George Edward Maxwell Wright (August 2, 1943 – June 26, 2019) was an American actor, known for his role as Willie Tanner on the

sitcom A sitcom, a portmanteau of situation comedy, or situational comedy, is a genre of comedy centered on a fixed set of characters who mostly carry over from episode to episode. Sitcoms can be contrasted with sketch comedy, where a troupe may use ...

'' ALF'' (1986–1990).

Early life

Wright was born August 2, 1943, in

Detroit, Michigan Detroit ( , ; , ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is also the largest U.S. city on the United States–Canada border, and the seat of government of Wayne County. The City of Detroit had a population of 639,111 at ...

. 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.

Career

Film and television

Wright made supporting appearances on

television show A television show – or simply TV show – is any content produced for viewing on a television set which can be broadcast via over-the-air, satellite, or cable, excluding breaking news, advertisements, or trailers that are typically placed b ...

s such as ''

WKRP in Cincinnati ''WKRP in Cincinnati'' is an American sitcom television series about the misadventures of the staff of a struggling fictional radio station in Cincinnati, Ohio. The show was created by Hugh Wilson and was based upon his experiences working ...

,'' and was a regular cast member on ''

Misfits of Science ''Misfits of Science'' is an American science fiction comedy-drama television series created by James D. Parriott that aired on NBC from October 4, 1985, to February 21, 1986. Plot The series discussed super-powered humans and their madcap ad ...

'', ''

AfterMASH ''AfterMASH'' is an American sitcom television series produced as the first spin-off (second overall) and a continuation of ''M*A*S*H'' that aired on CBS from September 26, 1983 to May 31, 1985. It was developed as the sequel series as it takes ...

'', '' Buffalo Bill'', and ''

The Norm Show ''The Norm Show'' is an American television sitcom that ran on ABC from March 24, 1999, to April 6, 2001. Starting in September 1999, the show's title was shortened to ''Norm''. The series starred Norm Macdonald, who created the series with Br ...

'', and the made-for-TV adaptation of Stephen King's ''

The Stand ''The Stand'' is a post-apocalyptic dark fantasy novel written by American author Stephen King and first published in 1978 by Doubleday. The plot centers on a deadly pandemic of weaponized influenza and its aftermath, in which the few survivin ...

''. He appeared in the first and second seasons of the sitcom '' Friends'' as Terry, the manager of

Central Perk ''Friends'' is an American television sitcom created by David Crane and Marta Kauffman, which aired on NBC from September 22, 1994, to May 6, 2004, lasting ten seasons. With an ensemble cast starring Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa ...

. He played Günter Wendt in the 1998 HBO miniseries ''

From the Earth to the Moon ''From the Earth to the Moon: A Direct Route in 97 Hours, 20 Minutes'' (french: De la Terre à la Lune, trajet direct en 97 heures 20 minutes) is an 1865 novel by Jules Verne. It tells the story of the Baltimore Gun Club, a post-American Civil W ...

'' and Dr.

Josef Mengele , allegiance = , branch = Schutzstaffel , serviceyears = 1938–1945 , rank = '' SS''-'' Hauptsturmführer'' (Captain) , servicenumber = , battles = , unit = , awards = , commands = , ...

in '' Playing for Time''.

''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 A person ( : people) is a being that has certain capacities or attributes such as reason, morality, consciousness or self-consciousness, and being a part of a culturally established form of social relations such as kinship, ownership of prope ...

''. 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 Luanne Ruth Schedeen (born January 8, 1949), known professionally as Anne Schedeen, is an American actress who worked primarily in television. She appeared in numerous guest-starring television roles in the 1970s before portraying the lead role ...

, "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."

Stage

Wright also had a stage career. In 1968, he appeared in the original production of ''

The Great White Hope ''The Great White Hope'' is a 1967 play written by Howard Sackler, later adapted in 1970 for a film of the same name. The play was first produced by Arena Stage in Washington, D.C. and debuted on Broadway at the Alvin Theatre in October 1 ...

'' at the

Arena Stage Arena Stage is a not-for-profit regional theater based in Southwest, Washington, D.C. Established in 1950, it was the first racially integrated theater in Washington, D.C. and its founders helped start the U.S. regional theater movement. It is ...

in Washington, D.C. In 1998, he appeared on

Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street **Broadway Theatre (53rd Stree ...

in '' Ivanov'', which garnered him a

Tony Tony may refer to: People and fictional characters * Tony (given name), including a list of people and fictional characters * Gregory Tony (born 1978), American law enforcement officer * Motu Tony (born 1981), New Zealand international rugby leagu ...

nomination, and played Sir Andrew in ''

Twelfth Night ''Twelfth Night'', or ''What You Will'' is a romantic comedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written around 1601–1602 as a Twelfth Night's entertainment for the close of the Christmas season. The play centres on the twins Vi ...

