Walter Matthau

Also known as Walter John Matthow, Walter Matthow

American actor, comedian and director (1920–2000)

AI overview

Walter Matthau was an American actor and comedian who had a long career in film and television from the mid-20th century until his death in 2000. He is remembered as a talented performer known for his distinctive comedic style and dramatic roles across numerous popular movies and shows.

AI-generated from the Wikipedia summary — may contain errors.

Person · Open Library

Works: 2

Top works

Once there was a Russian
The bad news Bears

via Open Library + Wikidata

Film & TV

Acting · New York City, New York, USA

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…

Known for

Elvis: A Life in Music — Self (archive footage)2026
'Fail-Safe' and the Cold War — Self (archive footage)2020
Last of the Independents: Don Siegel and the Making of 'Charley Varrick' — Self (archive footage)2015
Hanging Up — Lou Mozell2000
Revisiting 'Fail-Safe' — Self (archive footage)2000
The Odd Couple II — Oscar Madison1998
Billy Wilder: The Human Comedy — Narrator1998
The Marriage Fool — Frank Walsh1998
Private Screenings: Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau — Self1998
Out to Sea — Charlie Gordon1997

via TMDB

Music · MusicBrainz

Type: Person
Gender: Male
Country: United States
Active from: 1920
Active to: 2000

via MusicBrainz · CC0

Listeners · Last.fm

Listeners: 1,379
Total plays: 5,114

Walter John Matthau (October 1, 1920 – July 1, 2000) was an American actor best known for his role as Oscar Madison in The Odd Couple and his frequent collaborations with fellow Odd Couple star Jack Lemmon. Matthau was born in New York City's Lower East Side on October 1, 1920, the son of Jewish immigrants Rose (née Berolsky), who was born in Lithuania and worked in a sweatshop, and Milton (Melos) Matthau, an electrician and peddler who was a native of Kiev. <a href="https://www.last.fm/music/W

via Last.fm · Walter Matthau

Recent publications · Crossref

5 total works indexed

The Iron Cage Revisited: Institutional Isomorphism and Collective Rationality in Organizational Fields
· 1983 · cited 30,371x
A global reference for human genetic variation
· 2015 · cited 17,370x
Global burden of 369 diseases and injuries in 204 countries and territories, 1990–2019: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019
· 2020 · cited 15,328x
The diagnosis of dementia due to Alzheimer's disease: Recommendations from the National Institute on Aging‐Alzheimer's Association workgroups on diagnostic guidelines for Alzheimer's disease
· 2011 · cited 13,248x
A logical calculus of the ideas immanent in nervous activity
· 1943 · cited 13,041x

via Crossref · CC0

Wikidata facts

Official website: matthau.com/walter-matthau
Image: Walter Matthau in Charade 2.jpg
Height: 189

Show 7 more facts

Commons category: Walter Matthau
date of birth: 1920-10-01
date of death: 2000-07-01
Commons gallery: Walter Matthau
start of work period: 1947-00-00
name in native language: Walter Matthau
birth name: Walter John Matthow

Sources (10)

via Wikidata · CC0

~17 min read

Article

Walter John Matthau (né Matthow; /ˈmæθaʊ/ MATH-ow; October 1, 1920 – July 1, 2000) was an American actor, known for his "hangdog face" and for playing world-weary characters. He starred in 10 films alongside his real-life friend Jack Lemmon, including The Odd Couple (1968) and Grumpy Old Men (1993). The New York Times called this "one of Hollywood's most successful pairings". Among other accolades, Matthau won an Academy Award, one BAFTA Award, and two Tony Awards.

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 Leading Actor in a Play in 1965, his second after A Shot in the Dark in 1962. Matthau won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his performance in the Billy Wilder film The Fortune Cookie (1966), with further Best Actor nominations for Kotch (1971) and The Sunshine Boys (1975). He gained further recognition for his portrayal of the coach of a hapless little league team in the baseball comedy The Bad News Bears (1976).