Walter Matthau
Acting
Born: October 1, 1920 · New York City, New York, USA
Died: July 1, 2000 (aged 79)
Highest Rated
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.
Known for
JFK
1991
Dennis the Menace
1993
Charade
1963
Grumpy Old Men
1993
The Odd Couple
1968
The Taking of Pelham One Two Three
1974
I.Q.
1994
Fail Safe
1964
The Little Devil
1988
Grumpier Old Men
1995
Hello, Dolly!
1969
The Front Page
1974
Photos (12)
Movies (72)
Dennis the Menace
Mr. Wilson
JFK
Senator Long
Candy
Gen. R.A. Smight
Grumpy Old Men
Max Goldman
Charade
Hamilton Bartholemew
Pirates
Captain Thomas Bartholomew Red
Earthquake
Drunk
Hello, Dolly!
Horace Vandergelder
The Taking of Pelham One Two Three
Lieutenant Garber
Grumpier Old Men
Max Goldman
I.Q.
Albert Einstein
The Odd Couple
Oscar Madison
California Suite
Marvin Michaels
Hanging Up
Lou Mozell
The Front Page
Walter Burns
Cactus Flower
Julian Winston
Charley Varrick
Charley Varrick
The Bad News Bears
Morris Buttermaker
The Odd Couple II
Oscar Madison
Fail Safe
Prof. Groeteschele
The Grass Harp
Judge Charlie Cool
The Indian Fighter
Wes Todd
A New Leaf
Henry Graham
The Fortune Cookie
Willie Gingrich
Hopscotch
Miles Kendig
Out to Sea
Charlie
King Creole
Maxie Fields
Mirage
Ted Caselle
Lonely are the Brave
Sheriff Morey Johnson
Bigger Than Life
Wally Gibbs
The Couch Trip
Donald Becker
A Face in the Crowd
Mel Miller
The Sunshine Boys
Willy Clark
Buddy Buddy
Trabucco
The Laughing Policeman
Sgt. Jake Martin SFPD
House Calls
Dr. Charley Nichols
A Guide for the Married Man
Paul Manning
The Incident
Harmon Cobb
Onionhead
'Red' Wildoe
The Survivors
Sonny Paluso
The Kentuckian
Stan Bodine
Ride a Crooked Trail
Judge Kyle
The Little Devil
Padre Maurizio
Little Miss Marker
Sorrowful Jones
Plaza Suite
Sam Nash / Jesse Kiplinger / Roy Hubley
I'm Not Rappaport
Nat Moyer
Goodbye Charlie
Leo Sartori
The Stingiest Man in Town
Ebenezer Scrooge (voice)
Strangers When We Meet
Felix Anders
Movers & Shakers
Joe Mulholland
Who's Got the Action?
Tony Gagouts
Ensign Pulver
Doc
I Ought to Be in Pictures
Herbert Tucker
First Monday in October
Dan Snow
The Marriage Fool
Frank Walsh
Mrs. Lambert Remembers Love
Clifford Pepperman
Kotch
Joseph P. Kotcher
Awake and Sing!
Moe Axelrod
Pete 'n' Tillie
Pete Seltzer
Slaughter on 10th Avenue
Al Dahlke
Casey's Shadow
Lloyd Bourdelle
Incident in a Small Town
Harmon Cobb
Voice in the Mirror
Dr. Karnes
Gangster Story
Jack Martin
Against Her Will: An Incident in Baltimore
Harmon Cobb
Island of Love
Tony Dallas
Actor
Boris Thomashevsky
The Secret Life of an American Wife
The Movie Star
Atomic Attack
Dr. Spinelli
Billy Wilder: The Human Comedy
Narrator
Two by Saroyan: 'Once Around the Block' and 'My Heart's in the Highlands'
Ben Alexander / Philip Judah
How the Grinch Stole Christmas!
Narrator (voice)
TV Shows (21)
Robert Montgomery Presents
2 eps
Robert Montgomery Presents
The Bartender · 1 eps
The Philco Television Playhouse
5 eps
The Philco Television Playhouse
Iago · 1 eps
The Philco Television Playhouse
Stuart Benson · 1 eps
Dr. Kildare
Franklin Gaer · 1 eps
Climax!
Charlie Mapes · 1 eps
Studio One
Jacobs · 1 eps
Studio One
Olsen · 1 eps
Route 66
1 eps
Naked City
Peter Kanopolis · 1 eps
Naked City
Dr. Max Lewine · 1 eps
Alfred Hitchcock Presents
Off. Pete Chandler · 1 eps
Alfred Hitchcock Presents
Moran · 1 eps
Alfred Hitchcock Presents
Harry Wade · 1 eps
Alfred Hitchcock Presents
Phil · 1 eps
Suspense
Lawrence Stevens · 1 eps
Target: The Corruptors!
2 eps
General Electric Theater
2 eps
General Electric Theater
Tom Dutton · 1 eps
Tallahassee 7000
Lex Rogers · 26 eps
Self / Appearances (27)
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson
Self · 5 eps
Saturday Night Live
Self - Host · 1 eps
Golden Globe Awards
Self - Nominee / Presenter · 1 eps
The Mike Douglas Show
Self · 2 eps
Great Performances
Self · 1 eps
Tony Awards
Self - Host · 1 eps
The Merv Griffin Show
Self · 1 eps
The Oscars
Self · 6 eps
The Dick Cavett Show
Self - Guest · 2 eps
The American Film Institute Salute to ...
Self · 1 eps
The First 100 Years: A Celebration of American Movies
Self
Beyond JFK: The Question of Conspiracy
Self
Elvis: A Life in Music
Self (archive footage)
James Stewart: A Wonderful Life
Self
I Love Liberty
Self
The Stars Salute the U.S. Olympic Team
Self - Performer
Carol Channing and 101 Men
Self
'Fail-Safe' and the Cold War
Self (archive footage)
Laurel and Hardy: A Tribute to the Boys
Self
Kraft Salutes the George Burns 90th Birthday Special
Self
Jack Lemmon: America's Everyman
Self
A Beverly Hills Christmas
Self
Walter Matthau: Diamond in the Rough
Self
Portrait of a '60% Perfect Man': Billy Wilder
Self
Hollywood: The Gift of Laughter
Self
The Gentleman Tramp
Self / Narrator
Last of the Independents: Don Siegel and the Making of 'Charley Varrick'
Self (archive footage)