FLIXREC
Walter Matthau

Walter Matthau

Acting October 1, 1920 (79 years old) July 1, 2000 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.

Movies 94

JFK 7.6

JFK

as Senator Long

1991
Dennis the Menace 5.9

Dennis the Menace

as Mr. Wilson

1993
Earthquake 6.1

Earthquake

as Drunk

1974
Charade 7.7

Charade

as Hamilton Bartholemew

1963
Grumpy Old Men 6.7

Grumpy Old Men

as Max Goldman

1993
Hello, Dolly! 7.0

Hello, Dolly!

as Horace Vandergelder

1969
The Taking of Pelham One Two Three 7.4

The Taking of Pelham One Two Three

as Lieutenant Garber

1974
The Bad News Bears 6.9

The Bad News Bears

as Morris Buttermaker

1976
Pirates 6.3

Pirates

as Captain Thomas Bartholomew Red

1986
The Front Page 7.3

The Front Page

as Walter Burns

1974
The Fortune Cookie 7.2

The Fortune Cookie

as Willie Gingrich

1966
Fail Safe 7.8

Fail Safe

as Prof. Groeteschele

1964
The Odd Couple 7.4

The Odd Couple

as Oscar Madison

1968
A New Leaf 7.3

A New Leaf

as Henry Graham

1971
Cactus Flower 7.2

Cactus Flower

as Dr. Julian Winston

1969
Grumpier Old Men 6.5

Grumpier Old Men

as Max Goldman

1995
The Odd Couple II 6.3

The Odd Couple II

as Oscar Madison

1998
Candy 5.1

Candy

as Gen. R.A. Smight

1968
California Suite 5.9

California Suite

as Marvin Michaels

1978
A Face in the Crowd 7.6

A Face in the Crowd

as Mel Miller

1957
Charley Varrick 7.4

Charley Varrick

as Charley Varrick

1973
Lonely are the Brave 7.4

Lonely are the Brave

as Sheriff Morey Johnson

1962
I.Q. 6.0

I.Q.

as Albert Einstein

1994
Hopscotch 7.0

Hopscotch

as Miles Kendig

1980
Out to Sea 5.9

Out to Sea

as Charlie

1997
Hanging Up 5.3

Hanging Up

as Lou Mozell

2000
The Couch Trip 5.5

The Couch Trip

as Donald Becker

1988
King Creole 6.4

King Creole

as Maxie Fields

1958
The Laughing Policeman 6.2

The Laughing Policeman

as Sgt. Jake Martin SFPD

1973
Buddy Buddy 6.1

Buddy Buddy

as Trabucco

1981
A Guide for the Married Man 6.0

A Guide for the Married Man

as Paul Manning

1967
Beyond JFK: The Question of Conspiracy 5.8

Beyond JFK: The Question of Conspiracy

as Self

1993
Bigger Than Life 7.2

Bigger Than Life

as Wally Gibbs

1956
The Sunshine Boys 6.9

The Sunshine Boys

as Willy Clark

1975
The Kentuckian 5.8

The Kentuckian

as Stan Bodine

1955
Mirage 7.1

Mirage

as Ted Caselle

1965
The Survivors 5.7

The Survivors

as Sonny Paluso

1983
Kotch 6.6

Kotch

as Joseph P. Kotcher

1971
Ride a Crooked Trail 6.5

Ride a Crooked Trail

as Judge Kyle

1958
House Calls 6.4

House Calls

as Dr. Charley Nichols

1978
Strangers When We Meet 6.4

Strangers When We Meet

as Felix Anders

1960
The Indian Fighter 6.3

The Indian Fighter

as Wes Todd

1955
Little Miss Marker 6.6

Little Miss Marker

as Sorrowful Jones

1980
First Monday in October 6.2

First Monday in October

as Dan Snow

1981
The First 100 Years: A Celebration of American Movies 8.0

The First 100 Years: A Celebration of American Movies

as Self

1995
The Stingiest Man in Town 5.6

The Stingiest Man in Town

as Ebenezer Scrooge (voice)

