Editing Walter Matthau

{{short description|American actor (1920–2000)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=May 2022}}
{{Infobox person
| name          = Walter Matthau
| image         = Walter Matthau - 1952.jpg
| caption       = Matthau in 1952
| birth_name    = Walter John Matthow
| birth_date    = {{Birth date|1920|10|01|mf=y}}
| birth_place   = [[New York City]], U.S.
| death_date    = {{Death date and age|2000|07|01|1920|10|01|mf=yes}}
| death_place   = {{nowrap|[[Santa Monica, California]], U.S.}}
| resting_place = [[Westwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery]]
| education     = [[Seward Park High School]]
| alma_mater    = 
| other_names   = Walter Matuschanskayasky
| occupation    = {{hlist|Actor|comedian|director}}
| years_active  = 1948–2000
| notable_works = [[List of Walter Matthau performances|Full list]]
| spouse        = {{plainlist|
*{{marriage|Grace Geraldine Johnson|1948|1959|end=divorced}}
*{{marriage|[[Carol Grace|Carol Marcus]]|1959|<!--As marriage ended by death of Matthau, not by death of his spouse, the year 2000 is omitted here. See instructions on [[Template:Marriage]] for more info-->}}}}
| children      = 3, including [[Charles Matthau|Charles]]
| parents       = 
| relatives = [[Aram Saroyan]] (step-son)<br>[[Lucy Saroyan]] (step-daughter)
| awards        = {{see below|{{slink||Awards and nominations}}}}
| website       = 
| module        = {{Infobox military person|embed=yes
   | branch        = [[United States Army Air Forces]] 
   | serviceyears  = 1942&ndash;1945
   | rank          = [[Staff sergeant (U.S. Army)|Staff sergeant]]
   | unit          = {{plainlist|
* [[Eighth Air Force]]
* [[453rd Bombardment Group]]
}}
   | battles       = {{tree list}}
* [[World War II]]
** [[Battle of the Bulge]]{{tree list/end}}
   | awards        = {{indented plainlist|
* [[Air Medal]]
* [[Good Conduct Medal (United States)|Army Good Conduct Medal]]
* [[American Campaign Medal]]
* [[European–African–Middle Eastern Campaign Medal]]
* [[World War II Victory Medal]]
}}
}}
}}
'''Walter John Matthau''' ({{né}} '''Matthow'''; {{IPAc-en|ˈ|m|æ|θ|aʊ}} {{respell|MATH|ow}};<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20150513184937/http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/us/definition/american_english/Matthau-Walter Matthau, Walter - Oxford Dictionaries]</ref> October 1, 1920 – July 1, 2000) was an American actor, known for his "hangdog face" and for playing world-weary characters.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2020-10-01 |title=Walter Matthau: 10 essential films |url=https://www.bfi.org.uk/lists/walter-matthau-10-essential-films |access-date=2024-07-25 |website=BFI |language=en}}</ref> He starred in 10 films alongside his real-life friend [[Jack Lemmon]], including ''[[The Odd Couple (film)|The Odd Couple]]'' (1968) and [[Grumpy Old Men (film)|''Grumpy Old Men'']] (1993). ''[[The New York Times]]'' called this "one of Hollywood's most successful pairings".<ref>{{Cite news |date=2001-06-28 |title=Lemmon and Matthau: One of Hollywood's Most Successful Pairings |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2001/06/28/obituaries/lemmon-and-matthau-one-of-hollywoods-most-successful-pairings.html |access-date=2021-12-07 |work=The New York Times |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331 |agency=Associated Press}}</ref> Among other accolades, he was an [[Academy Awards|Academy Award]], a two-time [[British Academy Film Awards|BAFTA Award]], and two-time [[Tony Awards|Tony Award]] winner.

On [[Broadway theatre|Broadway]], Matthau originated the role of [[The Odd Couple (play)#Characters|Oscar Madison]] in ''[[The Odd Couple (play)|The Odd Couple]]'' by playwright [[Neil Simon]], for which he received a [[Tony Award for Best Actor in a Play|Tony Award for Best Leading Actor in a Play]] in 1965, his second after ''[[L'Idiote|A Shot in the Dark]]'' in 1962. He won the [[Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor]] for his performance in the [[Billy Wilder]] film ''[[The Fortune Cookie]]'' (1966), with further [[Academy Award for Best Actor|Best Actor]] nominations for ''[[Kotch]]'' (1971) and [[The Sunshine Boys (1975 film)|''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).

