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M. Emmet Walsh
Highest Rated: 100% The Music of Chance (1993)
Lowest Rated: Not Available
Birthday: Mar 22, 1935
Birthplace: Ogdensburg, New York, USA
Arguably one of the best character actors of the 20th century, M. Emmet Walsh delivered consistently nuanced and believable turns in a wide and storied body of work on film, ranging from "Straight Time" (1978) and "The Jerk" (1979) to "Ordinary People" (1980), "Blood Simple" (1985), "Clean and Sober" (1988) and "A Time to Kill" (1996). Effortlessly versatile in all manner of roles, Walsh could be convincingly funny in broad comic turns, as well as chilling in cold-blooded roles like his star-making turn as a vicious private eye in "Blood Simple." Over the course of four decades in the business, Walsh escalated from familiar face to scene-stealer and, on more than one occasion, a film's saving grace. Audiences simply accepted that Walsh was telling the truth whenever he appeared on screen, which elevated him to the pantheon of much-loved character performer, a status that he proved over and over in over 150 films.
Photos
Filmography
Movies
| Credit | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 44% | 88% | Outlaw Posse | Catfish (Character) | - | 2024 |
| 40% | 75% | Dotty & Soul | Harold Eichelbaum (Character) | - | 2022 |
| 28% | 66% | The Immaculate Room | Unknown (Character) | - | 2022 |
| 58% | 65% | The Mimic | Director (Character) | - | 2020 |
| 71% | 80% | Raising Buchanan | Larry Kiesling (Character) | - | 2019 |
| 80% | 81% | Faith, Hope & Love | Fr. John (Character) | $210.0K | 2019 |
| No Score Yet | No Score Yet | South of Bix | Grandpa (Voice) | - | 2019 |
| 13% | 48% | Change in the Air | Walter Lemke (Character) | - | 2018 |
| No Score Yet | 97% | Shifting Gears | Hank (Character) | - | 2018 |
| No Score Yet | 86% | Boiling Pot | Dean Marison (Character) | - | 2014 |
| 89% | 80% | Calvary | Old Man (Character) | $3.6M | 2014 |
| No Score Yet | 42% | Love Sick Love | Ed (Character) | - | 2012 |
| 36% | 67% | The Odd Life of Timothy Green | Uncle Bub (Character) | $51.9M | 2012 |
| No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Cursed Be the Day | Director | - | 2011 |
| No Score Yet | 62% | Chasing 3000 | Chuck Ireland (Character) | - | 2010 |
| No Score Yet | No Score Yet | The Assignment | Mr. Beudreaux (Character) | - | 2010 |
| No Score Yet | 60% | Sam Steele and the Junior Detective Agency | Chief Van Owen (Character) | - | 2009 |
| 38% | 23% | Don McKay | Samuel (Character) | - | 2009 |
| No Score Yet | 4% | Haunted Echoes | Neil (Character) | - | 2008 |
| 33% | 22% | Sherman's Way | Hoyt (Character) | $9.6K | 2008 |
| No Score Yet | 27% | Your Name Here | Kroger (Character) | - | 2008 |
| 49% | 68% | Man in the Chair | Mickey Hopkins (Character) | - | 2007 |
| 11% | 45% | Big Stan | Lew Popper (Character) | - | 2007 |
| 35% | 42% | Racing Stripes | Woodzie (Character) | $49.2M | 2005 |
| No Score Yet | 64% | Greener Mountains | Muggs (Character) | - | 2004 |
| 5% | 39% | Christmas With the Kranks | Walt Scheel (Character) | $73.7M | 2004 |
| 26% | 40% | Snow Dogs | George (Character) | $81.2M | 2002 |
| 69% | 64% | Christmas in the Clouds | Stu O'Malley (Character) | $78.3K | 2001 |
| 60% | 31% | Poor White Trash | Judge Pike (Character) | $3.5K | 2000 |
| No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Eyeball Eddie | Coach Cook (Character) | - | 2000 |
| 96% | 90% | The Iron Giant | Earl Stutz (Voice) | - | 1999 |
| 16% | 28% | Wild Wild West | Coleman, Train Engineer (Character) | $113.8M | 1999 |
| No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Monster! | Lloyd (Character) | - | 1999 |
| No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Jack of Hearts | Commissioner Menlo Boyce (Character) | - | 1999 |
| No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Baggage | Unknown (Character) | - | 1999 |
| No Score Yet | 53% | Me & Will | Dean (Character) | - | 1998 |
| 11% | 20% | Chairman of the Board | Freemont (Character) | $306.7K | 1998 |
| 61% | 31% | Twilight | Lester Ivar (Character) | $15.0M | 1998 |
| No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Erasable You | Ralph Worth (Character) | - | 1998 |
| No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Nightmare in Big Sky Country | Marshal Phillips (Character) | - | 1998 |
| No Score Yet | 60% | The Killing Jar | Sheriff Foley (Character) | - | 1997 |
| 57% | 47% | Retroactive | Sam (Character) | - | 1997 |
| 74% | 73% | My Best Friend's Wedding | Joe O'Neal (Character) | $126.8M | 1997 |
