Walter Matthau
Born
October 1, 1920 (age 79)
Died
July 1, 2000
Birthplace
New York City, New York, USA

Walter Matthau

Walter Matthau (born Walter John Matthow; October 1, 1920 – July 1, 2000) was an American actor, comedian and film director.

He is best known for his film roles in A Face in the Crowd (1957), King Creole (1958) and as a coach of a hapless little league team in the baseball comedy The Bad News Bears (1976). He also starred in 10 films alongside Jack Lemmon, including The Odd Couple (1968), The Front Page (1974) and Grumpy Old Men (1993). Matthau won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his performance in the Billy Wilder film The Fortune Cookie (1966). Matthau is also known for his performances in Stanley Donen's romance Charade (1963), Gene Kelly's musical Hello, Dolly! (1969), Elaine May's screwball comedy A New Leaf (1971) and Herbert Ross' ensemble comedy California Suite (1978). He also starred in Plaza Suite, Kotch (both 1971), Charley Varrick (1973), The Sunshine Boys (1975), and Hopscotch (1980).

On Broadway, Matthau originated the role of Oscar Madison in The Odd Couple by playwright Neil Simon, for which he received a Tony Award for Best Actor in a Play in 1965, his second after A Shot in the Dark in 1962. Matthau also received two British Academy Film Awards and a Golden Globe Award. In 1963, he received a Primetime Emmy Award nomination for his performance in The DuPont Show of the Week. In 1982, he received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Movies