Matthau is also known for his performances in [[Elia Kazan]]'s ''[[A Face in the Crowd (film)|A Face in the Crowd]]'' (1957), the [[Elvis Presley]] vehicle ''[[King Creole]]'' (1958), [[Stanley Donen]]'s romance ''[[Charade (1963 film)|Charade]]'' (1963), ''[[Fail Safe (1964 film)|Fail Safe]]'' (1964), [[Gene Kelly]]'s musical ''[[Hello, Dolly! (film)|Hello, Dolly!]]'' (1969), [[Elaine May]]'s screwball comedy ''[[A New Leaf (film)|A New Leaf]]'' (1971) and [[Herbert Ross]]'s ensemble comedy ''[[California Suite (film)|California Suite]]'' (1978). He also starred in ''[[Plaza Suite (film)|Plaza Suite]]'' (1971), ''[[Charley Varrick]]'' (1973), ''[[The Taking of Pelham One Two Three (1974 film)|The Taking of Pelham One Two Three]]'' (1974), ''[[The Sunshine Boys (1975 film)|The Sunshine Boys]]'' (1975), ''[[House Calls (1978 film)|House Calls]]'' (1978), ''[[Hopscotch (film)|Hopscotch]]'' (1980) and ''[[Dennis the Menace (1993 film)|Dennis the Menace]]'' (1993).

In 1982, he received a star on the [[Hollywood Walk of Fame]].

==Early life==
[[File:Walter Matthau USAF.png|thumb|120px|left|Staff Sergeant Walter John Matthau]]
Matthau was born Walter John Matthow<ref name=bup>{{Cite book|last=Edelman|first=Rob|author2=Audrey E. Kupferberg|title=Matthau: a life|publisher=Taylor Trade Publishing|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_-jwSzbgpWgC|location=Lanham, Maryland|year=2002|page=4|isbn=0-87833-274-X}}</ref><ref name=eca>{{Cite book|last=Wright|first=Stuart J.|title=An emotional gauntlet: from life in peacetime America to the war in European skies|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=SKY_YI3YtQEC&q=walter+matthow| publisher=Terrace Books|year=2004|page=179|isbn=0-299-20520-7}}</ref> on October 1, 1920, in New York City's [[Lower East Side]]. He had two brothers, one older and one younger.{{Citation needed |date=September 2023}}

His parents were [[Jewish]]; his mother, Rose ({{nee}} Berolsky or Beransky), was a [[Lithuanian Jews|Lithuanian immigrant]] who worked in a garment factory, and his father, Milton Matuschansky, was a [[History of the Jews in Ukraine|Ukrainian]] peddler and electrician from [[Kyiv]]. They married in New York in 1917.<ref name=stone>{{cite news|last=Stone|first=Judy|date=September 8, 1968|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1968/09/08/archives/matthau-a-sex-symbol-or-a-jewish-mother.html| title=Matthau – A Sex Symbol Or a Jewish Mother?|work=[[The New York Times]]|access-date=February 3, 2014}}subscription required</ref><ref name=gussow>{{cite news|last=Gussow|first= Mel|date=July 2, 2000|url=https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9800E4D81539F931A35754C0A9669C8B63&sec=&spon=&pagewanted=2|title=Walter Matthau, 79, Rumpled Star and Comic Icon, Dies|work=The New York Times|access-date=February 3, 2014}}</ref>

A ''[[New York Times]]'' interview described his early years: "When Matthau was 3 years old, and his older brother, Henry, was 5, his father…lit out for parts unknown, leaving him and his brother to be raised by their mother….In 1935…Matthau learned of his father’s death in Bellvue Hospital….During his childhood, Matthau…lived in a succession of cold-water [[tenement]] apartments in the Ukrainian area of the Lower East Side…being forced to vacate each apartment after only a few months because they’d got so hopelessly far behind in the rent that their landlord would have them evicted….Matthau…hasn’t the slightest nostalgia these days for his poverty-ridden childhood, ‘It was a nightmare—a dreadful, horrible, stinking nightmare,’ he grimly remembers.”<ref> Meehan, Thomas. “What the OTB Bettor Can Learn  from Walter Matthau.” New York Times, 4 July 1971, SM4.</ref>

As part of a lifelong love of practical jokes, Matthau created the rumors that his middle name was ''Foghorn'' and his last name was originally ''Matuschanskayasky'' (under which he is credited for a cameo role in the film ''[[Earthquake (1974 film)|Earthquake]]'').<ref name=snopes>{{cite web|title=Walter Matthau|url=http://www.snopes.com/movies/actors/matthau.asp|website=Snopes.com|date=October 19, 2005|access-date=February 3, 2014}}</ref>