| No Score Yet | 50% | Portraits of Innocence | Raymond Garrison (Character) | - | 1996 |
| 50% | 42% | Albino Alligator | Dino (Character) | $326.3K | 1996 |
| 67% | 85% | A Time to Kill | Dr. Willard Tyrell Bass (Character) | $108.7M | 1996 |
| 74% | 77% | William Shakespeare's Romeo & Juliet | Apothecary (Character) | $46.4M | 1996 |
| No Score Yet | 46% | The Lottery | Chief Davis (Character) | - | 1996 |
| No Score Yet | 41% | From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler | Morris (Character) | - | 1995 |
| 50% | 42% | Free Willy 2: The Adventure Home | Wilcox (Character) | $28.0M | 1995 |
| No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Criminal Hearts | Martin (Character) | - | 1995 |
| 25% | 75% | Panther | Dorsett (Character) | $6.3M | 1995 |
| 68% | 40% | The Glass Shield | Hal (Character) | $2.5M | 1994 |
| No Score Yet | 70% | Relative Fear | Earl Ladelle (Character) | - | 1994 |
| No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Dead Badge | Sergeant Miller Hoskins (Character) | - | 1994 |
| No Score Yet | 26% | Bitter Harvest | Sheriff Bob (Character) | - | 1993 |
| 33% | 41% | Equinox | Pete Petosa (Character) | - | 1993 |
| 25% | 55% | Wilder Napalm | Fire Chief (Character) | $56.2K | 1993 |
| 100% | 87% | The Music of Chance | Calvin Murks (Character) | - | 1993 |
| No Score Yet | 17% | Killer Image | John Kane (Character) | - | 1992 |
| 44% | 41% | White Sands | Bert Gibson (Character) | $8.2M | 1992 |
| No Score Yet | 11% | Four Eyes and Six-Guns | Unknown (Character) | - | 1992 |
| No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Deadly Identity | Harry (Character) | - | 1991 |
| No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Fourth Story | Harry (Character) | - | 1991 |
| No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Love and Lies | Clyde Wilson (Character) | - | 1990 |
| No Score Yet | 85% | The Flash | Henry Allen (Character) | - | 1990 |
| 63% | 51% | Narrow Margin | Sergeant Dominick Benti (Character) | $10.1M | 1990 |
| No Score Yet | 78% | Catch Me if You Can | Johnny Phatmun (Character) | - | 1989 |
| No Score Yet | 53% | Sundown: The Vampire in Retreat | Mort (Character) | - | 1989 |
| 17% | 36% | Red Scorpion | Dewey Ferguson (Character) | $3.5M | 1989 |
| 11% | 51% | Chattahoochee | Morris (Character) | $17.5K | 1989 |
| 89% | 48% | The Mighty Quinn | Fred Miller (Character) | $4.0M | 1989 |
| 0% | 77% | War Party | Colin Ditweiler (Character) | $299.3K | 1989 |
| No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Brotherhood of the Rose | Hardy (Character) | - | 1989 |
| No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Thunderground | Wedge (Character) | - | 1989 |
| 61% | 74% | The Milagro Beanfield War | Governor (Character) | $12.7M | 1988 |
| 53% | 62% | Clean and Sober | Richard Dirks (Character) | $8.6M | 1988 |
| 21% | 29% | Sunset | Chief Marvin Dibner (Character) | $3.4M | 1988 |
| No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Broken Vows | Detective Mulligan (Character) | - | 1987 |
| 50% | 61% | No Man's Land | Capt. Haun (Character) | $1.1M | 1987 |
| 91% | 85% | Raising Arizona | Machine Shop Ear-Bender (Character) | $21.1M | 1987 |
| No Score Yet | No Score Yet | The Abduction of Kari Swenson | Don Nichols (Character) | - | 1987 |
| No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Murder Ordained | Vern Humphrey (Character) | - | 1987 |
| 50% | 45% | Critters | Harv (Character) | $11.3M | 1986 |
| 29% | 43% | The Best of Times | Charlie (Character) | $5.8M | 1986 |
| 87% | 68% | Back to School | Coach Turnbull (Character) | $89.2M | 1986 |
| 26% | 50% | Wildcats | Walt Coes (Character) | $23.6M | 1986 |
| No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Hero in the Family | General Presser (Character) | - | 1986 |
| 78% | 81% | Fletch | Dr. Joseph Dolan (Character) | - | 1985 |
| No Score Yet | 58% | Raw Courage | Col. Crouse (Character) | - | 1984 |
| 77% | 74% | The Pope of Greenwich Village | Burns (Character) | - | 1984 |
| 19% | 43% | Missing in Action | Tuck (Character) | - | 1984 |
| 94% | 88% | Blood Simple | Private Detective (Character) | $1.7M | 1984 |
| No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Scandalous | Simon Reynolds (Character) | - | 1984 |
| No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Night Partners | Joe Kirby (Character) | - | 1983 |
| 76% | 79% | Silkwood | Walt Yarborough (Character) | - | 1983 |
| 80% | 63% | The Escape Artist | Fritz (Character) | - | 1982 |
