Walter Matthau
Known for Acting · 123 credits
- Born
- 1920-10-01
- Died
- 2000-07-01
- Place of birth
- New York City, New York, USA
- Also known as
- Walter Matuschanskayasky · Walter John Matthau · والتر ماتائو
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
TV Shows (26)
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson
1962
as Self
Saturday Night Live
1975
as Self - Host
The Mike Douglas Show
1961
as Self
Golden Globe Awards
1944
as Self - Nominee / Presenter
Great Performances
1971
as Self
Tony Awards
1956
as Self - Host
Climax!
1954
as Charlie Mapes
Robert Montgomery Presents
1950
as The Bartender
The Merv Griffin Show
1962
as Self
The Philco Television Playhouse
1948
as Iago / Stuart Benson
Dr. Kildare
1961
as Franklin Gaer
Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre
1963
as Tom Gregory
Naked City
1958
as Peter Kanopolis / Dr. Max Lewine
Studio One
1948
as Jacobs / Olsen
The Dick Cavett Show
1968
as Self - Guest
Route 66
1960
The Oscars
1953
as Self
Film '72
1971
as Self
Alfred Hitchcock Presents
1955
as Off. Pete Chandler / Moran / Harry Wade / Phil
Suspense
1949
as Lawrence Stevens
Lux Video Theatre
1950
as Coastguardsman / Inspector / Craig
Target: The Corruptors!
1961
The American Film Institute Salute to ...
1973
as Self
Profiles in Courage
1964
as Gov. John Slaton / Andrew Johnson
Tallahassee 7000
1961
as Lex Rogers
General Electric Theater
1953
as Tom Dutton
Movies (97)
Dennis the Menace
1993
as Mr. Wilson
Charade
1963
as Hamilton Bartholemew
Candy
1968
as Gen. R.A. Smight
JFK
1991
as Senator Long
Earthquake
1974
as Drunk
Chaplin
1992
as Self (archive footage)
Grumpy Old Men
1993
as Max Goldman
The Taking of Pelham One Two Three
1974
as Lt. Garber
Fail Safe
1964
as Prof. Groeteschele
Grumpier Old Men
1995
as Max Goldman
Cactus Flower
1969
as Dr. Julian Winston
Mirage
1965
as Ted Caselle
Hello, Dolly!
1969
as Horace Vandergelder
The Bad News Bears
1976
as Coach Morris Buttermaker
The Odd Couple
1968
as Oscar Madison
I.Q.
1994
as Albert Einstein
California Suite
1978
as Marvin Michaels
Hanging Up
2000
as Lou Mozell
A Guide for the Married Man
1967
as Paul Manning
The Front Page
1974
as Walter Burns
Lonely are the Brave
1962
as Sheriff Morey Johnson
Pirates
1986
as Captain Thomas Bartholomew Red
The Kentuckian
1955
as Stan Bodine
Plaza Suite
1971
as Sam Nash / Jesse Kiplinger / Roy Hubley
Charley Varrick
1973
as Charley Varrick
Broadway's Dreamers: The Legacy of the Group Theatre
1989
as Self (voice)
Out to Sea
1997
as Charlie Gordon
The Odd Couple II
1998
as Oscar Madison
James Stewart: A Wonderful Life
1987
as Self
The Couch Trip
1988
as Donald Becker
The Sunshine Boys
1975
as Willy Clark
Buddy Buddy
1981
as Trabucco
The First 100 Years: A Celebration of American Movies
1995
as Self
A Face in the Crowd
1957
as Mel Miller
Actor
1978
as Boris Thomashevsky
The Indian Fighter
1955
as Wes Todd
The Marriage Fool
1998
as Frank Walsh
Who's Got the Action?