As a young boy, Matthau attended a Jewish non-profit sleepaway camp, Tranquillity Camp, where he began acting in the shows that the camp staged on Saturday nights. He also attended Surprise Lake Camp. His high school was [[Seward Park High School]].<ref name=seward>{{cite web|url=https://sewardparkhs.com/yesterday/#alumni|publisher=Seward Park High School Alumni Association|title=Famous Alumni|access-date=March 29, 2021}}</ref> He acted in several [[Yiddish theater]] productions and worked for a short time as a concession stand cashier in the [[Yiddish Theatre District]].<ref name="nytimes1">{{cite news |last=Cofone |first=Annie |url=http://localeastvillage.com/2012/06/08/stepping-back-into-the-golden-age-of-yiddish-theater/ |title=Strolling Back Into the Golden Age of Yiddish Theater |work=The Local – East Village |date=June 8, 2012|access-date=February 3, 2014}}</ref><ref>https://scholar.lib.vt.edu/VA-news/ROA-Times/issues/1997/rt9701/970103/01030022.htm</ref>

==World War II==
During [[World War II]], Matthau saw active service as a radioman-gunner on a [[Consolidated B-24 Liberator]] bomber in the [[United States Army Air Forces|U.S. Army Air Forces]] with the [[Eighth Air Force]] in England. He was with the same [[453rd Operations Group|453rd Bombardment Group]] as [[James Stewart]]. While based in England at [[RAF Old Buckenham]], [[Norfolk]], he flew missions to continental Europe during the [[Battle of the Bulge]]. He ended the war with the rank of [[Staff Sergeant]] and returned home to America for demobilization at the war's end, intent on pursuing a career as an [[actor]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/1346306/Walter-Matthau.html|title=Walter Matthau|access-date=September 21, 2017|newspaper=The Telegraph|date=July 3, 2000}}</ref>

==Acting career==
===Early work===
Matthau was trained in acting at the [[Dramatic Workshop]] of [[The New School]] with German director [[Erwin Piscator]]. He often joked that his best early review came in a play where he posed as a derelict. One reviewer said, "The others just looked like actors in make-up, Walter Matthau really looks like a [[skid row]] bum!" Matthau was a respected [[theatre|stage]] actor for years in such fare as ''[[Will Success Spoil Rock Hunter? (play)|Will Success Spoil Rock Hunter?]]'' and ''[[L'Idiote|A Shot in the Dark]]'', for his performance in the latter winning the [[16th Tony Awards|1962]] [[Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Play]].<ref name="ibdb"/>

[[File:Walter Matthau in Charade 2.jpg|thumb|left|Matthau in ''[[Charade (1963 film)|Charade]]'', 1963]]
Matthau appeared in the pilot of ''[[Mister Peepers]]'' (1952) with [[Wally Cox]]. For reasons unknown, he used the name Leonard Elliot. His role was of the gym teacher Mr. Wall. He made his motion picture debut as a whip-wielding bad guy in ''[[The Kentuckian (1955 film)|The Kentuckian]]'' (1955) opposite [[Burt Lancaster]]. He played a villain in ''[[King Creole]]'' (1958), in which he gets beaten up by [[Elvis Presley]]. Around the same time, he made ''[[Ride a Crooked Trail]]'' with [[Audie Murphy]], and ''[[Onionhead]]'' (both 1958) starring [[Andy Griffith]]; the latter a box-office flop. Matthau and Griffith appeared previously in the critical and box-office hit ''[[A Face in the Crowd (film)|A Face in the Crowd]]'' (1957), directed by [[Elia Kazan]]. Matthau appeared with [[James Mason]] in ''[[Bigger Than Life]]'' (1956), directed by [[Nicholas Ray]]. Matthau directed a low-budget film called ''The Gangster Story'' (1960) and played a sympathetic sheriff in ''[[Lonely Are the Brave]]'' (1962), which starred [[Kirk Douglas]]. He appeared in the [[Cary Grant]]-[[Audrey Hepburn]] crime thriller ''[[Charade (1963 film)|Charade]]'' (1963).

On [[television]], he appeared twice on ''[[Naked City (TV series)|Naked City]]'', as well as in four installments of ''[[Alfred Hitchcock Presents]]''. He appeared eight times between 1962 and 1964 on ''[[The DuPont Show of the Week]]'' and as Franklin Gaer in an episode of ''[[Dr. Kildare (TV series)|Dr. Kildare]]'' ("Man Is a Rock", 1964).

===1960s===
[[File:Walter Matthau Art Carney The Odd Couple Broadway 1965.JPG|thumb|Matthau and [[Art Carney]] in ''[[The Odd Couple (play)|The Odd Couple]]'', 1965]]
Comedies were rare in Matthau's work at that time. He was cast in a number of stark dramas, such as ''[[Fail Safe (1964 film)|Fail Safe]]'' (1964), in which he portrayed Pentagon adviser Dr. Groeteschele, who urges an all-out nuclear attack on the [[Soviet Union]] in response to an accidental transmission of an attack signal to U.S. Air Force bombers. [[Neil Simon]] cast him in the [[stage play|play]] ''[[The Odd Couple (play)|The Odd Couple]]'' in 1965, with Matthau playing slovenly sportswriter Oscar Madison, opposite [[Art Carney]] as Felix Ungar.<ref name="ibdb">{{IBDB name|68261}}</ref> Matthau reprised the role in the [[The Odd Couple (film)|film version]], with [[Jack Lemmon]] as Felix Unger. He played detective Ted Casselle in the Hitchcockian thriller ''[[Mirage (1965 film)|Mirage]]'' (1965), directed by [[Edward Dmytryk]].

