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Walter Matthau
Walter Matthau

Walter Matthau

ActingBorn October 1, 1920Died July 1, 2000 (age 79)New York City, New York, USA

Biography

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.

Filmography

2026
Elvis: A Life in Music

as Self (archive footage)

Movie
2020
'Fail-Safe' and the Cold War

as Self (archive footage)

Movie
2000
Revisiting 'Fail-Safe'

as Self (archive footage)

Movie
2000
Hanging Up

as Lou Mozell

Movie
1998
The Marriage Fool

as Frank Walsh

Movie
1998
The Odd Couple II

as Oscar Madison

Movie
1998Movie
1997
Out to Sea

as Charlie Gordon

Movie
1996
I'm Not Rappaport

as Nat Moyer

Movie
1996
The Grass Harp

as Judge Charlie Cool

Movie
1995
Grumpier Old Men

as Max Goldman

Movie
1994
I.Q.

as Albert Einstein

Movie
1994Movie
1993
Grumpy Old Men

as Max Goldman

Movie
1993
Dennis the Menace

as Mr. Wilson

Movie
1992
Chaplin

as Self (archive footage)

Movie
1992Movie
1991
JFK

as Senator Long

Movie
1991
Mrs. Lambert Remembers Love

as Clifford Pepperman

Movie
1990
The Incident

as Harmon Cobb

Movie
1988
The Little Devil

as Padre Maurizio

Movie
1988
The Couch Trip

as Donald Becker

Movie
1986
Pirates

as Captain Thomas Bartholomew Red

Movie
1985
Movers & Shakers

as Joe Mulholland

Movie
1984Movie
1983
The Survivors

as Sonny Paluso

Movie
1982
I Ought to Be in Pictures

as Herbert Tucker

Movie
1982Movie
1981Movie
1981
Buddy Buddy

as Trabucco

Movie
1980
Hopscotch

as Miles Kendig

Movie
1980
Little Miss Marker

as Sorrowful Jones

Movie
1978
The Stingiest Man in Town

as Ebenezer Scrooge (voice)

Movie
1978
Funny Business

as Self - Host

Movie
1978
California Suite

as Marvin Michaels

Movie
1978
House Calls

as Dr. Charley Nichols

Movie
1978
Actor

as Boris Thomashevsky

Movie
1978
Casey's Shadow

as Lloyd Bourdelle

Movie
1976
The Gentleman Tramp

as Self / Narrator

Movie
1976
The Bad News Bears

as Coach Morris Buttermaker

Movie
1975
The Sunshine Boys

as Willy Clark

Movie
1975
Saturday Night Live

as Self - Host

TV
1975Movie
1974
Earthquake

as Drunk

Movie
1974
The Front Page

as Walter Burns

Movie
1973
The Laughing Policeman

as Sgt. Jake Martin SFPD

Movie
1973
Charley Varrick

as Charley Varrick

Movie
1972
Pete 'n' Tillie

as Pete Seltzer

Movie
1972
Awake and Sing!

as Moe Axelrod

Movie
1971
Film '72

as Self

TV
1971
Kotch

as Joseph P. Kotcher

Movie
1971
Plaza Suite

as Sam Nash / Jesse Kiplinger / Roy Hubley

Movie
1971
A New Leaf

as Henry Graham

Movie
1971TV
1969
Cactus Flower

as Dr. Julian Winston

Movie
1969
Hello, Dolly!

as Horace Vandergelder

Movie
1968
Candy

as Gen. R.A. Smight

Movie
1968Movie
1968Movie
1968
The Dick Cavett Show

as Self - Guest

TV
1968
The Odd Couple

as Oscar Madison

Movie
1967Movie
1966
The Fortune Cookie

as Willie Gingrich

Movie
1965
Mirage

as Ted Caselle

Movie
1964
Goodbye Charlie

as Leo Sartori

Movie
1964
Profiles in Courage

as Gov. John Slaton

TV
1964
Profiles in Courage

as Andrew Johnson

TV
1964
Fail Safe

as Prof. Groeteschele

Movie
1964Movie
1963
Charade

as Hamilton Bartholemew

Movie
1963
Island of Love

as Tony Dallas

Movie
1962
Who's Got the Action?

as Tony Gagouts

Movie
1962Movie
1962
Lonely are the Brave

as Sheriff Morey Johnson

Movie
1961
Dr. Kildare

as Franklin Gaer

TV
1961
Tallahassee 7000

as Lex Rogers

TV
1960TV
1960
Strangers When We Meet

as Felix Anders

Movie
1959
Gangster Story

as Jack Martin

Movie
1958Movie
1958
Onionhead

as 'Red' Wildoe

Movie
1958
Naked City

as Peter Kanopolis

TV
1958
Naked City

as Dr. Max Lewine

TV
1958
Voice in the Mirror

as Dr. Karnes

Movie
1958
King Creole

as Maxie Fields

Movie
1957Movie
1957
A Face in the Crowd

as Mel Miller

Movie
1956
Bigger Than Life

as Wally Gibbs

Movie
1956
Tony Awards

as Self - Host

TV
1955Movie
1955
Alfred Hitchcock Presents

as Off. Pete Chandler

TV
1955TV
1955
The Kentuckian

as Stan Bodine

Movie
1954
Climax!

as Charlie Mapes

TV
1954
Atomic Attack

as Dr. Spinelli

Movie
1953
The Oscars

as Self

TV
1953TV
1950
Lux Video Theatre

as Coastguardsman

TV
1950
Lux Video Theatre

as Inspector

TV
1950TV
1950TV
1949
Suspense

as Lawrence Stevens

TV
1948
Studio One

as Jacobs

TV
1948
Studio One

as Olsen

TV
1948TV
1944
Golden Globe Awards

as Self - Nominee / Presenter

TV

Personal Info

DepartmentActing
BirthdayOctober 1, 1920
Day of DeathJuly 1, 2000
Place of BirthNew York City, New York, USA
Popularity1.6