Personal Info
Known For
Acting
Birthdate
1920-10-01
Day of Death
2000-07-01
Place of Birth
New York City, New York, USA
Walter Matthau
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.
Filmography (97)
Elvis: A Life in Music
2026
'Fail-Safe' and the Cold War
2020
Last of the Independents: Don Siegel and the Making of 'Charley Varrick'
2015
Revisiting 'Fail-Safe'
2000
Hanging Up
2000
The Marriage Fool
1998Private Screenings: Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau
1998
The Odd Couple II
1998
Billy Wilder: The Human Comedy
1998
Out to Sea
1997
Walter Matthau: Diamond in the Rough
1997
I'm Not Rappaport
1996
Jack Lemmon: America's Everyman
1996
The Grass Harp
1996
