157 days to Oct 28Down 16% in 30 days

What are Josef Sommer's films like?

Across their 38 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Morality and Bonds.

Genres

Drama12 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 51st percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Drama movies
Comedy8 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 52nd percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Comedy movies
Crime6 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 37th percentile
: browse their Crime movies
Action5 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 35th percentile
: browse their Action movies
Biography3 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 74th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Biography movies

Their MovieCove films by primary genre. The badge is the typical Midcredits score of the genre's films, the median percentile; an up arrow marks a genre at or above their average across these genres.

Themes

share of theme weight
Morality
37%
Bonds
30%
Survival
12%
Self
10%
Power
6%
Society
4%
Ideas
1%
Family bonds15 titles, browse their movies with this themeJustice12 titles, browse their movies with this themeRomantic love8 titles, browse their movies with this themeDeception7 titles, browse their movies with this themeSacrifice4 titles, browse their movies with this themeIdentity5 titles, browse their movies with this themeSurvival5 titles, browse their movies with this themeLoyalty5 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 38 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Serious: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their serious movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

A split, not a type: Light 13 · Serious 11 · Dark 14

Grounded: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their grounded movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

Grounded 30 · Stylized 7 · Heightened 1

Charged: How hard the emotional peaks hit while you watch. Browse their charged movies.
Feel · Intensity
gentleintense

Gentle 5 · Charged 21 · Intense 12

Shifting: How much it swings between very different feelings. Browse their shifting movies.
Feel · Swings
steadyswings

A split, not a type: Steady 20 · Shifting 16 · Whiplash 2

Straight-faced: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their straight-faced movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

Straight-faced 23 · Some laughs 12 · Funny 3

Even-paced: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their even-paced movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

Slow burn 17 · Even-paced 19 · Relentless 2

Engaged: How much focus it asks of you — look away and lose the thread? Browse their engaged movies.
Demand · Attention
casualfull focus

Casual 14 · Engaged 21 · Full focus 3

Affecting: How much it costs you emotionally; whether you need recovery time. Browse their affecting movies.
Demand · Emotional cost
easyheavy

Easy watch 10 · Affecting 16 · Heavy 12

Resolved: How much is left for you to interpret. Browse their resolved movies.
Demand · Resolution
resolvedambiguous

Resolved 27 · Open-ended 8 · Ambiguous 3

Roles they play

12 analyzed roles

Usually the Shadow: 5 of 12 analyzed roles.

Shadow
5 of 12
Threshold guardian
2 of 12
Mentor
2 of 12
Herald
1 of 12
Ally
1 of 12
Hero
1 of 12
Show the 12 roles

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
28
Melancholic
14
Warm
9
Hopeful
10
Bittersweet
9
Other
30

How their films linger

Thought-provoking17 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful14 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet13 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFeel-good9 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFun5 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHaunting5 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 7 with a twist

  • Happy8
  • Bittersweet20
  • Tragic2
  • Ambiguous8

AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.

Where can I watch Josef Sommer's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 36 of their 61 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (16).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Josef Sommer's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.

Filmography

100 credits, 61 with a MovieCove page.

  • The Other Guys(2010)

    as District Attorney Radford (uncredited)

    Midcredits score: 69th percentile of all films

  • Stop-Loss(2008)

    as Senator Orton Worrell

    Midcredits score: 57th percentile of all films

  • The Invasion(2007)

    as Dr. Henryk Belicec

    Midcredits score: 35th percentile of all films

  • X-Men: The Last Stand(2006)

    as The President

    Midcredits score: 59th percentile of all films

  • The Elephant King (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2006)

    as Bill Hunt

  • Without a Trace(2002)

    Show 1 episode · as Peter Ducek

    Midcredits score: 53rd percentile of all shows

  • Searching for Paradise (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2002)

    as Carl Greenslate

  • The Sum of All Fears(2002)

    as Senator Jessup

    Midcredits score: 57th percentile of all films

  • Law & Order: Criminal Intent(2001)

