Max Wright

Template:Short description Template:Use mdy dates {{#invoke:Other people|otherPeople}} Template:Infobox person George Edward "Max" Wright (August 2, 1943 – June 26, 2019) was an American actor, known for his role as Willie Tanner on the sitcom ALF (1986–1990).

Early life

Wright was born August 2, 1943, in Detroit, Michigan, as George Edward Wright. He took the nickname "Max" as other actors were already known as George Wright.<ref name=NYT>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

He moved to the suburb of Southfield as a child, graduating from Southfield Senior High School in 1961. While a student at Southfield, he was very active in the theatre program and had leads in two different musical productions.Template:Citation needed

Career

Film and television

Wright made supporting appearances on television shows such as WKRP in Cincinnati,<ref name="Max Wright, 'Alf' Star and Veteran Actor, Dead at 75" /> and was a regular cast member on Misfits of Science,<ref name="Max Wright, who played Willie Tanner on TV's 'ALF', dies at 75">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> AfterMASH,<ref name="ALF star Max Wright dead at 75: Cause of death linked to cancer">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Buffalo Bill,<ref name=BBC_obit /> and The Norm Show,<ref name="Max Wright, who played Willie Tanner on TV's 'ALF', dies at 75" /> and the made-for-TV adaptation of Stephen King's The Stand.<ref name="ALF Star Max Wright Has Passed Away">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> He appeared in the first and second seasons of the sitcom Friends as Terry, the manager of Central Perk.<ref name=BBC_obit /> He played Günter Wendt in the 1998 HBO miniseries From the Earth to the Moon<ref name="Max Wright - TV Guide">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> and Dr. Josef Mengele in Playing for Time.<ref name="Playing for Time - Rotten Tomatoes">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

ALF

From 1986 to 1990, Wright appeared in the sitcom ALF as Willie Tanner, a typical father of a middle-class family, who finds an alien who has crash-landed on Earth. Despite becoming his best-known performance, the actor despised the role due to its huge technical demands and the fact that he, a human, played a supporting character for an "inanimate object". "It was hard work and very grim", he stated in a 2000 interview to People.<ref name="Alf: 1986-1990">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> He was also, reportedly, very happy when the show was canceled in 1990. "I was hugely eager to have it over with", he said in the same interview. According to his co-star in the show, Anne Schedeen, "there was one take, and Max walked off the set, went to his dressing room, got his bags, went to his car, and disappeared. Nobody had to say, 'Wrap,' and there were no goodbyes". However, Wright later admitted that as the years passed he looked back at ALF with less animosity and conceded that "It doesn't matter what I felt or what the days were like, ALF brought people a lot of joy."<ref name="Alf: 1986-1990" />

Stage

Wright also had a stage career. In 1968, he appeared in the original production of The Great White Hope at the Arena Stage in Washington, D.C.<ref name="Max Wright, 'Alf' Star and Veteran Actor, Dead at 75">Template:Cite magazine</ref> In 1998, he appeared on Broadway in Ivanov, which garnered him a Tony nomination,<ref name="Max Wright, 'Alf' Star and Veteran Actor, Dead at 75" /> and played Sir Andrew in Twelfth Night at Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts.<ref name="Max Wright, Tony Nominee and Dad on TV's Alf, Dies at 75">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> In 2007, he acted at the JET (Jewish Ensemble Theatre) in Detroit<ref name="JET">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> and in the production of No Man's Land at the American Repertory Theater.<ref name="A.R.T.">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> He also appeared in The Public Theater's 2010 production of The Winter's Tale and The Merchant of Venice at Shakespeare in the Park festivals.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Personal life

Wright was married to Linda Ybarrondo from 1965 until her death from breast cancer in 2017. The couple had two children.<ref name="Max Wright, who played Willie Tanner on TV's 'ALF', dies at 75" /><ref name=BBC_obit>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Death

In 1995, he was diagnosed with lymphoma, which was successfully treated and remained in remission until 2019.<ref name="Merrett" /> He died from the disease on June 26, 2019, at the age of 75 at the Lillian Booth Actors Home in Englewood, New Jersey.<ref name="Merrett">Template:Cite news</ref><ref name=NYT/><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Filmography