'' at Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts. In 2007, he acted at the JET (Jewish Ensemble Theatre) in Detroit and in the production of ''No Man's Land'' at the

American Repertory Theater The American Repertory Theater (A.R.T.) is a professional not-for-profit theater in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1979 by Robert Brustein, the A.R.T. is known for its commitment to new American plays and music–theater explorations; to ne ...

. He also appeared in

The Public Theater The Public Theater is a New York City arts organization founded as the Shakespeare Workshop in 1954 by Joseph Papp, with the intention of showcasing the works of up-and-coming playwrights and performers.Epstein, Helen. ''Joe Papp: An American Li ...

's 2010 production of ''

The Winter's Tale ''The Winter's Tale'' is a play by William Shakespeare originally published in the First Folio of 1623. Although it was grouped among the comedies, many modern editors have relabelled the play as one of Shakespeare's late romances. Some crit ...

'' and ''

The Merchant of Venice ''The Merchant of Venice'' is a play by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written between 1596 and 1598. A merchant in Venice named Antonio defaults on a large loan provided by a Jewish moneylender, Shylock. Although classified as ...

'' at

Shakespeare in the Park festivals Shakespeare in the Park is a term for outdoor festivals featuring productions of William Shakespeare's plays. The term originated with the New York Shakespeare Festival in New York City's Central Park, originally created by Joseph Papp. This conc ...

Personal life

Wright was married to Linda Ybarrondo from 1965 until her death from

breast cancer Breast cancer is cancer that develops from breast tissue. Signs of breast cancer may include a lump in the breast, a change in breast shape, dimpling of the skin, milk rejection, fluid coming from the nipple, a newly inverted nipple, or a r ...

in 2017. The couple had two children. In 1995, he was diagnosed with

lymphoma Lymphoma is a group of blood and lymph tumors that develop from lymphocytes (a type of white blood cell). In current usage the name usually refers to just the cancerous versions rather than all such tumours. Signs and symptoms may include enla ...

, which was successfully treated and remained in remission until 2019. He died from the disease on June 26, 2019, at the age of 75 at the

Lillian Booth Actors Home The Lillian Booth Actors Home of The Actors Fund is an American assisted-living facility, in Englewood, New Jersey. It is operated by the Actors Fund, a nonprofit umbrella charitable organization that assists American entertainment and perform ...

in Englewood, New Jersey.

Filmography

Film

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Drama Drama is the specific mode of fiction represented in performance: a play, opera, mime, ballet, etc., performed in a theatre, or on radio or television.Elam (1980, 98). Considered as a genre of poetry in general, the dramatic mode has b ...

- musical film directed by

Bob Fosse Robert Louis Fosse (; June 23, 1927 – September 23, 1987) was an American actor, choreographer, dancer, and film and stage director. He directed and choreographed musical works on stage and screen, including the stage musicals ''The Pajam ...

and

written Writing is a medium of human communication which involves the representation of a language through a system of physically inscribed, mechanically transferred, or digitally represented symbols. Writing systems do not themselves constitute h ...

Robert Alan Aurthur Robert Alan Aurthur (June 10, 1922 – November 20, 1978) was an American screenwriter, film director, and film producer. Many of his works examined race relations and featured black actor and director Sidney Poitier. Early life Raised in Freep ...

& Fosse , rowspan="7" , , - , 1980 , ''

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'' , Leon Hundertwasser ,

Comedy Comedy is a genre of fiction that consists of discourses or works intended to be humorous or amusing by inducing laughter, especially in theatre, film, stand-up comedy, television, radio, books, or any other entertainment medium. The term o ...

- science fiction film directed and written by

Marshall Brickman Marshall Brickman (born August 25, 1939) is an American screenwriter and director, best known for his collaborations with Woody Allen. He is the co-recipient of the 1977 Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay for ''Annie Hall''. He is also kn ...

, - , 1981 , ''

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'' , Floyd Dell ,

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- historical drama directed by

Warren Beatty Henry Warren Beatty (né Beaty; born March 30, 1937) is an American actor and filmmaker, whose career spans over six decades. He was nominated for 15 Academy Awards, including four for Best Actor, four for Best Picture, two for Best Director, ...

and written by Beatty &

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, - , 1983 , ''

The Sting II ''The Sting II'' is a 1983 American comedy film and a sequel to ''The Sting'', again written by David S. Ward. It was directed by Jeremy Paul Kagan and stars an entirely original cast including Jackie Gleason, Mac Davis, Teri Garr, Karl Malde ...