    Show 1 episode · as Spencer Durning

    Midcredits score: 75th percentile of all shows

  • The Family Man(2000)

    as Peter Lassiter

    Midcredits score: 74th percentile of all films

  • The Adventures of Young Indiana Jones: Winds of Change (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2000)

    as Woodrow Wilson

  • Shaft(2000)

    as Curt Flemming

    Midcredits score: 39th percentile of all films

  • The Next Best Thing(2000)

    as Richard Whittaker

    Midcredits score: 15th percentile of all films

  • The West Wing(1999)

    Show 1 episode · as Steve Gaines

    Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all shows

  • Law & Order: Special Victims Unit(1999)

    Show 1 episode · as Patrick Rumsey

    Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all shows

  • The Hunt for the Unicorn Killer(1999)

    Actor

    Midcredits score: 42nd percentile of all films

  • The Hunt For The Unicorn Killer (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1999)

    Show 2 episodes · Actor

  • Providence (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1999)

    Show 1 episode · as Thomas Wheelock

  • Patch Adams(1998)

    as Dr. Eaton

    Midcredits score: 74th percentile of all films

  • Bulworth(1998)

    as Doctor (uncredited)

    Midcredits score: 73rd percentile of all films

  • The Proposition(1998)

    as Dryer

    Midcredits score: 53rd percentile of all films

  • Ally McBeal(1997)

    Show 1 episode · as Henry Thompson

    Midcredits score: 41st percentile of all shows

  • Hidden in America(1996)

    as Edward Millerton

    Midcredits score: 60th percentile of all films

  • Mistrial(1996)

    as Nick Mirsky

    Midcredits score: 23rd percentile of all films

  • The Chamber(1996)

    as Phelps Bowen

    Midcredits score: 36th percentile of all films

  • Early Edition (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1996)

    Show 2 episodes · as John Dobbs

  • Strange Days(1995)

    as Palmer Strickland

    Midcredits score: 87th percentile of all films

  • Moonlight and Valentino(1995)

    as Thomas Trager

    Midcredits score: 33rd percentile of all films

  • Letter to My Killer (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1995)

    Actor

  • Kansas (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1995)

    as Joseph 'Joe' Farley

  • Nobody's Fool(1994)

    as Clive Peoples Jr.

    Midcredits score: 90th percentile of all films

  • Don't Drink the Water(1994)

    as Ambassador Magee

    Midcredits score: 43rd percentile of all films

  • The Enemy Within(1994)

    as Defence Secretary Charles Potter

    Midcredits score: 28th percentile of all films

  • Assault at West Point: The Court-Martial of Johnson Whittaker(1994)

    as Col. Morrow

    Midcredits score: 49th percentile of all films

  • Malice(1993)

    as Atty. Lester Adams

    Midcredits score: 59th percentile of all films

  • An American Story(1992)

    as Henry Meade

    Midcredits score: 63rd percentile of all films

  • The Mighty Ducks(1992)

    as Mr. Ducksworth

    Midcredits score: 65th percentile of all films

  • Hostages (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1992)

    as Tom Sutherland

  • Citizen Cohn (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1992)

    as Albert Cohn

  • Shadows and Fog(1991)

    as Priest

    Midcredits score: 69th percentile of all films

  • A Woman Named Jackie(1991)

    Show 3 episodes · as Joseph Kennedy Sr.

