FlickList
Walter Matthau

Walter Matthau

ActorProducerDirector Oct 1 (died age 79) New York City, New York, USA 1944–2026 (82 year career)
6.2 avg rating

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 fo…

Known For

JFK
Film

JFK

Senator Long
Charade
Film

Charade

Hamilton Bartholemew
Chaplin
Film

Chaplin

Self (archive footage)
The Odd Couple
Film

The Odd Couple

Oscar Madison
Fail Safe
Film

Fail Safe

Prof. Groeteschele
The Taking of Pelham One Two Three
Film

The Taking of Pelham One Two Three

Lt. Garber
Grumpy Old Men
Film

Grumpy Old Men

Max Goldman
Dennis the Menace
Film

Dennis the Menace

George Wilson

Filmography

Acting (123)

·

Movies (97)

Elvis: A Life in Music

Elvis: A Life in Music

2026

as Self (archive footage)

'Fail-Safe' and the Cold War

'Fail-Safe' and the Cold War

2020

as Self (archive footage)

Last of the Independents: Don Siegel and the Making of 'Charley Varrick'

Last of the Independents: Don Siegel and the Making of 'Charley Varrick'

2015

as Self (archive footage)

5.0
Hanging Up

Hanging Up

2000

as Lou Mozell

5.3
Revisiting 'Fail-Safe'

Revisiting 'Fail-Safe'

2000

as Self (archive footage)

The Odd Couple II

The Odd Couple II

1998

as Oscar Madison

6.3
Private Screenings: Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau

Private Screenings: Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau

1998

as Self

The Marriage Fool

The Marriage Fool

1998

as Frank Walsh

7.2
Billy Wilder: The Human Comedy

Billy Wilder: The Human Comedy

1998

as Self

6.0
Out to Sea

Out to Sea

1997

as Charlie Gordon

5.7
Walter Matthau: Diamond in the Rough

Walter Matthau: Diamond in the Rough

1997

as Self

6.5
The Grass Harp

The Grass Harp

1996

as Judge Charlie Cool

5.8
I'm Not Rappaport

I'm Not Rappaport

1996

as Nat Moyer

5.6
Jack Lemmon: America's Everyman

Jack Lemmon: America's Everyman

1996

as Self

7.5
Grumpier Old Men

Grumpier Old Men

1995

as Max Goldman

6.5
The First 100 Years: A Celebration of American Movies

The First 100 Years: A Celebration of American Movies

1995

as Self

7.8
I.Q.

I.Q.

1994

as Albert Einstein

6.0
Incident in a Small Town

Incident in a Small Town

1994

as Harmon Cobb

6.6
Dennis the Menace

Dennis the Menace

1993

as George Wilson

5.9
Grumpy Old Men

Grumpy Old Men

1993

as Max Goldman

6.7
Beyond JFK: The Question of Conspiracy

Beyond JFK: The Question of Conspiracy

1993

as Self

5.6
Laurel and Hardy: A Tribute to the Boys

Laurel and Hardy: A Tribute to the Boys

1992

as Self

6.7
Chaplin

Chaplin

1992

as Self (archive footage)

7.4
How the Grinch Stole Christmas!

How the Grinch Stole Christmas!

1992

as Narrator (voice)

7.3
Against Her Will: An Incident in Baltimore

Against Her Will: An Incident in Baltimore

1992

as Harmon Cobb

5.8
Mrs. Lambert Remembers Love

Mrs. Lambert Remembers Love

1991

as Clifford Pepperman

4.5
JFK

JFK

1991

as Senator Long

7.6
The Incident

The Incident

1990

as Harmon Cobb

6.1
Broadway's Dreamers: The Legacy of the Group Theatre

Broadway's Dreamers: The Legacy of the Group Theatre

1989

as Self (voice)

The Little Devil

The Little Devil

1988

as Padre Maurizio

6.7
The Couch Trip

The Couch Trip

1988

as Donald Becker

5.4
A Beverly Hills Christmas

A Beverly Hills Christmas

1987

as Self

3.5
James Stewart: A Wonderful Life

James Stewart: A Wonderful Life

1987

as Self

6.0
Pirates

Pirates

1986

as Captain Thomas Bartholomew Red

6.3
Kraft Salutes the George Burns 90th Birthday Special

Kraft Salutes the George Burns 90th Birthday Special

1986

as Self

9.0
Movers & Shakers

Movers & Shakers

1985

as Joe Mulholland

3.6
The Stars Salute the U.S. Olympic Team

The Stars Salute the U.S. Olympic Team

1984

as Self - Performer

The Survivors

The Survivors

1983

as Sonny Paluso

5.6
Hollywood: The Gift of Laughter

Hollywood: The Gift of Laughter

1982

as Self

I Ought to Be in Pictures

I Ought to Be in Pictures

1982

as Herbert Tucker

6.5
I Love Liberty

I Love Liberty

1982

as Self

Portrait of a '60% Perfect Man': Billy Wilder

Portrait of a '60% Perfect Man': Billy Wilder

1982

as Self

6.7
First Monday in October

First Monday in October

1981

as Dan Snow

6.1
Buddy Buddy

Buddy Buddy

1981

as Trabucco

6.1
Little Miss Marker

Little Miss Marker

1980

as Sorrowful Jones

6.6
Hopscotch

Hopscotch

1980

as Miles Kendig

7.0
Funny Business

Funny Business

1978

as Self - Host

California Suite

California Suite

1978

as Marvin Michaels

5.8
Actor

Actor

1978

as Boris Thomashevsky

The Stingiest Man in Town

The Stingiest Man in Town

1978

as Ebenezer Scrooge (voice)

