Walter Matthau
Oscar winner · Actor
Known for
A wrinkled face, a raspy voice and an irrepeatable comic talent made Walter Matthau one of the great American actors of his generation. A New Yorker of humble origins, he shot to film fame with roles such as the baseball coach of 'The Bad News Bears' and won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor for 'The Fortune Cookie', by Billy Wilder. His chemistry with Jack Lemmon gave rise to ten films together, among them 'The Odd Couple', 'The Front Page' and 'Grumpy Old Men', one of the most beloved comic duos in Hollywood. He also shone in the romantic comedy 'Charade', the musical 'Hello, Dolly!' and 'The Sunshine Boys', and on Broadway he premiered the role of Oscar Madison that earned him a Tony Award. His range combined the ill-tempered growl with a wry tenderness that made him unmistakable.
Walter Matthau
Oscar winner · Actor
A wrinkled face, a raspy voice and an irrepeatable comic talent made Walter Matthau one of the great American actors of his generation. A New Yorker of humble origins, he shot to film fame with roles such as the baseball coach of 'The Bad News Bears' and won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor for 'The Fortune Cookie', by Billy Wilder. His chemistry with Jack Lemmon gave rise to ten films together, among them 'The Odd Couple', 'The Front Page' and 'Grumpy Old Men', one of the most beloved comic duos in Hollywood. He also shone in the romantic comedy 'Charade', the musical 'Hello, Dolly!' and 'The Sunshine Boys', and on Broadway he premiered the role of Oscar Madison that earned him a Tony Award. His range combined the ill-tempered growl with a wry tenderness that made him unmistakable.
Movies (62 titles)
Plays Mr. Wilson
Dennis the Menace
1993
Plays Senator Long
JFK
1991
Plays Horace Vandergelder
Hello, Dolly!
1969
Plays Hamilton Bartholemew
Charade
1963
Plays Max Goldman
Grumpier Old Men
1995
Plays Drunk
Earthquake
1974
Plays Oscar Madison
The Odd Couple
1968
Plays Oscar Madison
The Odd Couple II
1998
Plays Max Goldman
Grumpy Old Men
1993
Plays Lou Mozell
Hanging Up
2000
Plays Lieutenant Garber
The Taking of Pelham One Two Three
1974
Plays Captain Thomas Bartholomew Red
Pirates
1986
Plays Maxie Fields
King Creole
1958
Plays Walter Burns
The Front Page
1974
Plays Prof. Groeteschele
Fail Safe
1964
Plays Morris Buttermaker
The Bad News Bears
1976
Plays Donald Becker
The Couch Trip
1988
Plays Wes Todd
The Indian Fighter
1955
Plays Dr. Julian Winston
Cactus Flower
1969
Plays Charlie
Out to Sea
1997
Plays Paul Manning
A Guide for the Married Man
1967
Plays Willie Gingrich
The Fortune Cookie
1966
Plays Sheriff Morey Johnson
Lonely are the Brave
1962
Plays Gen. R.A. Smight
Candy
1968
Plays 'Red' Wildoe
Onionhead
1958
Plays Albert Einstein
I.Q.
1994
Plays Mel Miller
A Face in the Crowd
1957
Plays Henry Graham
A New Leaf
1971
Plays Sgt. Jake Martin SFPD
The Laughing Policeman
1973
Plays Stan Bodine
The Kentuckian
1955
Plays Herbert Tucker
I Ought to Be in Pictures
1982
Plays Marvin Michaels
California Suite
1978
Plays Charley Varrick
Charley Varrick
1973
Producer
Plays Sorrowful Jones
Little Miss Marker
1980
Plays Ted Caselle
Mirage
1965
Plays Trabucco
Buddy Buddy
1981
Plays Dr. Charley Nichols
House Calls
1978
Plays Wally Gibbs
Bigger Than Life
1956
Plays Miles Kendig
Hopscotch
1980
Plays Frank Walsh
The Marriage Fool
1998
Plays Leo Sartori
Goodbye Charlie
1964
Plays Felix Anders
Strangers When We Meet
1960
Plays Padre Maurizio
The Little Devil
1988
Plays Joseph P. Kotcher
Kotch
1971
Plays Tony Gagouts
Who's Got the Action?
1962
Plays Willy Clark
The Sunshine Boys
1975
Plays Sam Nash / Jesse Kiplinger / Roy Hubley
Plaza Suite
1971
Plays Dan Snow
First Monday in October
1981
Plays Lloyd Bourdelle
Casey's Shadow
1978
Plays Nat Moyer
I'm Not Rappaport
1996
TV Shows (11 titles)
Plays Lex Rogers
Tallahassee 7000
1961
Plays Iago
The Philco Television Playhouse
1948
Plays Off. Pete Chandler
Alfred Hitchcock Presents
1955
Plays The Bartender
Robert Montgomery Presents
1950
Plays Coastguardsman
Lux Video Theatre
1950
Plays Tom Dutton
General Electric Theater
1953
Plays Peter Kanopolis
Naked City
1958
Plays Jacobs
Studio One
1948
Plays Charlie Mapes
Climax!
1954
Plays Lawrence Stevens
Suspense
1949
Plays Franklin Gaer
Dr. Kildare
1961
Latest Trailers
Watch Trailer
Hanging Up
Full Filmography 73
Photos
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Walter Matthau still alive?
Walter Matthau passed away on July 1, 2000 at age 79.
What are the most famous roles of Walter Matthau?
Walter Matthau is best known for roles in JFK, Dennis the Menace, Charade.
How many movies has Walter Matthau been in?
Over a 46-year career (since 1954), Walter Matthau has appeared in 61 movies and 11 TV shows.
What was Walter Matthau's first movie?
The career of Walter Matthau began with Atomic Attack (1954).
What is Walter Matthau's most recent movie or series?
Walter Matthau's most recent release is Hanging Up, which premiered on February 16, 2000.
What TV shows has Walter Matthau appeared in?
On television, Walter Matthau has appeared in Saturday Night Live, Alfred Hitchcock Presents, The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, The Oscars.
Walter Matthau
1920-10-01 · New York City, New York, USA
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.