---
name: "Max Wright"
canonical: "https://film.one/person/max-wright"
roles: ["Actor"]
born: "2 August 1943"
died: "26 June 2019"
reviewed_on_fi1m: 4
average_fi1m_score: 82
average_as: "actor"
average_over: 4
updated: "2026-09-20T06:17:10.536997+00:00"
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# Max Wright

Actor. Born 2 August 1943 in Detroit, Michigan, USA. Died 26 June 2019.

## Details

- **Work:** Actor
- **Born:** 2 August 1943, Detroit, Michigan, USA
- **Died:** 26 June 2019
- **Active:** 1979–1994
- **Also known as:** George Edward Maxwell Wright
- **Average Fi1m score:** 82, as actor, over 4 titles
- **Fi1m score by decade:** 1970s 84 (1), 1980s 82 (2), 1990s 78 (1)
- **Score spread:** 2 at 80+, 2 at 60–79, 0 under 60
- **Lead roles:** 0 of 1 acting credits billed first or second
- **Genres:** Comedy 2, Drama 2, History 1, Romance 1
- **Screen time:** 5 hours of reviewed films
- **Box office:** $78m across 2 films with figures
- **Elsewhere:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Max_Wright, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q550653, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0942642/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/106772

## Streaming the US now

- **Tubi:** [*All That Jazz*](https://film.one/film/all-that-jazz.md) (84)

For United States; add `?region=XX` for another country.

## Biography

Max Wright (born George Edward Maxwell Wright) was an American actor. He appeared as Joshua Penn in the 1979 film *All That Jazz*.

Wright was best known for playing Willie Tanner, the father in a suburban family, in the sitcom *ALF* (1986–1990). His other television credits included guest roles in series such as *Cheers*, *Quantum Leap*, *Friends* and *Murder, She Wrote*, and recurring parts in *The Norm Show* and *Buffalo Bill*. He also appeared in films including *Reds* (1981), *The Shadow* (1994) and *A Midsummer Night's Dream* (1999).

A stage actor, Wright made his Broadway debut in *The Great White Hope* (1968) and performed in productions including *Twelfth Night*.

*Sources: en.wikipedia.org, imdb.com.*

## On Fi1m (4)

- *Friends* (1994), Fi1m 78, as Terry — [page](https://film.one/tv/friends.md)
- *Cheers* (1982), Fi1m 88, as Jim Fleener — [page](https://film.one/tv/cheers.md)
- *Reds* (1981), Fi1m 77, as Floyd Dell — [page](https://film.one/film/reds.md)
- *All That Jazz* (1979), Fi1m 84, as Joshua Penn — [page](https://film.one/film/all-that-jazz.md)

## Complete filmography (55)

Every credit, newest first. Titles without a page can be requested for review on the HTML page.

- *Snow Falling on Cedars* (1999), as Horace Whaley
- *A Midsummer Night's Dream* (1999), as Robin Starveling
- *The Norm Show* (1999), series, as Max Denby
- *Twelfth Night* (1998), as Sir Andrew Aguecheek
- *From the Earth to the Moon* (1998), series, as Günter Wendt
- *LateLine* (1998), series, Actor
- *Dead by Midnight* (1997), as Dr. Jonas Reilly
- *Early Edition* (1996), series, as Mayor Mike Garfield
- *Grumpier Old Men* (1995), as County Health Inspector
- *The Drew Carey Show* (1995), series, as Drew's stomach
- *A Mother's Gift* (1995), as Herman Mandelbrot
- *Friends* (1994), series, as Terry — Fi1m 78, [page](https://film.one/tv/friends.md)
- *The Shadow* (1994), as Berger
- *White Mile* (1994), as Bill Spencer
- *The Stand* (1994), series, as Dr. Herbert Denninger
- *Monty* (1994), series, Actor
- *The John Larroquette Show* (1993), series, as Jackson Bishop
- *Dudley* (1993), series, as Paul
- *Mad About You* (1992), series, as Man in Elevator
- *The Powers That Be* (1992), series, Actor
- *Roc* (1991), series, as Mr. Cole
- *Quantum Leap* (1989), series, as Doc Kinman
- *Going to the Chapel* (1988), as Howard Haldane
- *The Dancing Princesses* (1987), as Prince Heinrick
- *Soul Man* (1986), as Dr. Aronson
- *ALF* (1986), series, as Willie Tanner
- *Touch and Go* (1986), as Lester
- *Liberty* (1986), as Alexandre Gustave Eiffel
- *Fraternity Vacation* (1985), as Millard Tvedt
- *Konrad* (1985), as Dr. Al Monford
- *Misfits of Science* (1985), series, as Dick Stetmeyer
- *The Comedy Factory* (1985), series, as Leon Pakulski
- *Scandal Sheet* (1985), as Stan Clark
- *The Boy Who Loved Trolls* (1984), as Secretary
- *Murder, She Wrote* (1984), series, as Gerald Yelverton
- *E/R* (1984), series, Actor
- *Buffalo Bill* (1983), series, as Karl Shub
- *The Sting II* (1983), as Floor Manager
- *Cheers* (1982), series, as Jim Fleener — Fi1m 88, [page](https://film.one/tv/cheers.md)
- *Faerie Tale Theatre* (1982), series, as Prince Heinrick
- *Dangerous Company* (1982), as Dr. Boone
- *Reds* (1981), as Floyd Dell — Fi1m 77, [page](https://film.one/film/reds.md)
- *Open All Night* (1981), series, Actor
- *For Ladies Only* (1981), as Shakespeare Director
- *Code Red* (1981), series, Actor
- *Playing for Time* (1980), as Dr. Josef Mengele
- *Simon* (1980), as Leon Hundertwasser
- *All That Jazz* (1979), as Joshua Penn — Fi1m 84, [page](https://film.one/film/all-that-jazz.md)
- *Hart to Hart* (1979), series, as Dr. Robert Chase
- *Last Embrace* (1979), as Second Commuter
- *WKRP in Cincinnati* (1978), series, as Frank Bartman
- *Taxi* (1978), series, as Mr. Ambrose
- *In Fashion* (1974), as Etienne
- *Lincoln: Trial by Fire* (1974), as Horace Greeley
- *Great Performances* (1971), series, as Etienne

## Gallery

- ![Max Wright (2024)](https://film.one/media/person/288686/gallery-5c62c8581f25.jpg) Max Wright (2024) — El Siete TV, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e2/MaxWright.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail_unscaled)
- ![Max Wright](https://film.one/media/person/288686/gallery-fa2abe77d5b0.jpg) Max Wright — NBC Television, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/1d/Max_Wright_%22Buffalo_Bill%22_%281983_NBC_press_photo%29_%28cropped%29.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail_unscaled)

## Awards

### Other awards — 1 won, 1 nominated

- Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Play 1998: Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Play (nominated)
- Theatre World Award 1979: Theatre World Award (won)

*From Wikidata, which records wins more completely than nominations.*

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/person/max-wright