Wall Street Journal Profiles 'White House Plumbers' Co-Star Rich Sommer ’00

Sommer (right) in a scene from "White House Plumbers" with Woody Harrelson — Photo: Phil Caruso/HBO

The Wall Street Journal recently profiled Rich Sommer, a 2000 Concordia grad and co-star of the HBO miniseries, “White House Plumbers.”

In the article, Sommer talks about discovering his love for performing as a child growing up in Minnesota. While at Concordia, his skill on the stage won over his dad, who had been urging Sommer to major in business. 

“Dad was quite supportive after he saw me as Tevye in ’Fiddler on the Roof‘ during my senior year,” Sommer said in the WSJ article. “Afterward, he said acting is what I should be doing. His blessing meant the world to me.”

He also made a reference to Dr. David Wintersteen, professor and director of theatre. “After graduation, I decided to become a professional actor in Minneapolis but quickly discovered that was tough,” Sommer said. “My college drama professor urged me to enroll in grad school.”

After grad school, he went on to land roles in “The Devil Wears Prada” and “Mad Men.” 

Sommer is a 2014 Sent Forth Award recipient. Learn more about his time at Concordia and how his background in liberal arts prepared him for Hollywood: On Set With Rich Sommer | Concordia College.