    Midcredits score: 41st percentile of all shows

  • Before the Storm (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1991)

    as Stewart Merriman

  • Under Cover (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1991)

    Show 14 episodes · as Stewart Merriman

  • Under Cover (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1991)

    as Stewart Merriman

  • When Will I Be Loved? (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1990)

    as Martin Ransil

  • William Shakespeare's Hamlet (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1990)

    as Polonius

  • Law & Order(1990)

    Show 1 episode · as Defense Attorney Patrick Rumsey · as Judge Lawrence Hellman

    Midcredits score: 79th percentile of all shows

  • The Kennedys of Massachusetts (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1990)

    Show 3 episodes · as Franklin D. Roosevelt

  • Money, Power, Murder. (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1989)

    as Jack Finley

  • Bloodhounds of Broadway(1989)

    as Waldo Winchester

    Midcredits score: 31st percentile of all films

  • Forced March (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1989)

    as Richard Kline

  • Bionic Showdown: The Six Million Dollar Man and the Bionic Woman(1989)

    as Charles Estiman

    Midcredits score: 49th percentile of all films

  • Bridge to Silence (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1989)

    as Al Duffield

  • Chances Are(1989)

    as Judge Fenwick

    Midcredits score: 61st percentile of all films

  • Dracula's Widow(1988)

    as Lannon

    Midcredits score: 7th percentile of all films

  • Hothouse (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1988)

    Show 7 episodes · as Dr. Sam Garrison

  • The Rosary Murders(1987)

    as Lieutenant Koznicki

    Midcredits score: 32nd percentile of all films

  • A Special Friendship (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1987)

    as General Winder

  • The Betty Ford Story(1987)

    as President Gerald Ford

    Midcredits score: 51st percentile of all films

  • Double Image (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1986)

    as James Angleton

  • The Execution of Raymond Graham(1985)

    as Jim Neal

    Midcredits score: 38th percentile of all films

  • Target(1985)

    as Barney Taber

    Midcredits score: 35th percentile of all films

  • The Equalizer (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1985)

    Show 1 episode · as Ernest Rasher

  • D.A.R.Y.L.(1985)

    as Dr. Jeffrey Stewart

    Midcredits score: 56th percentile of all films

  • Brotherly Love (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1985)

    as Mr. Rafferty

  • Witness(1985)

    as Schaeffer

    Midcredits score: 91st percentile of all films

  • Screen Two (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1985)

    Show 1 episode · as James Angleton

  • Iceman(1984)

    as Whitman

    Midcredits score: 46th percentile of all films

  • Silkwood(1983)

    as Max Richter

    Midcredits score: 87th percentile of all films

  • Saigon: Year of the Cat(1983)

    as Jack Ockham

    Midcredits score: 25th percentile of all films

  • Sparkling Cyanide(1983)

    as George Barton

    Midcredits score: 36th percentile of all films

  • Scarecrow and Mrs. King(1983)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

    Midcredits score: 53rd percentile of all shows

  • Independence Day (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1983)

    as Sam Taylor

  • Sophie's Choice(1982)

    as Narrator (voice)

    Midcredits score: 92nd percentile of all films

  • Still of the Night(1982)

    as George Bynum

    Midcredits score: 36th percentile of all films

  • Hanky Panky(1982)

    as Adrian Pruitt

    Midcredits score: 25th percentile of all films

  • American Playhouse (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1982)

    Show 1 episode · as Doc · as Waldo Winchester

  • Reds(1981)

    as State Department Official

    Midcredits score: 89th percentile of all films

  • Absence of Malice(1981)

    as McAdam

    Midcredits score: 77th percentile of all films

  • Rollover(1981)

    as Roy Lefcourt

    Midcredits score: 21st percentile of all films

  • The Henderson Monster (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1980)

    as Dr. Martin Grossman

  • Hide in Plain Sight(1980)

    as Jason R. Reid

    Midcredits score: 48th percentile of all films

  • Doctor Franken (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1980)

    as Mr. Parker

  • Too Far to Go (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1979)

    as Henry Mills

  • The Scarlet Letter (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1979)

    Show 4 episodes · as Nathaniel Hawthorne

  • Oliver's Story(1978)

    as Dr. Dienhart

    Midcredits score: 11th percentile of all films

  • Mourning Becomes Electra (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1978)

    Show 5 episodes · as Ezra Mannon

  • Close Encounters of the Third Kind(1977)

    as Larry Butler

    Midcredits score: 94th percentile of all films

  • The Andros Targets (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1977)

