Walter Matthau
Acting

Walter Matthau

Born 1 October 1920 · New York City, New York, USA · Died 1 July 2000

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

JFK
Dennis the Menace
Charade
Grumpy Old Men
The Odd Couple
The Taking of Pelham One Two Three
I.Q.
Fail Safe
Grumpier Old Men
The Little Devil
Hello, Dolly!
The Front Page
Hanging Up
The Odd Couple II
Billy Wilder: The Human Comedy
The Marriage Fool
Out to Sea
I'm Not Rappaport
The Grass Harp
Grumpier Old Men
I.Q.
Incident in a Small Town
Grumpy Old Men
Dennis the Menace
How the Grinch Stole Christmas!
Against Her Will: An Incident in Baltimore
JFK
Mrs. Lambert Remembers Love
The Incident
The Couch Trip
The Little Devil
Pirates
Movers & Shakers
The Survivors
I Ought to Be in Pictures
Buddy Buddy
First Monday in October
Hopscotch
Little Miss Marker
California Suite
House Calls
Casey's Shadow
The Stingiest Man in Town
Actor
The Bad News Bears
The Sunshine Boys
The Front Page
Earthquake
The Taking of Pelham One Two Three
Charley Varrick
The Laughing Policeman
Pete 'n' Tillie
Awake and Sing!
Plaza Suite
A New Leaf
Kotch
Cactus Flower
Hello, Dolly!
The Odd Couple
Candy
The Secret Life of an American Wife
A Guide for the Married Man
The Fortune Cookie
Mirage
Fail Safe
Ensign Pulver
Goodbye Charlie
Charade
Island of Love
Lonely are the Brave
Who's Got the Action?
Strangers When We Meet
Two by Saroyan: 'Once Around the Block' and 'My Heart's in the Highlands'
Gangster Story
Ride a Crooked Trail
King Creole
Voice in the Mirror
Onionhead
A Face in the Crowd
Slaughter on 10th Avenue
Bigger Than Life
The Kentuckian
The Indian Fighter
Atomic Attack
Walter Matthau · Midrow