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Personal Info
Known For
Acting
Birthday
October 1, 1920
Died
July 1, 2000
Place of Birth
New York City, New York, USA
Also Known As
- Walter Matuschanskayasky
- Уолтер Мэттау
- Walter John Matthau
- والتر ماتائو
Walter Matthau
2.9 Popularity
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.
Known For
0.0
Self (archive footage)
Elvis: A Life in Music
2026
0.0
Self (archive footage)
'Fail-Safe' and the Cold War
2020
5.0
Self (archive footage)
Last of the Independents: Don Siegel and the Making of 'Charley Varrick'
2015
0.0
Self (archive footage)
Revisiting 'Fail-Safe'
2000
5.2
Lou Mozell
Hanging Up
2000
7.2
Frank Walsh
The Marriage Fool
1998
🎬
0.0
Self
Private Screenings: Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau
1998
6.3
Oscar Madison
The Odd Couple II
1998
6.0
Self
Billy Wilder: The Human Comedy
1998
5.7
Charlie Gordon
Out to Sea
1997
Credits
Elvis: A Life in Music
as Self (archive footage)
2026
0.0
'Fail-Safe' and the Cold War
as Self (archive footage)
2020
0.0
Last of the Independents: Don Siegel and the Making of 'Charley Varrick'
as Self (archive footage)
2015
5.0
Revisiting 'Fail-Safe'
as Self (archive footage)
2000
0.0
Hanging Up
as Lou Mozell
2000
5.2
The Marriage Fool
as Frank Walsh
1998
7.2
🎬
Private Screenings: Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau
as Self
1998
0.0
The Odd Couple II
as Oscar Madison
1998
6.3
Billy Wilder: The Human Comedy
as Self
1998
6.0
Out to Sea
as Charlie Gordon
1997
5.7
Walter Matthau: Diamond in the Rough
as Self
1997
6.5
I'm Not Rappaport
as Nat Moyer
1996
5.6
Jack Lemmon: America's Everyman
as Self
1996
7.5
The Grass Harp
as Judge Charlie Cool
1996
5.8
Grumpier Old Men
as Max Goldman
1995
6.5
The First 100 Years: A Celebration of American Movies
as Self
1995
7.8
I.Q.
as Albert Einstein
1994
6.0
Incident in a Small Town
as Harmon Cobb
1994
6.6
Grumpy Old Men
as Max Goldman
1993
6.7
Dennis the Menace
as George Wilson
1993
5.9
Beyond JFK: The Question of Conspiracy
as Self
1993
5.6
Chaplin
as Self (archive footage)
1992
7.4
How the Grinch Stole Christmas!
as Narrator (voice)
1992
7.3
Laurel and Hardy: A Tribute to the Boys
as Self
1992
6.7
Against Her Will: An Incident in Baltimore
as Harmon Cobb
1992
5.8
JFK
as Senator Long
1991
7.6
Mrs. Lambert Remembers Love
as Clifford Pepperman
1991
4.5
The Incident
as Harmon Cobb
1990
6.1
🎬
Broadway's Dreamers: The Legacy of the Group Theatre
as Self (voice)
1989
0.0
The Little Devil
as Padre Maurizio
1988
6.7
The Couch Trip
as Donald Becker
1988
5.4
A Beverly Hills Christmas
as Self
1987
3.5
James Stewart: A Wonderful Life
as Self
1987
6.0
Pirates
as Captain Thomas Bartholomew Red
1986
6.3
Kraft Salutes the George Burns 90th Birthday Special
as Self
1986
9.0
Movers & Shakers
as Joe Mulholland
1985
3.6
The Stars Salute the U.S. Olympic Team
as Self - Performer
1984
0.0
The Survivors
as Sonny Paluso
1983
5.6
Portrait of a '60% Perfect Man': Billy Wilder
as Self
1982
6.7
Hollywood: The Gift of Laughter
as Self
1982
0.0
I Ought to Be in Pictures
as Herbert Tucker
1982
6.5
I Love Liberty
as Self
1982
0.0
First Monday in October
as Dan Snow
1981
6.1
Buddy Buddy
as Trabucco
1981
6.2
Hopscotch
as Miles Kendig
1980
7.0
Little Miss Marker
as Sorrowful Jones
1980
6.6
The Stingiest Man in Town
as Ebenezer Scrooge (voice)
1978
5.3
🎬
Funny Business
as Self - Host
1978
0.0
California Suite
as Marvin Michaels
1978
5.8
House Calls
as Dr. Charley Nichols
1978
6.3
Actor
as Boris Thomashevsky
1978
0.0
Casey's Shadow
as Lloyd Bourdelle
1978
6.3
The Gentleman Tramp
as Self / Narrator
1976
6.6
The Bad News Bears
as Coach Morris Buttermaker
1976
6.9
The Sunshine Boys
as Willy Clark
1975
6.8
Saturday Night Live
as Self - Host
1975
7.0
🎬
The Lion Roars Again
as Self
1975
0.0
Earthquake
as Drunk
1974
6.1
The Front Page
as Walter Burns
1974
7.3
The Taking of Pelham One Two Three
as Lt. Garber
1974
7.5
The Laughing Policeman
as Sgt. Jake Martin SFPD
1973
6.2
Charley Varrick
as Charley Varrick
1973
7.3
The American Film Institute Salute to ...