5.3
House Calls

House Calls

1978

as Dr. Charley Nichols

6.3
Casey's Shadow

Casey's Shadow

1978

as Lloyd Bourdelle

6.3
The Gentleman Tramp

The Gentleman Tramp

1976

as Self / Narrator

6.6
The Bad News Bears

The Bad News Bears

1976

as Coach Morris Buttermaker

6.9
The Lion Roars Again

The Lion Roars Again

1975

as Self

The Sunshine Boys

The Sunshine Boys

1975

as Willy Clark

6.8
The Taking of Pelham One Two Three

The Taking of Pelham One Two Three

1974

as Lt. Garber

7.4
Earthquake

Earthquake

1974

as Drunk

6.1
The Front Page

The Front Page

1974

as Walter Burns

7.3
Charley Varrick

Charley Varrick

1973

as Charley Varrick

7.4
The Laughing Policeman

The Laughing Policeman

1973

as Sgt. Jake Martin SFPD

6.2
Pete 'n' Tillie

Pete 'n' Tillie

1972

as Pete Seltzer

5.8
Awake and Sing!

Awake and Sing!

1972

as Moe Axelrod

A New Leaf

A New Leaf

1971

as Henry Graham

7.3
Plaza Suite

Plaza Suite

1971

as Sam Nash / Jesse Kiplinger / Roy Hubley

6.1
Kotch

Kotch

1971

as Joseph P. Kotcher

6.5
Hello, Dolly!

Hello, Dolly!

1969

as Horace Vandergelder

7.0
Cactus Flower

Cactus Flower

1969

as Dr. Julian Winston

7.2
Candy

Candy

1968

as Gen. R.A. Smight

5.1
The Odd Couple

The Odd Couple

1968

as Oscar Madison

7.4
Carol Channing and 101 Men

Carol Channing and 101 Men

1968

as Self

The Secret Life of an American Wife

The Secret Life of an American Wife

1968

as The Movie Star

3.0
Jack Benny's Bag

Jack Benny's Bag

1968

as Self

A Guide for the Married Man

A Guide for the Married Man

1967

as Paul Manning

5.8
The Fortune Cookie

The Fortune Cookie

1966

as Willie Gingrich

7.2
Mirage

Mirage

1965

as Ted Caselle

7.0
Fail Safe

Fail Safe

1964

as Prof. Groeteschele

7.8
Goodbye Charlie

Goodbye Charlie

1964

as Leo Sartori

5.8
Ensign Pulver

Ensign Pulver

1964

as Doc

6.6
Charade

Charade

1963

as Hamilton Bartholemew

7.7
Island of Love

Island of Love

1963

as Tony Dallas

5.3
Big Deal in Laredo

Big Deal in Laredo

1962

as Meredith

Who's Got the Action?

Who's Got the Action?

1962

as Tony Gagouts

5.2
Lonely are the Brave

Lonely are the Brave

1962

as Sheriff Morey Johnson

7.4
Strangers When We Meet

Strangers When We Meet

1960

as Felix Anders

6.2
Two by Saroyan: 'Once Around the Block' and 'My Heart's in the Highlands'

Two by Saroyan: 'Once Around the Block' and 'My Heart's in the Highlands'

1960

as Ben Alexander / Philip Judah

Gangster Story

Gangster Story

1959

as Jack Martin

5.0
Ride a Crooked Trail

Ride a Crooked Trail

1958

as Judge Kyle

6.3
King Creole

King Creole

1958

as Maxie Fields

6.4
Onionhead

Onionhead

1958

as 'Red' Wildoe

4.9
Voice in the Mirror

Voice in the Mirror

1958

as Dr. Karnes

5.8
A Face in the Crowd

A Face in the Crowd

1957

as Mel Miller

7.6
Slaughter on 10th Avenue

Slaughter on 10th Avenue

1957

as Al Dahlke

5.4
Bigger Than Life

Bigger Than Life

1956

as Wally Gibbs

7.2
The Kentuckian

The Kentuckian

1955

as Stan Bodine

5.7
The Indian Fighter

The Indian Fighter

1955

as Wes Todd

6.2
Atomic Attack

Atomic Attack

1954

as Dr. Spinelli

6.0