
Walter Matthau
- Known for
- Acting
- Born
- October 1, 1920
- Died
- July 1, 2000 (aged 79)
- Birthplace
- 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.
Known For
Photos
Filmography

'Fail-Safe' and the Cold War
Movie · as Self (archive footage)

Last of the Independents: Don Siegel and the Making of 'Charley Varrick'
Movie · as Self (archive footage)

Hanging Up
Movie · as Lou Mozell

The Odd Couple II
Movie · as Oscar Madison

Billy Wilder: The Human Comedy
Movie · as Narrator

The Marriage Fool
Movie · as Frank Walsh

Out to Sea
Movie · as Charlie

Walter Matthau: Diamond in the Rough
Movie · as Self

I'm Not Rappaport
Movie · as Nat Moyer

The Grass Harp
Movie · as Judge Charlie Cool

Jack Lemmon: America's Everyman
Movie · as Self

Grumpier Old Men
Movie · as Max Goldman

The First 100 Years: A Celebration of American Movies
Movie · as Self

I.Q.
Movie · as Albert Einstein

Incident in a Small Town
Movie · as Harmon Cobb

Grumpy Old Men
Movie · as Max Goldman

Dennis the Menace
Movie · as Mr. Wilson

Beyond JFK: The Question of Conspiracy
Movie · as Self

How the Grinch Stole Christmas!
Movie · as Narrator (voice)

Against Her Will: An Incident in Baltimore
Movie · as Harmon Cobb

Laurel and Hardy: A Tribute to the Boys
Movie · as Self

JFK
Movie · as Senator Long

Mrs. Lambert Remembers Love
Movie · as Clifford Pepperman

The Incident
Movie · as Harmon Cobb
Broadway's Dreamers: The Legacy of the Group Theatre
Movie · as Self (voice)

The Couch Trip
Movie · as Donald Becker

The Little Devil
Movie · as Padre Maurizio

A Beverly Hills Christmas
Movie · as Self

James Stewart: A Wonderful Life
Movie · as Self

Pirates
Movie · as Captain Thomas Bartholomew Red

Kraft Salutes the George Burns 90th Birthday Special
Movie · as Self

Movers & Shakers
Movie · as Joe Mulholland

The Stars Salute the U.S. Olympic Team
Movie · as Self - Performer

The Survivors
Movie · as Sonny Paluso

I Love Liberty
Movie · as Self

I Ought to Be in Pictures
Movie · as Herbert Tucker

Hollywood: The Gift of Laughter
Movie · as Self

Portrait of a '60% Perfect Man': Billy Wilder
Movie · as Self

Buddy Buddy
Movie · as Trabucco

First Monday in October
Movie · as Dan Snow

Hopscotch
Movie · as Miles Kendig

Little Miss Marker
Movie · as Sorrowful Jones

California Suite
Movie · as Marvin Michaels

House Calls
Movie · as Dr. Charley Nichols

Casey's Shadow
Movie · as Lloyd Bourdelle

The Stingiest Man in Town
Movie · as Ebenezer Scrooge (voice)
Funny Business
Movie · as Self - Host

Actor
Movie · as Boris Thomashevsky

The Bad News Bears
Movie · as Morris Buttermaker

The Gentleman Tramp
Movie · as Self / Narrator

The Sunshine Boys
Movie · as Willy Clark
The Lion Roars Again
Movie · as Self

Saturday Night Live
TV · as Self - Host · 1 ep

The Front Page
Movie · as Walter Burns

Earthquake
Movie · as Drunk

The Taking of Pelham One Two Three
Movie · as Lieutenant Garber

The Making of Pelham One Two Three
Movie · as Self

Charley Varrick
Movie · as Charley Varrick

The Laughing Policeman
Movie · as Sgt. Jake Martin SFPD

The American Film Institute Salute to ...
TV · as Self · 1 ep

Pete 'n' Tillie
Movie · as Pete Seltzer

Awake and Sing!
Movie · as Moe Axelrod

Plaza Suite
Movie · as Sam Nash / Jesse Kiplinger / Roy Hubley

A New Leaf
Movie · as Henry Graham

Kotch
Movie · as Joseph P. Kotcher

Great Performances
TV · as Self · 1 ep
Film '72
TV · as Self · 1 ep

Cactus Flower
Movie · as Dr. Julian Winston

Hello, Dolly!
Movie · as Horace Vandergelder

The Odd Couple
Movie · as Oscar Madison

Candy
Movie · as Gen. R.A. Smight

The Secret Life of an American Wife
Movie · as The Movie Star

Carol Channing and 101 Men
Movie · as Self

Jack Benny's Bag
Movie · as Self

The Dick Cavett Show
TV · as Self - Guest · 2 eps

A Guide for the Married Man
Movie · as Paul Manning

The Fortune Cookie
Movie · as Willie Gingrich

Mirage
Movie · as Ted Caselle

Fail Safe
Movie · as Prof. Groeteschele

Ensign Pulver
Movie · as Doc

Goodbye Charlie
Movie · as Leo Sartori
Profiles in Courage
TV · as Gov. John Slaton, Andrew Johnson · 1 ep

Charade
Movie · as Hamilton Bartholemew

Island of Love
Movie · as Tony Dallas
Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre
TV · as Tom Gregory · 1 ep

Lonely are the Brave
Movie · as Sheriff Morey Johnson

Who's Got the Action?
Movie · as Tony Gagouts
Big Deal in Laredo
Movie · as Meredith

The Merv Griffin Show
TV · as Self · 1 ep

The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson
TV · as Self · 5 eps

Target: The Corruptors!
TV · 2 eps

Dr. Kildare
TV · as Franklin Gaer · 1 ep

Tallahassee 7000
TV · as Lex Rogers · 26 eps

The Mike Douglas Show
TV · as Self · 2 eps

Strangers When We Meet
Movie · as Felix Anders

Two by Saroyan: 'Once Around the Block' and 'My Heart's in the Highlands'
Movie · as Ben Alexander / Philip Judah

Route 66
TV · 1 ep

Gangster Story
Movie · as Jack Martin

Ride a Crooked Trail
Movie · as Judge Kyle

King Creole
Movie · as Maxie Fields

Voice in the Mirror
Movie · as Dr. Karnes

Onionhead
Movie · as 'Red' Wildoe

Naked City
TV · as Peter Kanopolis, Dr. Max Lewine · 1 ep

A Face in the Crowd
Movie · as Mel Miller

Slaughter on 10th Avenue
Movie · as Al Dahlke

Bigger Than Life
Movie · as Wally Gibbs

Tony Awards
TV · as Self - Host · 1 ep

The Kentuckian
Movie · as Stan Bodine

The Indian Fighter
Movie · as Wes Todd

Alfred Hitchcock Presents
TV · as Off. Pete Chandler, Moran, Harry Wade, Phil · 1 ep

Atomic Attack
Movie · as Dr. Spinelli

Climax!
TV · as Charlie Mapes · 1 ep

General Electric Theater
TV · as Tom Dutton · 2 eps

The Oscars
TV · as Self · 6 eps

Lux Video Theatre
TV · as Coastguardsman, Inspector, Craig · 1 ep

Robert Montgomery Presents
TV · as The Bartender · 2 eps

Suspense
TV · as Lawrence Stevens · 1 ep

Studio One
TV · as Jacobs, Olsen · 1 ep

The Philco Television Playhouse
TV · as Iago, Stuart Benson · 5 eps

Golden Globe Awards
TV · as Self - Nominee / Presenter · 1 ep











