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.

Filmography

• 2000Hanging Up — Lou Mozell
• 1998Billy Wilder: The Human Comedy — Narrator
• 1998The Marriage Fool — Frank Walsh
• 1998The Odd Couple II — Oscar Madison
• 1997Out to Sea — Charlie
• 1996I'm Not Rappaport — Nat Moyer
• 1996The Grass Harp — Judge Charlie Cool
• 1995Grumpier Old Men — Max Goldman
• 1994I.Q. — Albert Einstein
• 1994Incident in a Small Town — Harmon Cobb
• 1993Dennis the Menace — Mr. Wilson
• 1993Grumpy Old Men — Max Goldman
• 1992Against Her Will: An Incident in Baltimore — Harmon Cobb
• 1992How the Grinch Stole Christmas! — Narrator (voice)
• 1991JFK — Senator Long
• 1991Mrs. Lambert Remembers Love — Clifford Pepperman
• 1990The Incident — Harmon Cobb
• 1988The Couch Trip — Donald Becker
• 1988The Little Devil — Padre Maurizio
• 1986Pirates — Captain Thomas Bartholomew Red
• 1985Movers & Shakers — Joe Mulholland
• 1983The Survivors — Sonny Paluso
• 1982I Ought to Be in Pictures — Herbert Tucker
• 1981Buddy Buddy — Trabucco
• 1981First Monday in October — Dan Snow
• 1980Hopscotch — Miles Kendig
• 1980Little Miss Marker — Sorrowful Jones, Executive Producer
• 1978Actor — Boris Thomashevsky
• 1978California Suite — Marvin Michaels
• 1978Casey's Shadow — Lloyd Bourdelle
• 1978House Calls — Dr. Charley Nichols
• 1978The Stingiest Man in Town — Ebenezer Scrooge (voice)
• 1976The Bad News Bears — Morris Buttermaker
• 1975The Sunshine Boys — Willy Clark
• 1974Earthquake — Drunk
• 1974The Front Page — Walter Burns
• 1974The Taking of Pelham One Two Three — Lieutenant Garber
• 1973Charley Varrick — Charley Varrick
• 1973The Laughing Policeman — Sgt. Jake Martin SFPD
• 1972Awake and Sing! — Moe Axelrod
• 1972Pete 'n' Tillie — Pete Seltzer
• 1971A New Leaf — Henry Graham
• 1971Kotch — Joseph P. Kotcher
• 1971Plaza Suite — Sam Nash / Jesse Kiplinger / Roy Hubley
• 1969Cactus Flower — Dr. Julian Winston
• 1969Hello, Dolly! — Horace Vandergelder
• 1968Candy — Gen. R.A. Smight
• 1968The Odd Couple — Oscar Madison
• 1968The Secret Life of an American Wife — The Movie Star
• 1967A Guide for the Married Man — Paul Manning
• 1966The Fortune Cookie — Willie Gingrich
• 1965Mirage — Ted Caselle
• 1964Ensign Pulver — Doc
• 1964Fail Safe — Prof. Groeteschele
• 1964Goodbye Charlie — Leo Sartori
• Profiles in Courage — Gov. John Slaton, Andrew Johnson
• Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre — Tom Gregory
• 1963Charade — Hamilton Bartholemew
• 1963Island of Love — Tony Dallas
• 1962Big Deal in Laredo — Meredith
• 1962Lonely are the Brave — Sheriff Morey Johnson
• 1962Who's Got the Action? — Tony Gagouts
• Dr. Kildare — Franklin Gaer
• Tallahassee 7000 — Lex Rogers
• Target: The Corruptors!
• Route 66
• 1960Strangers When We Meet — Felix Anders
• 1960Two by Saroyan: 'Once Around the Block' and 'My Heart's in the Highlands' — Ben Alexander / Philip Judah
• 1959Gangster Story — Jack Martin, Director
• 1958King Creole — Maxie Fields
• Naked City — Peter Kanopolis, Dr. Max Lewine
• 1958Onionhead — 'Red' Wildoe
• 1958Ride a Crooked Trail — Judge Kyle
• 1958Voice in the Mirror — Dr. Karnes
• 1957A Face in the Crowd — Mel Miller
• 1957Slaughter on 10th Avenue — Al Dahlke
• 1956Bigger Than Life — Wally Gibbs
• Alfred Hitchcock Presents — Off. Pete Chandler, Moran, Harry Wade, Phil
• 1955The Indian Fighter — Wes Todd
• 1955The Kentuckian — Stan Bodine
• 1954Atomic Attack — Dr. Spinelli
• Climax! — Charlie Mapes
• General Electric Theater — Tom Dutton
• Lux Video Theatre — Coastguardsman, Inspector, Craig
• Robert Montgomery Presents — The Bartender
• Suspense — Lawrence Stevens
• Studio One — Jacobs, Olsen
• The Philco Television Playhouse — Iago, Stuart Benson
• The Making of Pelham One Two Three

Appearances as themselves (31)

• 2020'Fail-Safe' and the Cold War — Self (archive footage)
• 2015Last of the Independents: Don Siegel and the Making of 'Charley Varrick' — Self (archive footage)
• 1997Walter Matthau: Diamond in the Rough — Self
• 1996Jack Lemmon: America's Everyman — Self
• 1995The First 100 Years: A Celebration of American Movies — Self
• 1993Beyond JFK: The Question of Conspiracy — Self
• 1992Laurel and Hardy: A Tribute to the Boys — Self
• 1989Broadway's Dreamers: The Legacy of the Group Theatre — Self (voice)
• 1987A Beverly Hills Christmas — Self
• 1987James Stewart: A Wonderful Life — Self
• 1986Kraft Salutes the George Burns 90th Birthday Special — Self
• 1984The Stars Salute the U.S. Olympic Team — Self - Performer
• 1982Hollywood: The Gift of Laughter — Self
• 1982I Love Liberty — Self
• 1982Portrait of a '60% Perfect Man': Billy Wilder — Self
• 1978Funny Business — Self - Host
• 1976The Gentleman Tramp — Self / Narrator
• Saturday Night Live — Self - Host
• 1975The Lion Roars Again — Self
• The American Film Institute Salute to ... — Self
• Film '72 — Self
• Great Performances — Self
• 1968Carol Channing and 101 Men — Self
• 1968Jack Benny's Bag — Self
• The Dick Cavett Show — Self - Guest
• The Merv Griffin Show — Self
• The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson — Self
• The Mike Douglas Show — Self
• Tony Awards — Self - Host
• The Oscars — Self
• Golden Globe Awards — Self - Nominee / Presenter