as Self
1973
6.3
Pete 'n' Tillie
as Pete Seltzer
1972
5.8
Awake and Sing!
as Moe Axelrod
1972
0.0
Kotch
as Joseph P. Kotcher
1971
6.5
Plaza Suite
as Sam Nash / Jesse Kiplinger / Roy Hubley
1971
6.1
A New Leaf
as Henry Graham
1971
7.3
Great Performances
as Self
1971
5.8
Cactus Flower
as Dr. Julian Winston
1969
7.1
Hello, Dolly!
as Horace Vandergelder
1969
7.0
Candy
as Gen. R.A. Smight
1968
5.1
🎬
Jack Benny's Bag
as Self
1968
0.0
The Secret Life of an American Wife
as The Movie Star
1968
3.0
The Dick Cavett Show
as Self - Guest
1968
6.8
The Odd Couple
as Oscar Madison
1968
7.4
Carol Channing and 101 Men
as Self
1968
0.0
A Guide for the Married Man
as Paul Manning
1967
5.8
The Fortune Cookie
as Willie Gingrich
1966
7.2
Mirage
as Ted Caselle
1965
7.0
Goodbye Charlie
as Leo Sartori
1964
5.8
🎬
Profiles in Courage
as Gov. John Slaton
1964
5.0
🎬
Profiles in Courage
as Andrew Johnson
1964
5.0
Fail Safe
as Prof. Groeteschele
1964
7.8
Ensign Pulver
as Doc
1964
6.6
Charade
as Hamilton Bartholemew
1963
7.7
🎬
Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre
1963
5.7
Island of Love
as Tony Dallas
1963
5.3
Who's Got the Action?
as Tony Gagouts
1962
5.2
🎬
Big Deal in Laredo
as Meredith
1962
0.0
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson
as Self
1962
7.5
The Merv Griffin Show
as Self
1962
6.2
Lonely are the Brave
as Sheriff Morey Johnson
1962
7.4
The Mike Douglas Show
as Self
1961
5.4
Target: The Corruptors!
1961
3.5
Dr. Kildare
as Franklin Gaer
1961
5.5
Tallahassee 7000
as Lex Rogers
1961
0.0
Two by Saroyan: 'Once Around the Block' and 'My Heart's in the Highlands'
as Ben Alexander / Philip Judah
1960
0.0
Route 66
1960
6.3
Strangers When We Meet
as Felix Anders
1960
6.2
Gangster Story
as Jack Martin
1959
5.0
Ride a Crooked Trail
as Judge Kyle
1958
6.3
Onionhead
as 'Red' Wildoe
1958
4.9
Naked City
as Peter Kanopolis
1958
5.5
Naked City
as Dr. Max Lewine
1958
5.5
Voice in the Mirror
as Dr. Karnes
1958
5.8
King Creole
as Maxie Fields
1958
6.3
Slaughter on 10th Avenue
as Al Dahlke
1957
5.4
A Face in the Crowd
as Mel Miller
1957
7.6
Bigger Than Life
as Wally Gibbs
1956
7.2
Tony Awards
as Self - Host
1956
5.9
Tony Awards
as Self - Nominee
1956
5.9
The Indian Fighter
as Wes Todd
1955
6.2
Alfred Hitchcock Presents
as Off. Pete Chandler
1955
7.8
Alfred Hitchcock Presents
as Moran
1955
7.8
Alfred Hitchcock Presents
as Harry Wade
1955
7.8
Alfred Hitchcock Presents
as Phil
1955
7.8
The Kentuckian
as Stan Bodine
1955
5.7
Climax!
as Charlie Mapes
1954
3.3
Atomic Attack
as Dr. Spinelli
1954
6.0
The Oscars
as Self
1953
7.0
General Electric Theater
1953
6.4
General Electric Theater
as Tom Dutton
1953
6.4
🎬
Lux Video Theatre
as Coastguardsman
1950
6.3
🎬
Lux Video Theatre
as Inspector
1950
6.3
🎬
Lux Video Theatre
as Craig
1950
6.3
Robert Montgomery Presents
1950
5.6
Robert Montgomery Presents
as The Bartender
1950
5.6
Suspense
as Lawrence Stevens
1949
4.9
Studio One
as Jacobs
1948
5.0
Studio One
as Olsen
1948
5.0
The Philco Television Playhouse
1948
6.3
The Philco Television Playhouse
as Iago
1948
6.3
The Philco Television Playhouse
as Stuart Benson
1948
6.3
Golden Globe Awards
as Self - Nominee / Presenter
1944
7.2