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.
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Elvis: A Life in Music | Self (archive footage) | 2026-01-08 |
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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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Hanging Up | Lou Mozell | 2000-02-16 |
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Revisiting 'Fail-Safe' | Self (archive footage) | 2000-10-31 |
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Private Screenings: Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau | Self | 1998-08-12 |
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Billy Wilder: The Human Comedy | Narrator | 1998-02-04 |
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The Marriage Fool | Frank Walsh | 1998-09-20 |
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The Odd Couple II | Oscar Madison | 1998-04-09 |
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Out to Sea | Charlie Gordon | 1997-07-02 |
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Walter Matthau: Diamond in the Rough | Self | 1997-01-01 |
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I'm Not Rappaport | Nat Moyer | 1996-12-24 |
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Jack Lemmon: America's Everyman | Self | 1996-11-25 |
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The Grass Harp | Judge Charlie Cool | 1996-10-11 |
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Grumpier Old Men | Max Goldman | 1995-12-22 |
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The First 100 Years: A Celebration of American Movies | Self | 1995-06-05 |
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I.Q. | Albert Einstein | 1994-12-24 |
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Incident in a Small Town | Harmon Cobb | 1994-01-23 |
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Grumpy Old Men | Max Goldman | 1993-12-25 |
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Dennis the Menace | Mr. Wilson | 1993-06-09 |
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Beyond JFK: The Question of Conspiracy | Self | 1993-01-20 |
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Against Her Will: An Incident in Baltimore | Harmon Cobb | 1992-01-19 |
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Laurel and Hardy: A Tribute to the Boys | Self | 1992-04-05 |
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Chaplin | Self (archive footage) | 1992-12-17 |
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How the Grinch Stole Christmas! | Narrator (voice) | 1992-12-12 |
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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 | Self (voice) | 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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Pirates | Captain Thomas Bartholomew Red | 1986-05-08 |
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Kraft Salutes the George Burns 90th Birthday Special | Self | 1986-01-17 |
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Movers & Shakers | Joe Mulholland | 1985-05-03 |
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The Stars Salute the U.S. Olympic Team | Self - Performer | 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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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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I Love Liberty | Self | 1982-03-21 |
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First Monday in October | Dan Snow | 1981-08-21 |
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Buddy Buddy | Trabucco | 1981-04-02 |
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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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Funny Business | Self - Host | 1978-07-26 |
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House Calls | Dr. Charley Nichols | 1978-03-15 |
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Actor | Boris Thomashevsky | 1978-02-21 |
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The Stingiest Man in Town | Ebenezer Scrooge (voice) | 1978-12-23 |
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Casey's Shadow | Lloyd Bourdelle | 1978-01-01 |
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California Suite | Marvin Michaels | 1978-03-19 |
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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 Front Page | Walter Burns | 1974-11-01 |
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The Taking of Pelham One Two Three | Lt. Garber | 1974-10-02 |
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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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Awake and Sing! | Moe Axelrod | 1972-03-06 |
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Pete 'n' Tillie | Pete Seltzer | 1972-12-17 |
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Plaza Suite | Sam Nash / Jesse Kiplinger / Roy Hubley | 1971-05-12 |
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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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Hello, Dolly! | Horace Vandergelder | 1969-12-12 |
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Cactus Flower | Dr. Julian Winston | 1969-12-16 |
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The Secret Life of an American Wife | The Movie Star | 1968-06-25 |
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Carol Channing and 101 Men | Self | 1968-02-29 |
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Jack Benny's Bag | Self | 1968-11-16 |
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The Odd Couple | Oscar Madison | 1968-05-16 |
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Candy | Gen. R.A. Smight | 1968-12-17 |
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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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Ensign Pulver | Doc | 1964-07-31 |
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Fail Safe | Prof. Groeteschele | 1964-10-07 |
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Goodbye Charlie | Leo Sartori | 1964-11-18 |
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Charade | Hamilton Bartholemew | 1963-12-01 |
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Island of Love | Tony Dallas | 1963-06-12 |
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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 | 1962-04-26 |
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Big Deal in Laredo | Meredith | 1962-10-07 |
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Strangers When We Meet | Felix Anders | 1960-06-29 |
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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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Gangster Story | Jack Martin | 1959-12-01 |
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Voice in the Mirror | Dr. Karnes | 1958-08-13 |
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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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Onionhead | 'Red' Wildoe | 1958-10-25 |
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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 Kentuckian | Stan Bodine | 1955-07-22 |
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The Indian Fighter | Wes Todd | 1955-12-21 |
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Atomic Attack | Dr. Spinelli | 1954-05-19 |