    Show 1 episode · as Benson Fisher

  • The Front(1976)

    as Committee Chairman

    Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all films

  • Judge Horton and the Scottsboro Boys (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1976)

    as Pomeroy

  • The Adams Chronicles (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1976)

    Show 1 episode · as Charles Lee

  • Valley Forge(1975)

    as Brig. Gen. Varnum

    Midcredits score: 68th percentile of all films

  • The Stepford Wives(1975)

    as Ted Van Sant

    Midcredits score: 77th percentile of all films

  • Man on a Swing(1974)

    as Pete Russell

    Midcredits score: 65th percentile of all films

  • Enemies (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1974)

    as Nikolai

  • The Witches of Salem: The Horror and the Hope (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1972)

    as Proctor

  • Dirty Harry(1971)

    as Rothko

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films

  • Great Performances (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1971)

    Show 1 episode · as Nikolai · as Polonius

  • Hallmark Hall of Fame (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1951)

    Show 1 episode · as Brig. Gen. Varnum

Career shape

Star power in the 98th percentile of 239,109 people with a billed film role, over a full career of 100 titles from 1951 to 2010; peak year 1984.

Biggest box office

Patch Adams (1998)

$202M worldwide

Highest rated

Witness (1985)

Midcredits 91st

Most popular right now

The Family Man (2000)

Film career

19512010

Peak 1984 · back in prominent film roles after a quiet stretch. Top draw in 2 MovieCove titles. Film roles by billing, audience size and rating; 25+ votes. A show carries a single first-air date, so shows are not on the curve.

  • 1971Screen debut· Dirty Harry
  • 1985Career best· Witness

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting100 of 100: 100 only acting, 0 with another role · typical Midcredits score56th

By decade

1950s1 · acting1970s16 · acting1980s35 · acting1990s35 · acting2000s12 · acting2010s1 · acting

Billing

usually 8th · top billed in 0% of 39 roles
7181869196

Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored. Billing is TMDB cast order for roles with 25+ votes, billed in the top 30; the columns are the share of top-billed roles in each era, 5-year spans from the year on the label, merged until each holds at least 5 roles.

How do Josef Sommer's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 56th percentile, the median of all 53; across their 38 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 45th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

45thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 38

Approval · how many liked their films

45thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 38

Reach · how many have seen their films

72ndpercentile
Typical film, the median of 38

Midcredits score across 61 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up15
  • 50th to 74th20
  • 25th to 49th21
  • Below 25th5

Shape of the crowd

29 of their 61 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved5
  • Universally Panned1
  • Cult Classic1
  • Crowd Pleaser29
  • Broadly Agreed9
  • Mixed16

Most divisive · actor

Bloodhounds of Broadway (1989)

77th percentile spread · 32% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · actor

Dirty Harry (1971)

Midcredits 97th · 87% liked

Reviewers score the acting 68/100 in their films, across 37 reviewed titles; fans 77, detractors 45. The element that speaks to their work as an actor.

Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.

Is Josef Sommer's work okay for kids?

Across up to 14 MovieCove titles with content scores, profanity runs heavier than most films.

Their medianMedian of all filmsMiddle 80% of their titles
Violence & Gore10 titles8–67 · median 44 · moderatenear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 44
Sex & Nudity14 titles18–50 · median 39 · moderatenear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 32
Profanity11 titles21–70 · median 48 · moderateheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 36
Alcohol & Drugs11 titles11–56 · median 38 · moderatenear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 33
Frightening / Intense10 titles7–63 · median 46 · moderatenear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 39

Severity 0–100 from the Content Guide. Categories with under 10 votes on a title are not counted. The band's colour is the severity of their median, named beside it.

Who does Josef Sommer work with?

People who share at least 2 of Josef Sommer's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Joe Grifasi shares the most, 3.

Directors

Actors

Composers, cinematographers and editors

Producers