Hanging Up
Hanging Up
2000 ★ 5.2
Lou Mozell
The Marriage Fool
The Marriage Fool
1998 ★ 7.2
Frank Walsh
The Odd Couple II
The Odd Couple II
1998 ★ 6.3
Oscar Madison
Out to Sea
Out to Sea
1997 ★ 5.7
Charlie Gordon
I'm Not Rappaport
I'm Not Rappaport
1996 ★ 5.6
Nat Moyer
The Grass Harp
The Grass Harp
1996 ★ 5.8
Judge Charlie Cool
Grumpier Old Men
Grumpier Old Men
1995 ★ 6.5
Max Goldman
I.Q.
I.Q.
1994 ★ 6.0
Albert Einstein
Incident in a Small Town
Incident in a Small Town
1994 ★ 6.6
Harmon Cobb
Grumpy Old Men
Grumpy Old Men
1993 ★ 6.7
Max Goldman
Dennis the Menace
Dennis the Menace
1993 ★ 5.9
George Wilson
How the Grinch Stole Christmas!
How the Grinch Stole Christmas!
1992 ★ 7.3
Narrator (voice)
Against Her Will: An Incident in Baltimore
Against Her Will: An Incident in Baltimore
1992 ★ 5.8
Harmon Cobb
JFK
JFK
1991 ★ 7.6
Senator Long
Mrs. Lambert Remembers Love
Mrs. Lambert Remembers Love
1991 ★ 4.5
Clifford Pepperman
The Incident
The Incident
1990 ★ 6.1
Harmon Cobb
The Little Devil
The Little Devil
1988 ★ 6.7
Padre Maurizio
The Couch Trip
The Couch Trip
1988 ★ 5.4
Donald Becker
Pirates
Pirates
1986 ★ 6.3
Captain Thomas Bartholomew Red
Movers & Shakers
Movers & Shakers
1985 ★ 3.6
Joe Mulholland
The Stars Salute the U.S. Olympic Team
The Stars Salute the U.S. Olympic Team
1984
The Survivors
The Survivors
1983 ★ 5.6
Sonny Paluso
I Ought to Be in Pictures
I Ought to Be in Pictures
1982 ★ 6.5
Herbert Tucker
First Monday in October
First Monday in October
1981 ★ 6.1
Dan Snow
Buddy Buddy
Buddy Buddy
1981 ★ 6.2
Trabucco
Hopscotch
Hopscotch
1980 ★ 7.0
Miles Kendig
Little Miss Marker
Little Miss Marker
1980 ★ 6.6
Sorrowful Jones
The Stingiest Man in Town
The Stingiest Man in Town
1978 ★ 5.3
Ebenezer Scrooge (voice)
California Suite
California Suite
1978 ★ 5.8
Marvin Michaels
House Calls
House Calls
1978 ★ 6.3
Dr. Charley Nichols
Actor
Actor
1978
Boris Thomashevsky
Casey's Shadow
Casey's Shadow
1978 ★ 6.3
Lloyd Bourdelle
The Bad News Bears
The Bad News Bears
1976 ★ 6.9
Coach Morris Buttermaker
The Sunshine Boys
The Sunshine Boys
1975 ★ 6.8
Willy Clark
Earthquake
Earthquake
1974 ★ 6.1
Drunk
The Front Page
The Front Page
1974 ★ 7.3
Walter Burns
The Taking of Pelham One Two Three
The Taking of Pelham One Two Three
1974 ★ 7.5
Lt. Garber
The Laughing Policeman
The Laughing Policeman
1973 ★ 6.2
Sgt. Jake Martin SFPD
Charley Varrick
Charley Varrick
1973 ★ 7.3
Charley Varrick
Pete 'n' Tillie
Pete 'n' Tillie
1972 ★ 5.8
Pete Seltzer
Awake and Sing!
Awake and Sing!
1972
Moe Axelrod
Kotch
Kotch
1971 ★ 6.5
Joseph P. Kotcher
Plaza Suite
Plaza Suite
1971 ★ 6.1
Sam Nash / Jesse Kiplinger / Roy Hubley
A New Leaf
A New Leaf
1971 ★ 7.3
Henry Graham
Cactus Flower
Cactus Flower
1969 ★ 7.1
Dr. Julian Winston
Hello, Dolly!
Hello, Dolly!
1969 ★ 7.0
Horace Vandergelder
Candy
Candy
1968 ★ 5.1
Gen. R.A. Smight
The Secret Life of an American Wife
The Secret Life of an American Wife
1968 ★ 3.0
The Movie Star
The Odd Couple
The Odd Couple
1968 ★ 7.4
Oscar Madison
A Guide for the Married Man
A Guide for the Married Man
1967 ★ 5.8
Paul Manning
The Fortune Cookie
The Fortune Cookie
1966 ★ 7.1
Willie Gingrich
Mirage
Mirage
1965 ★ 7.0
Ted Caselle
Goodbye Charlie
Goodbye Charlie
1964 ★ 5.8
Leo Sartori
Fail Safe
Fail Safe
1964 ★ 7.8
Prof. Groeteschele
Ensign Pulver
Ensign Pulver
1964 ★ 6.6
Doc
Charade
Charade
1963 ★ 7.7
Hamilton Bartholemew
Island of Love
Island of Love
1963 ★ 5.3
Tony Dallas
Who's Got the Action?
Who's Got the Action?
1962 ★ 5.2
Tony Gagouts
Big Deal in Laredo
Big Deal in Laredo
1962
Meredith
Lonely are the Brave
Lonely are the Brave
1962 ★ 7.4
Sheriff Morey Johnson
Two by Saroyan: 'Once Around the Block' and 'My Heart's in the Highlands'
Two by Saroyan: 'Once Around the Block' and 'My Heart's in the Highlands'
1960
Ben Alexander / Philip Judah
Strangers When We Meet
Strangers When We Meet
1960 ★ 6.2
Felix Anders
Gangster Story
Gangster Story
1959 ★ 5.0
Jack Martin
Ride a Crooked Trail
Ride a Crooked Trail
1958 ★ 6.3
Judge Kyle
Onionhead
Onionhead
1958 ★ 4.9
'Red' Wildoe
Voice in the Mirror
Voice in the Mirror
1958 ★ 5.8
Dr. Karnes
King Creole
King Creole
1958 ★ 6.3
Maxie Fields
Slaughter on 10th Avenue
Slaughter on 10th Avenue
1957 ★ 5.4
Al Dahlke
A Face in the Crowd
A Face in the Crowd
1957 ★ 7.6
Mel Miller
Bigger Than Life
Bigger Than Life
1956 ★ 7.2
Wally Gibbs
The Indian Fighter
The Indian Fighter
1955 ★ 6.2
Wes Todd
The Kentuckian
The Kentuckian
1955 ★ 5.7
Stan Bodine
Atomic Attack
Atomic Attack
1954 ★ 6.0
Dr. Spinelli

TV Series