1978
I'm Not Rappaport 5.7

I'm Not Rappaport

as Nat Moyer

1996
I Ought to Be in Pictures 6.9

I Ought to Be in Pictures

as Herbert Tucker

1982
James Stewart: A Wonderful Life 6.5

James Stewart: A Wonderful Life

as Self

1987
Onionhead 5.5

Onionhead

as 'Red' Wildoe

1958
Plaza Suite 6.2

Plaza Suite

as Sam Nash / Jesse Kiplinger / Roy Hubley

1971
The Grass Harp 5.9

The Grass Harp

as Judge Charlie Cool

1996
The Incident 6.3

The Incident

as Harmon Cobb

1990
Who's Got the Action? 5.2

Who's Got the Action?

as Tony Gagouts

1962
Mrs. Lambert Remembers Love 5.1

Mrs. Lambert Remembers Love

as Clifford Pepperman

1991
I Love Liberty

I Love Liberty

as Self

1982
Broadway's Dreamers: The Legacy of the Group Theatre

Broadway's Dreamers: The Legacy of the Group Theatre

as Self (voice)

1989
Ensign Pulver 6.5

Ensign Pulver

as Doc

1964
Incident in a Small Town 7.1

Incident in a Small Town

as Harmon Cobb

1994
The Little Devil 6.7

The Little Devil

as Padre Maurizio

1988
Slaughter on 10th Avenue 5.8

Slaughter on 10th Avenue

as Al Dahlke

1957
Portrait of a '60% Perfect Man': Billy Wilder 6.9

Portrait of a '60% Perfect Man': Billy Wilder

as Self

1982
Movers & Shakers 3.9

Movers & Shakers

as Joe Mulholland

1985
Casey's Shadow 6.5

Casey's Shadow

as Lloyd Bourdelle

1978
Goodbye Charlie 5.8

Goodbye Charlie

as Leo Sartori

1964
Pete 'n' Tillie 5.8

Pete 'n' Tillie

as Pete Seltzer

1972
Voice in the Mirror 6.5

Voice in the Mirror

as Dr. Karnes

1958
How the Grinch Stole Christmas! 7.7

How the Grinch Stole Christmas!

as Narrator (voice)

1992
The Secret Life of an American Wife 6.0

The Secret Life of an American Wife

as The Movie Star

1968
The Marriage Fool 6.9

The Marriage Fool

as Frank Walsh

1998
The Lion Roars Again 6.5

The Lion Roars Again

as Self

1975
Island of Love 5.8

Island of Love

as Tony Dallas

1963
Laurel and Hardy: A Tribute to the Boys 7.0

Laurel and Hardy: A Tribute to the Boys

as Self

1992
The Stars Salute the U.S. Olympic Team

The Stars Salute the U.S. Olympic Team

as Self - Performer

1984
Against Her Will: An Incident in Baltimore 6.1

Against Her Will: An Incident in Baltimore

as Harmon Cobb

1992
'Fail-Safe' and the Cold War

'Fail-Safe' and the Cold War

as Self (archive footage)

2020
Walter Matthau: Diamond in the Rough 6.5

Walter Matthau: Diamond in the Rough

as Self

1997
Two by Saroyan: 'Once Around the Block' and 'My Heart's in the Highlands'

Two by Saroyan: 'Once Around the Block' and 'My Heart's in the Highlands'

as Ben Alexander / Philip Judah

1960
A Beverly Hills Christmas 3.5

A Beverly Hills Christmas

as Self

1987
Kraft Salutes the George Burns 90th Birthday Special 9.0

Kraft Salutes the George Burns 90th Birthday Special

as Self

1986
Billy Wilder: The Human Comedy 6.0

Billy Wilder: The Human Comedy

as Narrator

1998
The Gentleman Tramp 7.1

The Gentleman Tramp

as Self / Narrator

1976
Gangster Story 4.9

Gangster Story

as Jack Martin

1959
Carol Channing and 101 Men

Carol Channing and 101 Men

as Self

1968
Last of the Independents: Don Siegel and the Making of 'Charley Varrick' 5.0

Last of the Independents: Don Siegel and the Making of 'Charley Varrick'

as Self (archive footage)