He achieved great success in the comedy film ''[[The Fortune Cookie]]'' (1966) as [[shyster]] lawyer William H. "Whiplash Willie" Gingrich, starring yet again opposite Lemmon; the first of many [[collaboration]]s with [[Billy Wilder]], and a role that would earn him an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor. Filming had to be placed on a five-month hiatus after Matthau had a serious [[myocardial infarction|heart attack]]. He gave up his three-pack-a-day smoking habit as a result.<ref name="theguardian.com">[https://www.theguardian.com/film/2000/jul/01/news Obituary], guardian.com; accessed August 20, 2015.</ref> Matthau appeared during the Oscar telecast shortly after having been injured in a bicycle accident; nonetheless, he scolded actors who had not attended the ceremony, especially the other major award winners that night: [[Paul Scofield]], [[Elizabeth Taylor]] and [[Sandy Dennis]].<ref>[http://hollywood-legacy.tumblr.com/post/29981916902/the-fortune-cookie-lemmon-matthau-behind-the-scenes ''The Fortune Cookie'' Lemmon & Matthau Behind-the-Scenes] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151121100331/http://hollywood-legacy.tumblr.com/post/29981916902/the-fortune-cookie-lemmon-matthau-behind-the-scenes |date=November 21, 2015 }}, ''Hollywood Legacy''. Accessed November 3, 2022.</ref> Broadway-hits-cum-films continued to cast Matthau in lead roles such as ''[[Hello, Dolly! (film)|Hello, Dolly!]]'' and ''[[Cactus Flower (film)|Cactus Flower]]'' (both 1969); for the latter, [[Goldie Hawn]] received an Oscar for Best Supporting Actress.[[File:Hello, Dolly!9.jpg|thumb|Matthau in ''[[Hello, Dolly! (film)|Hello, Dolly!]]'', 1969]]

===1970s===
It was during this time that Matthau began to appear in more comedy films, including the [[black comedy]] ''[[A New Leaf (film)|A New Leaf]]'' (1971) and the comedy-drama ''[[Pete 'n' Tillie]]'' (1972). Oscar nominations would come his way again for ''[[Kotch]]'' (1971), directed by Lemmon, and ''[[The Sunshine Boys (1975 film)|The Sunshine Boys]]'' (1975). The latter was another adaptation of a Neil Simon stage play—this time about a pair of former [[vaudeville]] stars. For the latter, he won a [[Golden Globe Award|Golden Globe award]] for Best Actor in a Musical or Comedy, tying with his co-star [[George Burns]]. Meanwhile, their other co-star, [[Richard Benjamin]], won a supporting award.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Walter Matthau |url=https://www.goldenglobes.com/person/walter-matthau |access-date=2022-07-25 |website=www.goldenglobes.com}}</ref>

Matthau played three roles in the film version of Simon's ''[[Plaza Suite (film)|Plaza Suite]]'' (1971), and was in the cast of its followup ''[[California Suite (film)|California Suite]]'' (1978). He starred in ''[[House Calls (1978 film)|House Calls]]'' (1978), sharing the screen with [[Glenda Jackson]] and his ''Odd Couple'' stage partner, Carney.

Matthau starred in three crime dramas in the mid-1970s: as a detective investigating a mass murder on a bus in ''[[The Laughing Policeman (film)|The Laughing Policeman]]'' (1973), as a bank robber on the run from the Mafia and the law in ''[[Charley Varrick]]'' (also 1973) and as a New York transit official in the action-thriller ''[[The Taking of Pelham One Two Three (1974 film)|The Taking of Pelham One Two Three]]'' (1974). He also reunited with Lemmon in the black comedy-drama ''[[The Front Page (1974 film)|The Front Page]]'' (1974). A change of pace about misfits and delinquents on a [[Little League]] baseball team turned out to be a solid hit when Matthau starred as coach Morris Buttermaker in the comedy ''[[The Bad News Bears]]'' (1976).