| 94% | 90% | Blade Runner: The Final Cut | Captain Bryant (Character) | - | 1982 |
| 89% | 91% | Blade Runner | Captain Bryant (Character) | $3.9M | 1982 |
| 75% | 71% | Cannery Row | Mack (Character) | - | 1982 |
| 40% | 34% | Back Roads | Arthur (Character) | - | 1981 |
| No Score Yet | 40% | High Noon, Part II: The Return of Will Kane | Harold Patton (Character) | - | 1980 |
| 38% | 28% | Raise the Titanic | Master Chief Vinnie Walker (Character) | - | 1980 |
| 89% | 88% | Ordinary People | Coach Salan (Character) | - | 1980 |
| No Score Yet | No Score Yet | City in Fear | Sheldon Lewis (Character) | - | 1980 |
| No Score Yet | No Score Yet | No Other Love | DeFranco (Character) | - | 1979 |
| 82% | 84% | The Jerk | Madman (Character) | - | 1979 |
| No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Dear Detective | Unknown (Character) | - | 1979 |
| No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Superdome | Whitley (Character) | - | 1978 |
| 83% | 83% | Straight Time | Earl Frank (Character) | - | 1978 |
| No Score Yet | No Score Yet | A Question of Guilt | Inspector McCartney (Character) | - | 1978 |
| 40% | 32% | Airport '77 | Dr. Williams (Character) | - | 1977 |
| 85% | 88% | Slap Shot | Dickie Dunn (Character) | - | 1977 |
| No Score Yet | 14% | Red Alert | Sheriff Sweeney (Character) | - | 1977 |
| No Score Yet | No Score Yet | The Invasion of Johnson County | Irvine (Character) | - | 1976 |
| 88% | 79% | Mikey and Nicky | Bus Driver (Character) | - | 1976 |
| 7% | 48% | Nickelodeon | 'Father' Logan (Character) | - | 1976 |
| No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Sarah T.: Portrait of a Teenage Alcoholic | Mr. Peterson (Character) | - | 1975 |
| 22% | 40% | At Long Last Love | Harold (Character) | - | 1975 |
| No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Crime Club | Lieutenant Jack Doyle (Character) | - | 1975 |
| 82% | 77% | The Gambler | Las Vegas gambler (Character) | - | 1974 |
| 93% | 88% | Serpico | Chief Gallagher (Character) | - | 1973 |
| 89% | 88% | What's Up, Doc? | Arresting Officer (Character) | - | 1972 |
| 76% | 53% | Escape From the Planet of the Apes | General Winthrop's Aide (Character) | - | 1971 |
| No Score Yet | No Score Yet | The Traveling Executioner | Warden Brodski (Character) | - | 1970 |
| No Score Yet | 31% | End of the Road |
Crab Man/ |
- | 1970 |
TV
| Credit | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 100% | 94% | Adventure Time | Cosmic Owl (Guest Voice) | 2012-2015 |
| No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Tim & Eric's Bedtime Stories | Unknown (Guest Star) | 2014 |
| No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Army Wives | Bernie Wallacheck (Guest Star) | 2012 |
| No Score Yet | 75% | 'Til Death | Unknown (Guest Star) | 2010 |
| No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Charlie Lawrence | Unknown (Guest Star) | 2003 |
| 95% | 94% | Frasier | Rich Koechner (Guest Star) | 2001 |
| No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Night Visions | Unknown (Character) | 2001 |
| No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Big Guy and Rusty the Boy Robot | Unknown (Voice) | 1999 2001 |
| No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Ed | Unknown (Guest Star) | 2000 |
| 50% | No Score Yet | Gideon's Crossing | Unknown (Guest Star) | 2000 |
| 83% | 93% | NYPD Blue | Joe Kroft (Guest Star) | 2000 |
| 74% | 85% | The X-Files | Arthur Dales (Guest Star) | 1999 |
| No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Early Edition | Unknown (Guest Star) | 1996 |
| No Score Yet | No Score Yet | The Outer Limits | Sanford Vallé (Character) | 1996 |
| No Score Yet | 68% | Home Improvement | Unknown (Guest Star) | 1994 |
| 82% | 97% | Tales From the Crypt | Unknown (Character) | 1989 |
| No Score Yet | 82% | Amazing Stories | Unknown (Character) | 1986 |
| No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Little House on the Prairie | Callahan (Guest Star) | 1981 |
| No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Starsky and Hutch | Unknown (Guest Star) | 1976 1978 |
| No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Gibbsville | Unknown (Guest Star) | 1976 |
| No Score Yet | No Score Yet | The Waltons | Unknown (Guest Star) | 1975 |
| No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Funny Face | Alex Lembeck (Character) | 1972 |
| No Score Yet | No Score Yet | The Bob Newhart Show | Jack Hoover (Guest Star) | 1972 |
| No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Bonanza | Unknown (Guest Star) | 1971 |