1920-10-01 New York City, New York, USA
Walter Matthau (born Walter John Matthow) 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.
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'Fail-Safe' and the Cold War | Self (archive footage) | 2020-01-28 |
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Last of the Independents: Don Siegel and the Making of 'Charley Varrick' | Self (archive footage) | 2015-03-19 |
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Revisiting 'Fail-Safe' | Self (archive footage) | 2000-10-31 |
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Hanging Up | Lou Mozell | 2000-02-16 |
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Private Screenings: Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau | Self | 1998-08-12 |
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The Odd Couple II | Oscar Madison | 1998-04-09 |
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The Marriage Fool | Frank Walsh | 1998-09-20 |
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Billy Wilder: The Human Comedy | Self | 1998-02-04 |
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Walter Matthau: Diamond in the Rough | Self | 1997-01-01 |
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Out to Sea | Charlie Gordon | 1997-07-02 |
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I'm Not Rappaport | Nat Moyer | 1996-12-24 |
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The Grass Harp | Judge Charlie Cool | 1996-10-11 |
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Jack Lemmon: America's Everyman | Self | 1996-11-25 |
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The First 100 Years: A Celebration of American Movies | Self | 1995-06-05 |
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Grumpier Old Men | Max Goldman | 1995-12-22 |
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Incident in a Small Town | Harmon Cobb | 1994-01-23 |
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I.Q. | Albert Einstein | 1994-12-24 |
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Grumpy Old Men | Max Goldman | 1993-12-25 |
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Beyond JFK: The Question of Conspiracy | Self | 1993-01-20 |
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Dennis the Menace | George Wilson | 1993-06-09 |
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How the Grinch Stole Christmas! | Narrator (voice) | 1992-12-12 |
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Laurel and Hardy: A Tribute to the Boys | Self | 1992-04-05 |
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Against Her Will: An Incident in Baltimore | Harmon Cobb | 1992-01-19 |
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Mrs. Lambert Remembers Love | Clifford Pepperman | 1991-05-12 |
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JFK | Senator Long | 1991-12-20 |
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The Incident | Harmon Cobb | 1990-03-04 |
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Broadway's Dreamers: The Legacy of the Group Theatre | Himself | 1989-06-26 |
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Il piccolo diavolo | Padre Maurizio | 1988-07-01 |
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The Couch Trip | Donald Becker | 1988-01-15 |
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A Beverly Hills Christmas | Self | 1987-12-22 |
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James Stewart: A Wonderful Life | Self | 1987-03-13 |
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Kraft Salutes the George Burns 90th Birthday Special | Self | 1986-01-17 |
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Pirates | Captain Thomas Bartholomew Red | 1986-05-08 |
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Movers & Shakers | Joe Mulholland | 1985-05-03 |
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The Stars Salute the U.S. Olympic Team | 1984-01-29 | |
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The Survivors | Sonny Paluso | 1983-06-24 |
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I Ought to Be in Pictures | Herbert Tucker | 1982-03-26 |
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I Love Liberty | Self | 1982-03-21 |
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Hollywood: The Gift of Laughter | Self | 1982-05-16 |
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Portrait d'un homme 'à 60% parfait': Billy Wilder | Self | 1982-05-21 |
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Buddy Buddy | Trabucco | 1981-04-02 |
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First Monday in October | Dan Snow | 1981-08-21 |
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Hopscotch | Miles Kendig | 1980-09-26 |
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Little Miss Marker | Sorrowful Jones | 1980-03-21 |
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House Calls | Dr. Charley Nichols | 1978-03-15 |
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Funny Business | Self - Host | 1978-07-26 |
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California Suite | Marvin Michaels | 1978-12-15 |
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Actor | Boris Thomashevsky | 1978-02-21 |
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Casey's Shadow | Lloyd Bourdelle | 1978-01-01 |
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The Stingiest Man in Town | Ebenezer Scrooge (voice) | 1978-12-23 |
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The Gentleman Tramp | Self / Narrator | 1976-10-10 |
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The Bad News Bears | Coach Morris Buttermaker | 1976-04-06 |
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The Lion Roars Again | Self | 1975-01-01 |
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The Sunshine Boys | Willy Clark | 1975-11-06 |
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Earthquake | Drunk | 1974-11-15 |
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The Taking of Pelham One Two Three | Lt. Garber | 1974-10-02 |
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The Front Page | Walter Burns | 1974-11-01 |
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The Laughing Policeman | Sgt. Jake Martin SFPD | 1973-12-20 |
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Charley Varrick | Charley Varrick | 1973-09-19 |
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Pete 'n' Tillie | Pete Seltzer | 1972-12-17 |
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Awake and Sing! | Moe Axelrod | 1972-06-03 |
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A New Leaf | Henry Graham | 1971-03-11 |
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Kotch | Joseph P. Kotcher | 1971-09-17 |
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Plaza Suite | Roy Hubley / Jesse Kiplinger / Sam Nash | 1971-05-12 |
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Cactus Flower | Dr. Julian Winston | 1969-12-16 |
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Hello, Dolly! | Horace Vandergelder | 1969-12-12 |
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The Secret Life of an American Wife | The Movie Star | 1968-06-25 |
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Candy | Gen. R.A. Smight | 1968-12-17 |
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Jack Benny's Bag | Self | 1968-11-16 |
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Carol Channing and 101 Men | Self | 1968-02-29 |
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The Odd Couple | Oscar Madison | 1968-05-16 |
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A Guide for the Married Man | Paul Manning | 1967-05-25 |
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The Fortune Cookie | Willie Gingrich | 1966-10-19 |
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Mirage | Ted Caselle | 1965-10-29 |
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Goodbye Charlie | Leo Sartori | 1964-11-18 |
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Fail Safe | Prof. Groeteschele | 1964-10-07 |
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Ensign Pulver | Doc | 1964-07-31 |
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Island of Love | Tony Dallas | 1963-06-12 |
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Charade | Hamilton Bartholemew | 1963-12-01 |
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Who's Got the Action? | Tony Gagouts | 1962-12-25 |
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Lonely are the Brave | Sheriff Morey Johnson | 1962-05-24 |
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Big Deal in Laredo | Meredith | 1962-10-07 |
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Two by Saroyan: 'Once Around the Block' and 'My Heart's in the Highlands' | Ben Alexander / Philip Judah | 1960-11-07 |
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Strangers When We Meet | Felix Anders | 1960-06-29 |
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Gangster Story | Jack Martin | 1959-12-01 |
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Onionhead | 'Red' Wildoe | 1958-10-25 |
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Ride a Crooked Trail | Judge Kyle | 1958-11-23 |
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King Creole | Maxie Fields | 1958-07-02 |
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Voice in the Mirror | Dr. Karnes | 1958-08-13 |
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A Face in the Crowd | Mel Miller | 1957-05-29 |
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Slaughter on 10th Avenue | Al Dahlke | 1957-09-01 |
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Bigger Than Life | Wally Gibbs | 1956-11-20 |
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The Indian Fighter | Wes Todd | 1955-12-21 |
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The Kentuckian | Stan Bodine | 1955-07-22 |
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Atomic Attack | Dr. Spinelli | 1954-05-19 |