===1980s===
Matthau produced some films with [[Universal Pictures]], with his son [[Charles Matthau|Charlie]] also becoming involved in his production company, Walcar Productions, but the only film that he produced was the third remake of ''[[Little Miss Marker (1980 film)|Little Miss Marker]]'' (1980).<ref>{{cite magazine |page=4|title=Matthau & Son Tied To Universal|magazine=[[Variety (Magazine)|Variety]] |date=April 12, 1978}}</ref>

He was nominated for the [[Golden Globe Award for Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy]] for his portrayal of former CIA field operative Miles Kendig in the elaborate spy comedy ''[[Hopscotch (film)|Hopscotch]]'' (1980), reuniting with Jackson. The original script, a dark work based on the novel of the same name, was rewritten and transformed into a comedy in order to play to Matthau's specific talents. The rewrite was a condition of his participation.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|title=Hopscotch (1980) - Articles - TCM.com|url=https://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/23573/hopscotch#articles-reviews|access-date=June 21, 2020|website=Turner Classic Movies}}</ref> Matthau participated in the script revisions, and the film's director [[Ronald Neame]] observed that Matthau's contributions entitled him to screen credit, but that was never pursued.<ref name="Hopscotch">{{Cite web|title=Hopscotch|url=https://catalog.afi.com/Film/56438-HOPSCOTCH?sid=d51fbd14-6418-45ca-8428-9133929f2363&sr=10.472283&cp=1&pos=0|access-date=June 21, 2020|website=catalog.afi.com}}</ref> Matthau wrote the scene in which Kendig and Isobel—apparently strangers—meet in a [[Salzburg]] restaurant and strike up a conversation about wine that ends in a passionate kiss. He also wrote the last scene of the film, where Kendig, presumed to be dead, disguises himself as a [[Sikhs|Sikh]] to enter a bookshop. He also helped to choose appropriate compositions by [[Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart|Mozart]] that made up much of the score.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Hopscotch (1980) - Articles - TCM.com|url=https://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/23573/hopscotch#articles-reviews|access-date=June 21, 2020|website=Turner Classic Movies}}</ref><ref name="Hopscotch"/> [[Turner Classic Movies|TCM's]] Susan Doll observes that "''Hopscotch'' could be considered the end of a long career peak or the beginning of (Matthau's) slide downhill, depending on the viewpoint", as character parts and supporting parts became the only thing available to an actor his age.<ref name=":0" />

The next year, he was nominated again for the [[Golden Globe Award for Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy]] for his portrayal of the fictional [[Associate justice|Associate Justice]] Daniel Snow in ''[[First Monday in October (film)|First Monday in October]]'' (1981). The film was about the (then-fictional) first appointment of a woman (played by [[Jill Clayburgh]]) to the [[Supreme Court of the United States]]. It was scheduled for release in 1982, but when [[Ronald Reagan|President Ronald Reagan]] named [[Sandra Day O'Connor]] in July 1981, the release date was moved up to August 1981.{{CN|date=January 2023}} ''[[The New York Times]]'' critic [[Janet Maslin]] disliked the film but praised Matthau's performance.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Maslin|first=Janet|date=August 21, 1981|title=First Monday in October|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1981/08/21/movies/first-monday-in-october.html|access-date=June 21, 2020|issn=0362-4331}}</ref> 

Matthau reunited with Lemmon in the comedy ''[[Buddy Buddy]]'' (1981). He also portrayed Herbert Tucker in ''[[I Ought to Be in Pictures (film)|I Ought to Be in Pictures]]'' (1982) with [[Ann-Margret]] and [[Dinah Manoff]]. He co-starred with [[Robin Williams]] in the 1983 dark comedy film [[The Survivors (1983 film)|''The Survivors'']]. Although a box-office dud that barely grossed its budget, the film found a new audience via repeated broadcasts on cable TV in the following years.{{cn|date=August 2024}} He took the leading role of Captain Thomas Bartholomew Red in [[Roman Polanski]]'s swashbuckler ''[[Pirates (1986 film)|Pirates]]'' (1986).

During the 1980s and 1990s, Matthau served on the advisory board of the [[National Student Film Institute]].<ref>{{cite book|title=National Student Film Institute/L.A: The Sixteenth Annual Los Angeles Student Film Festival|date=June 10, 1994|location=The Directors Guild Theatre|pages=10–11|ref=Program}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|title=Los Angeles Student Film Institute: 13th Annual Student Film Festival|date=June 7, 1991|location=The Directors Guild Theatre|page=3|ref=Program}}</ref>

===1990s===
Matthau narrated the ''[[Dr. Seuss|Doctor Seuss]] Video Classics: [[How the Grinch Stole Christmas!]]'' (1992), and played the role of [[George Everett Wilson|George Wilson]] in the film ''[[Dennis the Menace (1993 film)|Dennis the Menace]]'' (1993). In a change of pace, Matthau played [[Albert Einstein]] in the film ''[[I.Q. (film)|I.Q.]]'' (1994) starring [[Tim Robbins]] and [[Meg Ryan]].