'' , Floor Manager , Crime film directed by

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, - , 1985 , ''

Fraternity Vacation ''Fraternity Vacation'' is a 1985 American sex comedy teen movie starring Stephen Geoffreys as a nerdy pledge to the Theta Pi Gamma fraternity at Iowa State, with Tim Robbins and Cameron Dye as Theta Pi Gamma frat boys (or, as they are known to ...

'' , Millard Tvedt , Comedy film directed by

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, - , rowspan="2" , 1986 , '' Touch and Go'' , Lester ,

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directed by

Robert Mandel Robert Mandel (born 1945) is a film producer and director and television director from Oakland, California. He is best known for his film '' School Ties'', which includes early film roles in the careers of Brendan Fraser, Matt Damon, Ben Affleck, ...

, - , '' Soul Man'' , Dr. Aronson , Romantic film directed by Steve Miner , - , 1988 , ''Going to the Chapel'' , Howard Haldane , Comedy film directed by Paul Lynch , , - , 1994 , ''

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'' , Berger ,

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- adventure film directed by

Russell Mulcahy Russell Mulcahy ( ; born 23 June 1953) is an Australian film director. Mulcahy's work is recognisable by the use of fast cuts, tracking shots and use of glowing lights, neo-noir lighting, windblown drapery, and fans. He directed music videos ...

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Grumpier Old Men ''Grumpier Old Men'' is a 1995 American romantic comedy film, and a sequel to the film '' Grumpy Old Men''. It stars Jack Lemmon, Walter Matthau, Ann-Margret, Sophia Loren, Burgess Meredith (in his final film role), Daryl Hannah, Kevin Poll ...

'' , County Health Inspector , Comedy film directed by

Howard Deutch Howard Deutch (born September 14, 1950) is an American film and television director who worked in collaboration with filmmaker John Hughes, directing two of Hughes's best-known screenplays, ''Pretty in Pink'' and '' Some Kind of Wonderful''. Sinc ...

, - , rowspan="2" , 1999 , '' A Midsummer Night's Dream'' , Robin Starveling , , - , ''

Snow Falling on Cedars ''Snow Falling on Cedars'' is a 1994 novel by David Guterson. Guterson, a teacher, wrote the book in the early morning hours over ten years then quit his job to write full-time. Plot Set on the fictional San Piedro Island in the Strait of Jua ...

'' , Horace Whaley , , , - , 2002 , ''

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'' , Zaddock Pratt , {{Plain list , * Comedy film directed and written by Richard Caliban * Based on

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's play of the same name , {{cite magazine , last=McCarthy , first=Todd , date=April 23, 2003 , title=Easter , magazine=

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, publisher=Variety Media, LLC. (

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) , location=United States , url=https://variety.com/2003/film/reviews/easter-1200542065/ , access-date=June 28, 2019

Television

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'' , 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 ''Hart to Hart'' is an American mystery television series that premiered on August 25, 1979, on ABC. The show stars Robert Wagner and Stefanie Powers as Jonathan and Jennifer Hart, respectively, a wealthy couple who lead a glamorous jetset life ...

'' , Dr. Robert Chase , Episode: "Hart of Diamonds" , - , 1982 , '' CBS Afternoon Playhouse'' , , 1 episode , - , 1982 , ''

'' , Frank Bartman , 2 episodes , - , 1982 , ''

Taxi A taxi, also known as a taxicab or simply a cab, is a type of vehicle for hire with a driver, used by a single passenger or small group of passengers, often for a non-shared ride. A taxicab conveys passengers between locations of their choic ...

'' , Mr. Ambrose , Episode: "The Road Not Taken: Part 2" , - , 1983 , ''

Tales from the Darkside ''Tales from the Darkside'' is an American anthology horror TV series created by George A. Romero. Debuting in October 1983 with a pilot episode and then being picked up for syndication in September 1984, the show ran for 4 seasons through Ju ...