Film

Year	Title	Role	Notes	Template:Abbr
1979	Last Embrace	Second Commuter	Template:Plain list	<ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref name="Max Wright - TV Guide" />
	All That Jazz	Joshua Penn	Drama-musical film directed by Bob Fosse and written by Robert Alan Aurthur & Fosse	<ref name="Max Wright - TV Guide" />
1980	Simon	Leon Hundertwasser	Comedy-science fiction film directed and written by Marshall Brickman
1981	Reds	Floyd Dell	Biographical-historical drama directed by Warren Beatty and written by Beatty & Trevor Griffiths
1983	The Sting II	Floor Manager	Crime film directed by Jeremy Paul Kagan
1985	Fraternity Vacation	Millard Tvedt	Comedy film directed by James Frawley
1986	Touch and Go	Lester	Romantic film directed by Robert Mandel
	Soul Man	Dr. Aronson	Comedy film directed by Steve Miner
1988	Going to the Chapel	Howard Haldane	Comedy film directed by Paul Lynch	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
1994	The Shadow	Berger	Action-adventure film directed by Russell Mulcahy	<ref name="Max Wright - TV Guide" />
1995	Grumpier Old Men	County Health Inspector	Comedy film directed by Howard Deutch
1999	A Midsummer Night's Dream	Robin Starveling	Template:Plain list
	Snow Falling on Cedars	Horace Whaley	Template:Plain list	<ref name="Max Wright - TV Guide" /><ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
2002	Easter	Zaddock Pratt	Template:Plain list	<ref name="Easter - Variety">Template:Cite magazine</ref>

Television

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1974	Great Performances	Etienne	Episode: "In Fashion"
1977	Red Alert		TV movie
1980	Playing for Time	Dr. Mengele	TV movie
1981	For Ladies Only	Shakespeare Director	TV movie
1982	Hart to Hart	Dr. Robert Chase	Episode: "Hart of Diamonds"
	CBS Afternoon Playhouse		1 episode
	WKRP in Cincinnati	Frank Bartman	2 episodes
	Taxi	Mr. Ambrose	Episode: "The Road Not Taken: Part 2"
1983	Tales from the Darkside	Mr. Bundle	Episode: "Trick or Treat" (Pilot)
1983-1984	Buffalo Bill	Karl Shub	25 episodes
1984	AfterMASH	Burt Philbrick	Episode: "Less Miserables"
	The Boy Who Loved Trolls	Secretary	TV movie
	E/R	Marvin Brock	Episode: "Mr. Fix-It"
1985	Scandal Sheet	Stan Clark	TV movie
	Code Name: Foxfire		1 episode, Episode: "Slay It Again, Sam"
	Benson	Bernard	Season 6 episode 19 "Mid-life Cowboy"
	Konrad	Dr. Al Monford	TV movie
	Misfits of Science	Dick Stetmeyer	TV movie
1985–1986	Misfits of Science	Dick Stetmeyer	15 episodes
1986	Cheers	Jim Fleener	2 episodes
	Comedy Factory		Episode: "The Faculty"
	Liberty	Alexandre Gustave Eiffel	TV movie
1986–1990	ALF	Willie Tanner	99 episodes
1987	Faerie Tale Theatre	Prince Heinrick	Episode: "The Dancing Princesses"
1988	Five to Eleven	Reader	Episode: "Oh How Pleasant to Know Mr. Lear!"
1991	Murder, She Wrote	Gerald Yelverton	Episode: "The Taxman Cometh"
1992	Ghostwriter	Mr. Brinker	4 episode
	Quantum Leap	Doc Kinman	2 episodes
	The Powers That Be	Justice Reynolds	Episode: "Sophie's Big Decision"
1993	Dudley	Paul	6 episodes
	Murphy Brown	Marshall Corwin	Episode: "All the Life That's Fit to Print"
	Roc	Mr. Cole	Episode: "Shove It Up Your Asprin"
1994	Monty	Wild, Wild Willy	Episode: "Wild, Wild Willy and His O.K. Corral"
	The Stand	Dr. Herbert Denninger	1 episode
	White Mile	Bill Spencer	TV movie
1995	A Mother's Gift	Herman Mandelbrot	TV movie
1994–1995	Friends	Terry	2 episodes
1996	The John Larroquette Show	Jackson Bishop	Episode: "Some Call Them Beasts"
	Aaahh!!! Real Monsters	Herbie Hinkle (voice)	Episode: "You Only Scare Twice"
	Early Edition	Mayor Mike Garfield	Episode: "Thief Swipes Mayor's Dog"
	High Incident	Gass	Episode: "Change Partners"
1997	Dead by Midnight	Dr. Jonas Reilly	TV movie
1998	From the Earth to the Moon	Guenter Wendt	Episode: "We Have Cleared the Tower"
	Twelfth Night, or What You Will	Sir Andrew Aguecheek	TV movie
	Mad About You	Man in Elevator	Episode: "Season Opener"
1999	The Drew Carey Show	Drew's Stomach	Episode: "Drew's Stomachache"
1999–2001	The Norm Show	Max Denby	49 episodes
2003	A Minute with Stan Hooper	The Mayor	Episode: "Stan Hooper Goes to Washington"
2005	Back to Norm	Uncle Joe	TV movie, final film role

