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Q: I was watching a rerun on "Friends" and the end credits listed Max Wright as one of the actors. What role did he play in "Friends"?

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Author: 
Adam Thomlison / TV Media

There are a number of reasons a TV fan might remember Max Wright, though the name alone likely won't ring many bells. He starred in the short-run, cult-fave series "Buffalo Bill" with Dabney Coleman, and more recently he's been a favorite of comedian Norm MacDonald, having appeared in all three of MacDonald's short-lived shows in the early '00s. He's probably best remembered as Willie Tanner, the straitlaced and fantastically uptight dad on "ALF."

But some might also remember him as Terry, the owner of the iconic Central Perk coffee shop on the even more iconic '90s sitcom "Friends."

He actually only appeared in two episodes, despite the very, well, central nature the shop played in the series.

Terry wasn't a likable character, and that does seem to be what Wright plays best. In his first episode, "The One Where Underdog Gets Away" in the show's first season, he rudely denies Rachel an advance on her wages while making it clear he doesn't think much of her as a waitress. His second appearance, in the Season 2 episode "The One With the Baby on the Bus," he hires a professional musician to replace Phoebe at the cafe.

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