'' , Mr. Bundle , Episode: "Trick or Treat" (Pilot) , - , 1983-1984 , '' Buffalo Bill'' , Karl Shub , 25 episodes , - , 1984 , ''

'' , Burt Philbrick , Episode: "Less Miserables" , - , 1984 , '' The Boy Who Loved Trolls'' , Secretary , TV Movie , - , 1984 , '' E/R'' , Marvin Brock , Episode: "Mr. Fix-It" , - , 1985 , ''Scandal Sheet'' , Stan Clark , TV Movie , - , 1985 , ''Code Name: Foxfire'' , , 1 episode, Episode: "Slay It Again, Sam" , - , 1985 , '' Benson'' , Bernard , Season 6 episode 19 "Mid-life Cowboy" , - , 1985 , ''Konrad'' , Dr. Al Monford , TV Movie , - , 1985 , ''

'' , Dick Stetmeyer , TV Movie , - , 1985–1986 , ''Misfits of Science'' , Dick Stetmeyer , 15 episodes , - , 1986 , '' Cheers'' , Jim Fleener , 2 episode , - , 1986–1990 , '' ALF'' , Willie Tanner , 99 episodes , - , 1986 , ''Comedy Factory'' , , Episode: "The Faculty" , - , 1986 , ''Liberty'' , Alexandre Gustave Eiffel , TV Movie , - , 1987 , ''

Faerie Tale Theatre Faerie Tale Theatre (also known as Shelley Duvall's Faerie Tale Theatre) is an American live-action fairytale fantasy drama anthology television series of 27 episodes, that originally aired on Showtime from September 11, 1982 until November 14, ...

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Ghostwriter A ghostwriter is hired to write literary or journalistic works, speeches, or other texts that are officially credited to another person as the author. Celebrities, executives, participants in timely news stories, and political leaders often ...

'' , Mr. Brinker , 4 episode , - , 1992 , ''

Quantum Leap ''Quantum Leap'' is an American science fiction television series, created by Donald P. Bellisario, that premiered on NBC and aired for five seasons, from March 26, 1989, to May 5, 1993. The series stars Scott Bakula as Dr. Sam Beckett, a phys ...

'' , Doc Kinman , 2 episodes , - , 1992 , ''

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'' , Justice Reynolds , Episode: "Sophie's Big Decision" , - , 1993 , ''

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'' , Paul , 6 episodes , - , 1993 , '' Murphy Brown'' , Marshall Corwin , Episode: "All the Life That's Fit to Print" , - , 1993 , '' Roc'' , Mr. Cole , Episode: "Shove It Up Your Asprin" , - , 1994 , '' Monty'' , Wild, Wild Willy , Episode: "Wild, Wild Willy and His O.K. Corral" , - , 1994 , ''

'' , Dr. Herbert Denninger , 1 episode , - , 1994 , '' 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 ''The John Larroquette Show'' is an American sitcom television series that aired on NBC from September 2, 1993, until October 30, 1996. Created by Don Reo, the show was a star vehicle for John Larroquette following his run as Dan Fielding on '' ...

'' , Jackson Bishop , Episode: "Some Call Them Beasts" , - , 1996 , ''

Early Edition ''Early Edition'' is an American fantasy comedy-drama television series that aired on CBS from September 28, 1996, to May 27, 2000. Set in Chicago, Illinois, it follows the adventures of a man who mysteriously receives each ''Chicago Sun-Times' ...

'' , Mayor Mike Garfield , Episode: "Thief Swipes Mayor's Dog" , - , 1996 , ''

High Incident ''High Incident'' was a police drama television series produced by DreamWorks Television for the ABC network. The show was created by Steven Spielberg, Michael Pavone, Eric Bogosian, and Dave Alan Johnson. It aired from March 4, 1996, to May ...

'' , Gass , Episode: "Change Partners" , - , 1997 , ''Dead by Midnight'' , Dr. Jonas Reilly , TV Movie , - , 1998 , ''

'' , Guenter Wendt , Episode: "We Have Cleared the Tower" , - , 1998 , ''Twelfth Night, or What You Will'' , Sir Andrew Aguecheek , TV Movie , - , 1998 , ''

Mad About You ''Mad About You'' is an American television sitcom starring Paul Reiser and Helen Hunt as a married couple in New York City. It initially aired on NBC from September 23, 1992, to May 24, 1999, winning numerous awards including four Golden Glob ...

'' , Man in Elevator , Episode: "Season Opener" , - , 1999 , ''

The Drew Carey Show ''The Drew Carey Show'' is an American television sitcom that aired on ABC from September 13, 1995 to September 8, 2004. Set in Cleveland, Ohio, the series revolved around the retail office and home life of "everyman" Drew Carey, a fictionalize ...

'' , Drew's Stomach , Episode: "Drew's Stomachache" , - , 1999–2001 , ''

'' , 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:

References

{{Reflist

External links

*{{IMDb name, 0942642, Max Wright *{{Find a Grave, 200547902 *{{IBDB name {{Authority control {{DEFAULTSORT:Wright, Max 1943 births 2019 deaths 20th-century American male actors 21st-century American male actors American male film actors American male stage actors American male television actors Deaths from cancer in New Jersey Deaths from lymphoma Male actors from Detroit Wabash College alumni