Source:<ref name="Max Wright - TV Guide" />

Stage

Year	Title	Role(s)	Venue	Notes	Ref.
1968	The Great White Hope	Mr. Coates, reporter, German officer	Alvin Theatre	Broadway debut	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name="wrightibdb">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
1971	The Taming of the Shrew	Grumio	Guthrie Theater		<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
1974	Leonce and Lena	performer	Arena Stage		citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
	Horatio	Phrenologist	Arena Stage		<ref name="arenaph"></ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
1975	The Ascent of Mount Fuji	Mainbet Abavev	Arena Stage		<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
1976	Heartbreak House	Mazzini Dunn	Arena Stage		<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
	Waiting for Godot	Didi	Arena Stage		<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
	Our Town	performer	Arena Stage		<ref name="newface"></ref><ref name="arenaph"></ref>
1977	The Cherry Orchard	Semyon Panteleyevich Yepikhodov	Vivian Beaumont Theater		<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
	The Basic Training of Pavlo Hummel	Parker	Longacre Theatre		citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
1978	Stages	Arnold Glickman, Father, Jack, Trooper	Belasco Theatre		citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
	Once in a Lifetime	Lawrence Vail	Circle in the Square Theatre	Theatre World Award	<ref name="wrightibdb"></ref><ref name="newface">Template:Cite news</ref>
	The Inspector General	Iván Alexándrovich Khlestakóv	Circle in the Square Theatre		citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
1979	Richard III	Second Murderer	Cort Theater		<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
1980	A Midsummer Night's Dream	Francis Flute	American Repertory Theater		citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
	Happy End	Bob Marker	American Repertory Theater		citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
	The Inspector General	Mayor	American Repertory Theater		citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
	Lunch Hour	Leo	Ethel Barrymore Theatre		<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
1981	Henry IV, Part 1	Glendower	Delacorte Theater		<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
1982	The Front Page	Endicott	Long Wharf Theatre		<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
1992	What the Butler Saw	Dr. Prentice	La Jolla Playhouse		<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
1995	Denial	Professor Bernard Cooper	Long Wharf Theatre		<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
1997	Ivanov	Pavel Lebedev	Vivian Beaumont Theater	Tony Award nomination Drama Desk Award nomination	<ref name="wrightibdb"></ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
1998	Twelfth Night	Sir Andrew Aguecheek	Vivian Beaumont Theater		<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
	The Cripple of Inishmaan	Johnnypateenmike	Geffen Playhouse		<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
1999	The Taming of the Shrew	Christopher Sly	Delacorte Theater		<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
2005	Happy End	Narrator	Pacific Resident Theatre		<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
2007	No Man's Land	Spooner	American Repertory Theater	Elliot Norton Award	<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
2010	The Winter's Tale	Old Shepherd	Delacorte Theater		<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
	The Merchant of Venice	Prince of Arragon	Delacorte Theater		<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

External links

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