Walter Matthau
Acting
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.
TV Shows(25)
Saturday Night Live
Self - Host
1975
The American Film Institute Salute to ...
Self
1973
Great Performances
Self
1971
The Dick Cavett Show
Self - Guest
1968
Profiles in Courage
Gov. John Slaton
1964
Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre
Tom Gregory
1963
The Merv Griffin Show
Self
1962
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson
Self
1962
The Mike Douglas Show
Self
1961
Target: The Corruptors!
1961
Dr. Kildare
Franklin Gaer
1961
Tallahassee 7000
Lex Rogers
1961
Route 66
1960
Naked City
Peter Kanopolis
1958
Tony Awards
Self - Host
1956
Alfred Hitchcock Presents
Off. Pete Chandler
1955
Climax!
Charlie Mapes
1954
The Oscars
Self
1953
General Electric Theater
1953
Lux Video Theatre
Coastguardsman
1950
Robert Montgomery Presents
1950
Suspense
Lawrence Stevens
1949
Studio One
Jacobs
1948
The Philco Television Playhouse
1948
Golden Globe Awards
Self - Nominee / Presenter
1944
Movies(97)
Elvis: A Life in Music
Self (archive footage)
2026
'Fail-Safe' and the Cold War
Self (archive footage)
2020
Last of the Independents: Don Siegel and the Making of 'Charley Varrick'
Self (archive footage)
2015
Revisiting 'Fail-Safe'
Self (archive footage)
2000
Hanging Up
Lou Mozell
2000
The Marriage Fool
Frank Walsh
1998
Private Screenings: Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau
Self
1998
The Odd Couple II
Oscar Madison
1998
Billy Wilder: The Human Comedy
Self
1998
Out to Sea
Charlie Gordon
1997
Walter Matthau: Diamond in the Rough
Self
1997
I'm Not Rappaport
Nat Moyer
1996
Jack Lemmon: America's Everyman
Self
1996
The Grass Harp
Judge Charlie Cool
1996
Grumpier Old Men
Max Goldman
1995
The First 100 Years: A Celebration of American Movies
Self
1995
I.Q.
Albert Einstein
1994
Incident in a Small Town
Harmon Cobb
1994
Grumpy Old Men
Max Goldman
1993
Dennis the Menace
George Wilson
1993
Beyond JFK: The Question of Conspiracy
Self
1993
Chaplin
Self (archive footage)
1992
How the Grinch Stole Christmas!
Narrator (voice)
1992
Laurel and Hardy: A Tribute to the Boys
Self
1992
Against Her Will: An Incident in Baltimore
Harmon Cobb
1992
JFK
Senator Long
1991
Mrs. Lambert Remembers Love
Clifford Pepperman
1991
The Incident
Harmon Cobb
1990
Broadway's Dreamers: The Legacy of the Group Theatre
Self (voice)
1989
The Little Devil
Padre Maurizio
1988
The Couch Trip
Donald Becker
1988
A Beverly Hills Christmas
Self
1987
James Stewart: A Wonderful Life
Self
1987
Pirates
Captain Thomas Bartholomew Red
1986
Kraft Salutes the George Burns 90th Birthday Special
Self
1986
Movers & Shakers
Joe Mulholland
1985
The Stars Salute the U.S. Olympic Team
Self - Performer
1984
The Survivors
Sonny Paluso
1983
Portrait of a '60% Perfect Man': Billy Wilder
Self
1982
Hollywood: The Gift of Laughter
Self
1982
I Ought to Be in Pictures
Herbert Tucker
1982
I Love Liberty
Self
1982
First Monday in October
Dan Snow
1981
Buddy Buddy
Trabucco
1981
Hopscotch
Miles Kendig
1980
Little Miss Marker
Sorrowful Jones
1980
The Stingiest Man in Town
Ebenezer Scrooge (voice)
1978
Funny Business
Self - Host
1978
California Suite
Marvin Michaels
1978
House Calls
Dr. Charley Nichols
1978
Actor
Boris Thomashevsky
1978
Casey's Shadow
Lloyd Bourdelle
1978
The Gentleman Tramp
Self / Narrator
1976
The Bad News Bears
Coach Morris Buttermaker
1976
The Sunshine Boys
Willy Clark
1975
The Lion Roars Again
Self
1975
Earthquake
Drunk
1974
The Front Page
Walter Burns
1974
The Taking of Pelham One Two Three
Lt. Garber
1974
The Laughing Policeman
Sgt. Jake Martin SFPD
1973
Charley Varrick
Charley Varrick
1973
Pete 'n' Tillie
Pete Seltzer
1972
Awake and Sing!
Moe Axelrod
1972
Kotch
Joseph P. Kotcher
1971
Plaza Suite
Sam Nash / Jesse Kiplinger / Roy Hubley
1971
A New Leaf
Henry Graham
1971
Cactus Flower
Dr. Julian Winston
1969
Hello, Dolly!
Horace Vandergelder
1969
Candy
Gen. R.A. Smight
1968
Jack Benny's Bag
Self
1968
The Secret Life of an American Wife
The Movie Star
1968
The Odd Couple
Oscar Madison
1968
Carol Channing and 101 Men
Self
1968
A Guide for the Married Man
Paul Manning
1967
The Fortune Cookie
Willie Gingrich
1966
Mirage
Ted Caselle
1965
Goodbye Charlie
Leo Sartori
1964
Fail Safe
Prof. Groeteschele
1964
Ensign Pulver
Doc
1964
Charade
Hamilton Bartholemew
1963
Island of Love
Tony Dallas
1963
Who's Got the Action?
Tony Gagouts
1962
Big Deal in Laredo
Meredith
1962
Lonely are the Brave
Sheriff Morey Johnson
1962
Two by Saroyan: 'Once Around the Block' and 'My Heart's in the Highlands'
Ben Alexander / Philip Judah
1960
Strangers When We Meet
Felix Anders
1960
Gangster Story
Jack Martin
1959
Ride a Crooked Trail
Judge Kyle
1958
Onionhead
'Red' Wildoe
1958
Voice in the Mirror
Dr. Karnes
1958
King Creole
Maxie Fields
1958
Slaughter on 10th Avenue
Al Dahlke
1957
A Face in the Crowd
Mel Miller
1957
Bigger Than Life
Wally Gibbs
1956
The Indian Fighter
Wes Todd
1955
The Kentuckian
Stan Bodine
1955
Atomic Attack
Dr. Spinelli
1954