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Walter Matthau

Actor

Walter Matthau

Born October 1, 1920 in New York City, New York, USADied July 1, 200072 films

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

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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.

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The best way into Walter Matthau's work
Charade posterFirst watchCharade19637.7as Hamilton BartholemewAfter Regina Lampert falls for the dashing Peter Joshua on a skiing holiday in the French Alps, she discovers upon her return to Paris that her husband has been murdered.View film

Essential films

Ranked by acclaim and reach
JFK poster7.6JFK1991Fail Safe poster7.8Fail Safe1964The Taking of Pelham One Two Three poster7.5The Taking of Pelham One Two Three1974The Odd Couple poster7.4The Odd Couple1968Grumpy Old Men poster6.7Grumpy Old Men1993The Front Page poster7.3The Front Page1974Dennis the Menace poster5.9Dennis the Menace1993A Face in the Crowd poster7.6A Face in the Crowd1957

Filmography

72 films as actor
  1. 2000Hanging UpLou Mozell
  2. 1998The Marriage FoolFrank Walsh
  3. 1998The Odd Couple IIOscar Madison
  4. 1997Out to SeaCharlie
  5. 1996I'm Not RappaportNat Moyer
  6. 1996The Grass HarpJudge Charlie Cool
  7. 1995Grumpier Old MenMax Goldman
  8. 1994I.Q.Albert Einstein
  9. 1994Incident in a Small TownHarmon Cobb
  10. 1993Grumpy Old MenMax Goldman
  11. 1993Dennis the MenaceMr. Wilson
  12. 1992How the Grinch Stole Christmas!Narrator (voice)
  13. 1992Against Her Will: An Incident in BaltimoreHarmon Cobb
  14. 1991JFKSenator Long
  15. 1991Mrs. Lambert Remembers LoveClifford Pepperman
  16. 1990The IncidentHarmon Cobb
  17. 1988The Little DevilPadre Maurizio
  18. 1988The Couch TripDonald Becker
  19. 1986PiratesCaptain Thomas Bartholomew Red
  20. 1985Movers & ShakersJoe Mulholland
  21. 1983The SurvivorsSonny Paluso
  22. 1982I Ought to Be in PicturesHerbert Tucker
  23. 1981First Monday in OctoberDan Snow
  24. 1981Buddy BuddyTrabucco
  25. 1980HopscotchMiles Kendig
  26. 1980Little Miss MarkerSorrowful Jones
  27. 1978The Stingiest Man in TownEbenezer Scrooge (voice)
  28. 1978California SuiteMarvin Michaels
  29. 1978House CallsDr. Charley Nichols
  30. 1978ActorBoris Thomashevsky
  31. 1978Casey's ShadowLloyd Bourdelle
  32. 1976The Bad News BearsMorris Buttermaker
  33. 1975The Sunshine BoysWilly Clark
  34. 1974EarthquakeDrunk
  35. 1974The Front PageWalter Burns
  36. 1974The Taking of Pelham One Two ThreeLieutenant Garber
  37. 1973The Laughing PolicemanSgt. Jake Martin SFPD
  38. 1973Charley VarrickCharley Varrick
  39. 1972Pete 'n' TilliePete Seltzer
  40. 1972Awake and Sing!Moe Axelrod
  41. 1971KotchJoseph P. Kotcher
  42. 1971Plaza SuiteSam Nash / Jesse Kiplinger / Roy Hubley
  43. 1971A New LeafHenry Graham
  44. 1969Cactus FlowerDr. Julian Winston
  45. 1969Hello, Dolly!Horace Vandergelder
  46. 1968CandyGen. R.A. Smight
  47. 1968The Secret Life of an American WifeThe Movie Star
  48. 1968The Odd CoupleOscar Madison
  49. 1967A Guide for the Married ManPaul Manning
  50. 1966The Fortune CookieWillie Gingrich
  51. 1965MirageTed Caselle
  52. 1964Goodbye CharlieLeo Sartori
  53. 1964Fail SafeProf. Groeteschele
  54. 1964Ensign PulverDoc
  55. 1963CharadeHamilton Bartholemew
  56. 1963Island of LoveTony Dallas
  57. 1962Who's Got the Action?Tony Gagouts
  58. 1962Big Deal in LaredoMeredith
  59. 1962Lonely are the BraveSheriff Morey Johnson
  60. 1960Two by Saroyan: 'Once Around the Block' and 'My Heart's in the Highlands'Ben Alexander / Philip Judah
  61. 1960Strangers When We MeetFelix Anders
  62. 1959Gangster StoryJack Martin
  63. 1958Ride a Crooked TrailJudge Kyle
  64. 1958Onionhead'Red' Wildoe
  65. 1958Voice in the MirrorDr. Karnes
  66. 1958King CreoleMaxie Fields
  67. 1957Slaughter on 10th AvenueAl Dahlke
  68. 1957A Face in the CrowdMel Miller
  69. 1956Bigger Than LifeWally Gibbs
  70. 1955The Indian FighterWes Todd
  71. 1955The KentuckianStan Bodine
  72. 1954Atomic AttackDr. Spinelli