Walter Matthau
- Acting
- October 1, 1920 · New York City, New York, USA
- July 1, 2000
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
Filmography
- 'Fail-Safe' and the Cold War · Self
- Last of the Independents: Don Siegel and the Making of 'Charley Varrick' · Self
- Hanging Up · Lou Mozell
- The Marriage Fool · Frank Walsh
- The Odd Couple II · Oscar Madison
- Billy Wilder: The Human Comedy · Narrator
- Out to Sea · Charlie
- Walter Matthau: Diamond in the Rough · Self
- I'm Not Rappaport · Nat Moyer
- Jack Lemmon: America's Everyman · Self
- The Grass Harp · Judge Charlie Cool
- Grumpier Old Men · Max Goldman
- The First 100 Years: A Celebration of American Movies · Self
- I.Q. · Albert Einstein
- Incident in a Small Town · Harmon Cobb
- Grumpy Old Men · Max Goldman
- Dennis the Menace · Mr. Wilson
- Beyond JFK: The Question of Conspiracy · Self
- How the Grinch Stole Christmas! · Narrator (Voice)
- Laurel and Hardy: A Tribute to the Boys · Self
- Against Her Will: An Incident in Baltimore · Harmon Cobb
- JFK · Senator Long
- Mrs. Lambert Remembers Love · Clifford Pepperman
- The Incident · Harmon Cobb
- Broadway's Dreamers: The Legacy of the Group Theatre · Self
- The Little Devil · Padre Maurizio
- The Couch Trip · Donald Becker
- A Beverly Hills Christmas · Self
- James Stewart: A Wonderful Life · Self
- Pirates · Captain Thomas Bartholomew Red
- Kraft Salutes the George Burns 90th Birthday Special · Self
- Movers & Shakers · Joe Mulholland
- The Stars Salute the U.S. Olympic Team · Self
- The Survivors · Sonny Paluso
- Portrait of a '60% Perfect Man': Billy Wilder · Self
- Hollywood: The Gift of Laughter · Self
- I Ought to Be in Pictures · Herbert Tucker
- I Love Liberty · Self
- First Monday in October · Dan Snow
- Buddy Buddy · Trabucco
- Hopscotch · Miles Kendig
- Little Miss Marker · Sorrowful Jones, Executive producer
- The Stingiest Man in Town · Ebenezer Scrooge (Voice)
- Funny Business · Self
- California Suite · Marvin Michaels
- House Calls · Dr. Charley Nichols
- Actor · Boris Thomashevsky
- Casey's Shadow · Lloyd Bourdelle
- The Gentleman Tramp · Self / Narrator
- The Bad News Bears · Morris Buttermaker
- The Sunshine Boys · Willy Clark
- Saturday Night Live · Self
- The Lion Roars Again · Self
- The Making of Pelham One Two Three · Self
- Earthquake · Drunk
- The Front Page · Walter Burns
- The Taking of Pelham One Two Three · Lieutenant Garber
- The Laughing Policeman · Sgt. Jake Martin SFPD
- Charley Varrick · Charley Varrick
- The American Film Institute Salute to ... · Self
- Pete 'n' Tillie · Pete Seltzer
- Awake and Sing! · Moe Axelrod
- Film '72 · Self
- Kotch · Joseph P. Kotcher
- Plaza Suite · Sam Nash / Jesse Kiplinger / Roy Hubley
- A New Leaf · Henry Graham
- Great Performances · Self
- Cactus Flower · Dr. Julian Winston
- Hello, Dolly! · Horace Vandergelder
- Candy · Gen. R.A. Smight
- Jack Benny's Bag · Self
- The Secret Life of an American Wife · The Movie Star
- The Dick Cavett Show · Self
- The Odd Couple · Oscar Madison
- Carol Channing and 101 Men · Self
- A Guide for the Married Man · Paul Manning
- The Fortune Cookie · Willie Gingrich
- Mirage · Ted Caselle
- Goodbye Charlie · Leo Sartori
- Profiles in Courage · Gov. John Slaton, Andrew Johnson