2015
Jack Lemmon: America's Everyman 7.5

Jack Lemmon: America's Everyman

as Self

1996
Hollywood: The Gift of Laughter

Hollywood: The Gift of Laughter

as Self

1982
Funny Business 8.0

Funny Business

as Self - Host

1978
The Making of Pelham One Two Three

The Making of Pelham One Two Three

as Self

1974
Actor 7.0

Actor

as Boris Thomashevsky

1978
Atomic Attack 7.5

Atomic Attack

as Dr. Spinelli

1954
Awake and Sing! 10.0

Awake and Sing!

as Moe Axelrod

1972
Jack Benny's Bag

Jack Benny's Bag

as Self

1968
Big Deal in Laredo

Big Deal in Laredo

as Meredith

1962

TV Shows 38

The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson 7.6

The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson

as Self

1962
Saturday Night Live 6.9

Saturday Night Live

as Self - Host

1975
The Mike Douglas Show 5.8

The Mike Douglas Show

as Self

1961
The Merv Griffin Show 6.8

The Merv Griffin Show

as Self

1962
Great Performances 6.1

Great Performances

as Self

1971
Golden Globe Awards 7.0

Golden Globe Awards

as Self - Nominee / Presenter

1944
The Dick Cavett Show 6.8

The Dick Cavett Show

as Self - Guest

1968
Film '72 5.1

Film '72

as Self

1971
Tony Awards

Tony Awards

as Self - Host

1956
Robert Montgomery Presents 6.0

Robert Montgomery Presents

1950
Robert Montgomery Presents 6.0

Robert Montgomery Presents

as The Bartender

1950
Studio One 5.4

Studio One

as Jacobs

1948
Studio One 5.4

Studio One

as Olsen

1948
Climax! 3.8

Climax!

as Charlie Mapes

1954
Naked City 5.7

Naked City

as Peter Kanopolis

1958
Naked City 5.7

Naked City

as Dr. Max Lewine

1958
Dr. Kildare 5.7

Dr. Kildare

as Franklin Gaer

1961
The Philco Television Playhouse 6.6

The Philco Television Playhouse

1948
The Philco Television Playhouse 6.6

The Philco Television Playhouse

as Iago

1948
The Philco Television Playhouse 6.6

The Philco Television Playhouse

as Stuart Benson

1948
Route 66 6.7

Route 66

1960
Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre 5.9

Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre

as Tom Gregory

1963
The Oscars 7.1

The Oscars

as Self

1953
Alfred Hitchcock Presents 7.8

Alfred Hitchcock Presents

as Off. Pete Chandler

1955
Alfred Hitchcock Presents 7.8

Alfred Hitchcock Presents

as Moran

1955
Alfred Hitchcock Presents 7.8

Alfred Hitchcock Presents

as Harry Wade

1955
Alfred Hitchcock Presents 7.8

Alfred Hitchcock Presents

as Phil

1955
Suspense 5.1

Suspense

as Lawrence Stevens

1949
Lux Video Theatre 6.7

Lux Video Theatre

as Coastguardsman

1950
Lux Video Theatre 6.7

Lux Video Theatre

as Inspector

1950
Lux Video Theatre 6.7

Lux Video Theatre

as Craig

1950
The American Film Institute Salute to ... 6.3

The American Film Institute Salute to ...

as Self

1973
Target: The Corruptors! 5.7

Target: The Corruptors!

1961
Profiles in Courage 7.5

Profiles in Courage

as Gov. John Slaton

1964
Profiles in Courage 7.5

Profiles in Courage

as Andrew Johnson

1964
General Electric Theater 6.8

General Electric Theater

1953
General Electric Theater 6.8

General Electric Theater

as Tom Dutton

1953
Tallahassee 7000 8.5

Tallahassee 7000

as Lex Rogers

1961

Reviews

Loading reviews...