Max Martini

Max Martini
Max Martini in 2009
Born	Maximilian Carlo Martini
Occupation	Actor
Years active	1981 – present
Spouse(s)	Kim Restell (1997–present; 2 children)

Maximilian Carlo "Max" Martini (born December 11, 1969) is an American film, theater and television actor known for his roles as Corporal Fred Henderson in Saving Private Ryan, Wiley in Level 9, First Sergeant Sid Wojo in The Great Raid, and as Master Sergeant Mack Gerhardt on the military television drama, The Unit.

Early life

Martini was born in Woodstock, New York and was raised in the United States, Canada and Italy, and holds citizenships of all three countries . Martini's mother, Pat, was a private investigator and parole officer, and his stepfather, Stuart Margolin, is a director and actor.

As a teen, Martini attended and played football at Santa Monica High School, where he won the state championship as a kicker. A hamstring pull prevented him from trying out for the Seattle Seahawks and he turned his attention to acting.

Max moved to New York City and studied acting, first at the Neighborhood Playhouse before continuing training at Michael Howard Studios. He then focused on his early love of fine arts by attending the School of Visual Arts in Manhattan and receiving a B.F.A. in painting and sculpture. During that time, he spent weekends working at a skydiving center, where he completed over 500 jumps.

Career

Film

After college, Martini found steady work in various film and television projects. His film roles include co-starring opposite Jodie Foster in Robert Zemeckis' Contact as Willie, a fellow scientist with an affinity for brightly colored shirts, and sharing the screen with Tom Hanks and Matt Damon in Saving Private Ryan as Cpl. Fred Henderson, ranking NCO of Pfc. James Ryan’s unit, who helped Cpt. John H. Miller and his men in the brutal final shootout of the film. Most recently, Martini co-starred in John Dahl's The Great Raid as 1st Sgt. Sid Wojo.

He has also appeared in smaller independent films, working with Calista Flockhart in Jane Doe, Chris Penn and Jeffrey Wright in Cement and in the 2000 Sundance Film Festival fave, Backroads. In 1999, Martini wrote, co-directed and starred in Desert Son. His younger brother, Christopher, co-directed the film with him and his sister, Michelle, served as costume designer.

TV and theater

Martini’s television credits include a lead role in the Sci-fi Channel’s Emmy nominated mini-series Taken and appearances as Agent Steve Goodrich on the second season of 24. He was also cast in X-Files creator Chris Carter's Harsh Realm and had a recurring role on the Canadian series Da Vinci's Inquest. He also appeared in Lie to me.

After memorable guest-star turns on popular series, including Numb3rs, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation and CSI: Miami, Martini landed a lead role in The Unit, a high-octane series about a team of special operations soldiers in the field and at home, which was created by David Mamet and produced by Shawn Ryan of The Shield.

Martini remains active in the theater, having co-founded the Theatre North Collaborative in New York City, a company of American and Canadian actors dedicated solely to producing new works from both sides of the border.

Filmography

• Contact (1997)
• Saving Private Ryan (1998)
• Desert Son (1999)
• Cement (1999)
• Backroads (2000)
• The Great Raid (2005)
• Street Warrior (2008)
• Redbelt (2008)

Television work

• The Pretender (1996–2000)
• Da Vinci's Inquest (1998–2002)
• Harsh Realm (1999–2000)
• Taken (2002)
• CSI: Crime Scene Investigation (2003)
• The Division (2003)
• 24 (2003)
• CSI: Miami (2003–2005)
• Without a Trace (2004)
• Numb3rs (2005)
• The Unit (2006–2009)
• Burn Notice (2008)
• Street Warrior (2008).... Jack Campbell
• Lie To Me (2010).... David Burns
• Dark Blue (2010).... Tim Rowe