His partnership with Jack Lemmon became one of the most enduring collaborations in [[Cinema of the United States|Hollywood]]. They became lifelong friends after making ''The Fortune Cookie'' and would make a total of 10 movies together—11 counting ''[[Kotch]]'', in which Lemmon has a [[cameo appearance|cameo]] as a sleeping bus passenger. Apart from their many comedies, the two appeared (although they did not share any scenes) in the [[Oliver Stone]] drama ''[[JFK (film)|JFK]]'' (1991). Matthau and Lemmon reunited for the comedy ''[[Grumpy Old Men (film)|Grumpy Old Men]]'' (1993), co-starring [[Ann-Margret]], and its sequel ''[[Grumpier Old Men]]'' (1995), co-starring [[Sophia Loren]]. This led to further pairings late in their careers, including appearances in [[The Grass Harp (film)|''The Grass Harp'']] (1995), ''[[Out to Sea]]'' (1997) and a Simon-scripted sequel to their much earlier success, ''[[The Odd Couple II]]'' (1998).

''[[Hanging Up]]'' (2000), directed by [[Diane Keaton]], was Matthau's final appearance onscreen.

==Personal life==
===Marriage and children===
In 1948, Matthau married Geraldine "Geri" Grace Johnson. Their son David was born in 1953 and their daughter Jenny was born in 1956. The couple divorced in 1959.<ref>{{cite book | last1=Edelman | first1=R. | last2=Kupferberg | first2=A. | title=Matthau: A Life | publisher=Taylor Trade Publishing | year=2002 | isbn=978-1-4616-2519-3 | pages=57–58, 92}}</ref>

Matthau married [[Carol Grace|Carol Marcus]] in 1959. She died in 2003. Their son [[Charles Matthau|Charles (Charlie) Matthau]] was born in 1962. Charlie is a director and directed his father in several movies.

===Gambling===

In 1971, Matthau discussed his longtime compulsive gambling with a writer for ''[[The New York Times]]''. In 1961, while doing a two-week television shoot in Florida for ''[[Tallahassee 7000]]'', he had lost $183,000 ({{Inflation|US|183000|1961|r=0|fmt=eq|cursign=[[United States dollar|US$]]}}), mostly betting on spring-training baseball games. It took Matthau six years to pay off his "Mafia-connected bookmaker", and he somewhat curtailed his betting in the 1970s, although daily racetrack losses of $400–500 were common.<ref>Meehan, Thomas. “What the OTB Bettor Can Learn  from Walter Matthau.” New York Times, 4 July 1971, SM4.</ref>

===Health problems and death===
A heavy smoker, Matthau had a heart attack in 1966 while filming ''[[The Fortune Cookie]]'', the first of at least three in his lifetime. Matthau later quit smoking.{{Citation needed|date=May 2025}}

In 1976, ten years after his first heart attack, he underwent heart-bypass surgery. After working in Minnesota for ''[[Grumpy Old Men (film)|Grumpy Old Men]]'' (1993), he was hospitalized for double pneumonia. In December 1995, he had a colon tumor removed; it was deemed to be benign.<ref>https://scholar.lib.vt.edu/VA-news/ROA-Times/issues/1997/rt9701/970103/01030022.htm</ref> He was hospitalized in May 1999 for more than two months, again owing to pneumonia.<ref name="theguardian.com"/>

[[File:Walter Matthau grave at Westwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery in Brentwood, California.JPG|thumb|Matthau's gravesite]]

In the late evening of June 30, 2000, Matthau had a [[heart attack]] at his home and was taken by ambulance to the [[Saint John's Health Center|St. John's Health Center]] in [[Santa Monica, California|Santa Monica]], where he died a few hours later at 1:42&nbsp;a.m. on July 1, 2000, at age 79.<ref name=bbc>{{cite news|title=Actor Walter Matthau dies|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/814676.stm| work=[[BBC News]]|publisher=BBC|access-date=February 3, 2014}}</ref> His death certificate lists the causes of death as "[[cardiac arrest]]" and "[[atherosclerotic heart disease]]", with "end stage [[renal disease]]" and "atrial fibrillation" as significant contributing factors.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UCd_YpT3P50 | archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211030/UCd_YpT3P50| archive-date=October 30, 2021|title=Walter Matthau Death Certificate | date=July 28, 2015|publisher=YouTube |access-date=April 20, 2020}}{{cbignore}}</ref> He is buried at [[Pierce Brothers Westwood Village Memorial Park and Mortuary|Westwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery]] in Los Angeles. Matthau's wife [[Carol Grace|Carol Marcus]] died in 2003, and her body is interred in the same plot as her husband.{{Citation needed |date=October 2022}}

