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.
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 Early film and television Wright made supporting appearances on television shows such as WKRP in Cincinnati and Cheers, and was a regular cast member on Misfits of Science, AfterMASH, and Buffalo Bill. He had roles in the films All That Jazz (1979), Reds (1981), The Sting II (1983), and Soul Man (1986), and played Dr. Josef Mengele in the 1980 TV movie 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 this 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. 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."
Later film and television Wright's later appearances included Murder, She Wrote, Quantum Leap, Murphy Brown, Early Edition, and the first and second seasons of the sitcom Friends as Terry, the manager of Central Perk. He also appeared as Dr. Herbert Denninger in the 1994 made-for-TV adaptation of Stephen King's The Stand, Berger in the 1994 film The Shadow, the inspector in the 1995 film Grumpier Old Men, Günter Wendt in the 1998 HBO miniseries From the Earth to the Moon, and Norm's boss in the sitcom The Norm Show.
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. In 1998, he appeared on Broadway in Ivanov, which garnered him a Tony nomination, and played Sir Andrew in Twelfth Night 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. 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.
Personal life Wright was married to Linda Ybarrondo from 1965 until her death from breast cancer in 2017. The couple had two children.
Legal issues On January 10, 2000, Wright was arrested and charged for alleged DUI following a non-injury car accident in Hollywood. He was later released on a bail of $7,500.
On August 26, 2003, Wright was arrested and charged for alleged DUI for driving through New York state after running over some mailboxes and a traffic sign. His license was suspended for six months. He was booked into the Columbia County Jail and posted bail a month later on September 30, 2003.
Death In 1995, he was diagnosed with lymphoma, 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 in Englewood, New Jersey.
Filmography Film Year Title Role Notes1979 Last Embrace Second Commuter All That Jazz Joshua Penn Drama-musical film directed by Bob Fosse and written by Robert Alan Aurthur & Fosse 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 1994 The Shadow Berger Action-adventure film directed by Russell Mulcahy 1995 Grumpier Old Men County Health Inspector Comedy film directed by Howard Deutch 1999 A Midsummer Night's Dream Robin Starveling Snow Falling on Cedars Horace Whaley 2002 Easter Zaddock Pratt
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 movie1986–1990ALFWillie Tanner99 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
Stage Year Title Role(s) Venue Notes Ref. 1968 The Great White Hope Mr. Coates, reporter, German officer Alvin Theatre Broadway debut 1971 The Taming of the Shrew Grumio Guthrie Theater 1974 Leonce and Lena performer Arena Stage Horatio Phrenologist Arena Stage 1975 The Ascent of Mount Fuji Mainbet Abavev Arena Stage 1976 Heartbreak House Mazzini Dunn Arena Stage Waiting for Godot Didi Arena Stage Our Town performer Arena Stage 1977 The Cherry Orchard Semyon Panteleyevich Yepikhodov Vivian Beaumont Theater The Basic Training of Pavlo Hummel Parker Longacre Theatre 1978 Stages Arnold Glickman, Father, Jack, Trooper Belasco Theatre Once in a Lifetime Lawrence Vail Circle in the Square Theatre Theatre World Award The Inspector General Iván Alexándrovich Khlestakóv Circle in the Square Theatre 1979 Richard III Second Murderer Cort Theater 1980 A Midsummer Night's Dream Francis Flute American Repertory Theater Happy End Bob Marker American Repertory Theater The Inspector General Mayor American Repertory Theater Lunch Hour Leo Ethel Barrymore Theatre 1981 Henry IV, Part 1 Glendower Delacorte Theater 1982 The Front Page Endicott Long Wharf Theatre 1992 What the Butler Saw Dr. Prentice La Jolla Playhouse 1995 Denial Professor Bernard Cooper Long Wharf Theatre 1997 Ivanov Pavel Lebedev Vivian Beaumont Theater Tony Award nomination Drama Desk Award nomination 1998 Twelfth Night Sir Andrew Aguecheek Vivian Beaumont Theater The Cripple of Inishmaan Johnnypateenmike Geffen Playhouse 1999 The Taming of the Shrew Christopher Sly Delacorte Theater 2005 Happy End Narrator Pacific Resident Theatre 2007 No Man's Land Spooner American Repertory Theater Elliot Norton Award 2010 The Winter's Tale Old Shepherd Delacorte Theater The Merchant of Venice Prince of Aragon Delacorte Theater
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