Maximilian Josef Sommer (born June 26, 1934) is a German-born American actor whose career has spanned more than six decades in film, television, and theatre. After emigrating to the United States, he established himself as a respected character actor, appearing in films such as Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977), Witness (1985), The Chamber (1996), Patch Adams (1998), The Sum of All Fears (2002), and X-Men: The Last Stand (2006). He portrayed Larry Warren in Close Encounters of the Third Kind, one of the scientists involved in the government's investigation. Sommer has also appeared in numerous television series, earning a reputation for portraying intelligent, authoritative, and professional figures.