==Filmography==
{{main|List of Walter Matthau performances}}

==Awards and nominations==
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Year
! Award
! Category
! Nominated work
! Result
! Ref. 
|-
| [[39th Academy Awards|1966]]
| rowspan="3"| [[Academy Awards]]
| [[Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor|Best Supporting Actor]]
| ''[[The Fortune Cookie]]''
| {{won}}
| align="center"| <ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/1967 |title=The 39th Academy Awards (1967) Nominees and Winners |publisher=[[Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences]] |access-date=September 4, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141110020832/http://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/1967 |archive-date=November 10, 2014 |url-status=live}}</ref>
|-
| [[44th Academy Awards|1971]]
| rowspan="2"| [[Academy Award for Best Actor|Best Actor]]
| ''[[Kotch]]'' 
| {{nom}}
| align="center"| <ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/1972 |title=The 44th Academy Awards (1972) Nominees and Winners |publisher=[[Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences]] |access-date=December 12, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141111072026/http://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/1972 |archive-date=November 11, 2014 |url-status=live}}</ref>
|-
| [[48th Academy Awards|1975]]
| ''[[The Sunshine Boys (1975 film)|The Sunshine Boys]]''
| {{nom}}
| align="center"| <ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/1976 |title=The 48th Academy Awards (1976) Nominees and Winners |publisher=[[Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences]] |access-date=October 2, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141109220920/http://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/1976 |archive-date=November 9, 2014 |url-status=live}}</ref>
|-
| [[23rd British Academy Film Awards|1969]]
| rowspan="3"| [[British Academy Film Awards]]
| rowspan="3"| [[BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role|Best Actor in a Leading Role]]
| ''[[Hello, Dolly! (film)|Hello, Dolly!]]'' and ''[[The Secret Life of an American Wife]]''
| {{nom}}
| align="center" rowspan="3"| <ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.bafta.org/awards/search?search=Walter+Matthau&type= |title=Walter Matthau |publisher=[[British Academy Film Awards]] |access-date=December 31, 2024}}</ref>
|-
| [[27th British Academy Film Awards|1973]]
| ''[[Charley Varrick]]'' and ''[[Pete 'n' Tillie]]''
| {{won}}
|-
| [[30th British Academy Film Awards|1976]]
| ''[[The Bad News Bears]]'' and ''[[The Sunshine Boys (1975 film)|The Sunshine Boys]]''
| {{nom}}
|-
| 1975
| [[David di Donatello Awards]]
| [[David di Donatello for Best Foreign Actor|Best Foreign Actor]]
| ''[[The Front Page (1974 film)|The Front Page]]''{{efn|name=Lemmon|Shared with [[Jack Lemmon]].}}
| {{won}}{{efn|Tied with [[Burt Lancaster]] for ''[[Conversation Piece (film)|Conversation Piece]]''.}}
| align="center"| <ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.daviddidonatello.it/motore-di-ricerca/cercavincitori2.php?idsoggetto=395&vin=Matthau |title=Walter Matthau |publisher=[[David di Donatello]] |access-date=December 31, 2024}}</ref>
|-
| [[24th Golden Globe Awards|1966]]
| rowspan="8"| [[Golden Globe Awards]]
| rowspan="8"| [[Golden Globe Award for Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy|Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy]]
| ''The Fortune Cookie''
| {{nom}}
| align="center" rowspan="8"| <ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.goldenglobes.com/person/walter-matthau/ |title=Walter Matthau |publisher=[[Golden Globe Awards]] |access-date=March 8, 2021}}</ref>
|-
| [[26th Golden Globe Awards|1968]]
| ''[[The Odd Couple (film)|The Odd Couple]]'' 
| {{nom}}
|-
| [[29th Golden Globe Awards|1971]]
| ''Kotch''
| {{nom}}
|-
| [[30th Golden Globe Awards|1972]]
| ''Pete 'n' Tillie''
| {{nom}}
|-
| [[32nd Golden Globe Awards|1974]]
| ''The Front Page''
| {{nom}}
|-
| [[33rd Golden Globe Awards|1975]]
| ''The Sunshine Boys''
| {{won}}
|-
| [[38th Golden Globe Awards|1980]]
| ''[[Hopscotch (film)|Hopscotch]]''
| {{nom}}
|-
| [[39th Golden Globe Awards|1981]]
| ''[[First Monday in October (film)|First Monday in October]]''
| {{nom}}
|-
| 1966
| rowspan="2"| [[Kansas City Film Critics Circle|Kansas City Film Critics Circle Awards]]
| Best Supporting Actor
| ''The Fortune Cookie''
| {{won}}
| align="center"| <ref>{{cite web |url=https://kcfcc.org/kcfcc-award-winners-1966-69/ |title=KCFCC Award Winners – 1966-69 |publisher=[[Kansas City Film Critics Circle]] |access-date=December 31, 2024}}</ref>
|-
| 1971
| Best Actor
| ''Kotch'' 
| {{won}}
| align="center"| <ref>{{cite web |url=https://kcfcc.org/kcfcc-award-winners-1970-79/ |title=KCFCC Award Winners – 1970-79 |publisher=[[Kansas City Film Critics Circle]] |access-date=December 31, 2024}}</ref>
|-
| 1966
| rowspan="4"| [[Laurel Awards]]
| Top Male Supporting Performance
| ''The Fortune Cookie''
| {{won}}
| align="center" rowspan="4"| 
|-
| rowspan="2"| 1968
| Top Male Comedy Performance
| ''The Odd Couple'' 
| {{won}}
|-
| rowspan="2"| Top Male Star
| {{n/a}}
| {{draw|9th Place}}
|-
| 1970
| {{n/a}}
| {{draw|8th Place}}
|-
| 2016
| Online Film & Television Association Awards
| Film Hall of Fame: Actors
| {{n/a}}
| {{Won|Inducted}}
| align="center"| <ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.oftaawards.com/film-hall-of-fame/film-hall-of-fame-actors/ |title=Film Hall of Fame Inductees: Actors |publisher=Online Film & Television Association |access-date=December 31, 2024}}</ref>
|-
| 1976
| [[Photoplay#The Photoplay Magazine Medal of Honor|Photoplay Awards]]
| Favorite Movie
| ''The Bad News Bears''
| {{nom}}
| align="center"| 
|-
| [[15th Primetime Emmy Awards|1963]]
| [[Primetime Emmy Awards]]
| [[Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie|Outstanding Single Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role]]
| ''[[The DuPont Show of the Week]]'' {{small|(Episode: "[[Big Deal in Laredo]]")}}
| {{nom}}
| align="center"| <ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.emmys.com/bios/walter-matthau |title=Walter Matthau |publisher=[[Academy of Television Arts & Sciences]] |access-date=December 31, 2024}}</ref>
|-
| 1993
| [[National Association of Theatre Owners|ShoWest Convention]]
| Lifetime Achievement Award
| {{n/a}}
| {{won}}{{efn|name=Lemmon}}
| align="center"| 
|-
| [[1981 Stinkers Bad Movie Awards|1981]]
| [[Stinkers Bad Movie Awards]]
| Most Annoying Fake Accent – Male
| ''[[Buddy Buddy]]''
| {{nom}}
| align="center"| <ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.thestinkers.com/1981.html |title=STINKERS BALLOT EXPANSION PROJECT: 1981 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070504045327/http://www.thestinkers.com/1981.html |publisher=[[Stinkers Bad Movie Awards]] |archive-date=May 4, 2007 |access-date=September 5, 2024}}</ref>
|-
| [[13th Tony Awards|1959]]
| rowspan="3"| [[Tony Awards]]
| rowspan="2"| [[Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Play|Best Supporting or Featured Actor in a Play]]
| ''[[Once More, with Feeling!]]''
| {{nom}}
| align="center"| <ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.tonyawards.com/nominees/year/1959/category/any/show/any/ |title=1959 Tony Awards |publisher=[[Tony Awards]] |access-date=December 31, 2024}}</ref>
|-
| [[16th Tony Awards|1962]]
| ''[[L'Idiote|A Shot in the Dark]]'' 
| {{won}}
| align="center"| <ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.tonyawards.com/nominees/year/1962/category/any/show/any/ |title=1962 Tony Awards |publisher=[[Tony Awards]] |access-date=December 31, 2024}}</ref>
|-
| [[19th Tony Awards|1965]]
| [[Tony Award for Best Actor in a Play|Best Leading Actor in a Play]]
| ''[[The Odd Couple (play)|The Odd Couple]]''
| {{won}}
| align="center"| <ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.tonyawards.com/nominees/year/1965/category/any/show/any/ |title=1965 Tony Awards |publisher=[[Tony Awards]] |access-date=December 31, 2024}}</ref>
|}