1962
as Tony Gagouts
Beyond JFK: The Question of Conspiracy
1993
as Self
Hopscotch
1980
as Miles Kendig
The Little Devil
1988
as Padre Maurizio
The Grass Harp
1996
as Judge Charlie Cool
The Survivors
1983
as Sonny Paluso
Bigger Than Life
1956
as Wally Gibbs
Little Miss Marker
1980
as Sorrowful Jones
House Calls
1978
as Dr. Charley Nichols
The Fortune Cookie
1966
as Willie Gingrich
The Stingiest Man in Town
1978
as Ebenezer Scrooge (voice)
King Creole
1958
as Maxie Fields
Kraft Salutes the George Burns 90th Birthday Special
1986
as Self
Ensign Pulver
1964
as Doc
A New Leaf
1971
as Henry Graham
Strangers When We Meet
1960
as Felix Anders
Onionhead
1958
as 'Red' Wildoe
Goodbye Charlie
1964
as Leo Sartori
Movers & Shakers
1985
as Joe Mulholland
Incident in a Small Town
1994
as Harmon Cobb
Gangster Story
1959
as Jack Martin
I Love Liberty
1982
as Self
Pete 'n' Tillie
1972
as Pete Seltzer
The Laughing Policeman
1973
as Sgt. Jake Martin SFPD
Kotch
1971
as Joseph P. Kotcher
First Monday in October
1981
as Dan Snow
The Lion Roars Again
1975
as Self
Ride a Crooked Trail
1958
as Judge Kyle
Walter Matthau: Diamond in the Rough
1997
as Self
Mrs. Lambert Remembers Love
1991
as Clifford Pepperman
The Gentleman Tramp
1976
as Self / Narrator
Casey's Shadow
1978
as Lloyd Bourdelle
I'm Not Rappaport
1996
as Nat Moyer
Atomic Attack
1954
as Dr. Spinelli
Billy Wilder: The Human Comedy
1998
as Narrator
Laurel and Hardy: A Tribute to the Boys
1992
as Self
Slaughter on 10th Avenue
1957
as Al Dahlke
Carol Channing and 101 Men
1968
as Self
Revisiting 'Fail-Safe'
2000
as Self (archive footage)
Against Her Will: An Incident in Baltimore
1992
as Harmon Cobb
Big Deal in Laredo
1962
as Meredith
Island of Love
1963
as Tony Dallas
The Incident
1990
as Harmon Cobb
Jack Benny's Bag
1968
as Self
Last of the Independents: Don Siegel and the Making of 'Charley Varrick'
2015
as Self (archive footage)
'Fail-Safe' and the Cold War
2020
as Self (archive footage)
Elvis: A Life in Music
2026
as Self (archive footage)
Awake and Sing!
1972
as Moe Axelrod
Voice in the Mirror
1958
as Dr. Karnes
The Secret Life of an American Wife
1968
as The Movie Star
Two by Saroyan: 'Once Around the Block' and 'My Heart's in the Highlands'
1960
as Ben Alexander / Philip Judah
Jack Lemmon: America's Everyman
1996
as Self
I Ought to Be in Pictures
1982
as Herbert Tucker
The Stars Salute the U.S. Olympic Team
1984
as Self - Performer
Private Screenings: Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau
1998
as Self
Hollywood: The Gift of Laughter
1982
as Self
A Beverly Hills Christmas
1987
as Self
Funny Business
1978
as Self - Host
Portrait of a '60% Perfect Man': Billy Wilder
1982
as Self
How the Grinch Stole Christmas!
1992
as Narrator (voice)
About Walter Matthau
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 For… With 123 credits spanning from 1944 to 2026, Walter Matthau has appeared in 97 films and 26 TV shows.
Fans searching for Walter Matthau movies, Walter Matthau filmography, or the latest projects starring Walter Matthau can stream many of these titles on Bowood.TV, free and in HD, with no subscription required.
Most Popular Walter Matthau Movies
- Dennis the Menace (1993) — as Mr. Wilson
- Charade (1963) — as Hamilton Bartholemew
- Candy (1968) — as Gen. R.A. Smight
- JFK (1991) — as Senator Long
- Earthquake (1974) — as Drunk
Where to Watch Walter Matthau Films
Most Walter Matthau movies and series are available to stream on Bowood.TV in full HD, completely free and without signup. Browse the complete filmography above to jump directly to any title. For more films and the latest web series featuring Walter Matthau, check our movies catalogue and browse page.