==Notes==
{{Noteslist}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Further reading==
* [http://www.hollywoodmemoir.com/walter-matthau-academy-award-winning-actor-the-odd-couple/ Profile] at ''Hollywood Memoir'', accessed April 8, 2015.
*{{Cite news|author=Mel Gussow|title=Walter Matthau, 79, Rumpled Star and Comic Icon, Dies|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2000/07/02/nyregion/walter-matthau-79-rumpled-star-and-comic-icon-dies.html|work=The New York Times|date=July 2, 2000|access-date=February 4, 2021}}

==External links==
* {{IMDb name|0000527}}
* {{IBDB name|68261}}
* {{Tcmdb name}}

{{Navboxes
|title = Awards for Walter Matthau
|list =
{{Academy Award Best Supporting Actor}}
{{BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role}}
{{David di Donatello for Best Foreign Actor}}
{{Golden Globe Award Best Actor Motion Picture Musical or Comedy}}
{{TonyAward PlayLeadActor}}
{{TonyAward PlayFeaturedActor}}
}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Matthau, Walter}}
[[Category:1920 births]]
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[[Category:Male actors from Manhattan]]
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[[Category:20th-century American comedians]]
[[Category:Seward Park High School alumni]]
[[Category:People from the Lower East Side]]
[[Category:20th-century American Jews]]