ACTOR · BORN 1935 · DIED 2024
M. Emmet Walsh
- Born
- 22 March 1935
- Died
- 19 March 2024
19 archived facts 3 topics 1 source Last reviewed Sep 2026
All facts (19)
- #001
Critic Roger Ebert was such an admirer of Walsh that he created the "Stanton-Walsh Rule," which held that "no movie featuring either Harry Dean Stanton or M. Emmet Walsh in a supporting role can be altogether bad." Ebert later acknowledged that the rule was broken by Wild Wild West (1999), in which Walsh appeared.
- #002
Walsh has been deaf in his left ear since the age of three.
- #003
He appeared in the pilot episode of The Bob Newhart Show (1972).
- #004
He was roommates with actor William Devane in college.
- #005
The 'M' in his name stands for Michael.
- #006
As of 2024, he had appeared in four films nominated for the Best Picture Oscar: Midnight Cowboy (1969), Bound for Glory (1976), Ordinary People (1980) and Reds (1981). Of these, Midnight Cowboy (1969) and Ordinary People (1980) won the category.
- #007
He died in Vermont three days before his 89th birthday.
- #008
In 2018, Walsh was inducted into the Character Actors Hall of Fame by his Blade Runner co-star Harrison Ford. He then received the President's Lifetime Achievement Award at the same ceremony.
- #009
He has a home in the rural area of West Swanton, Vermont.
- #010
Walsh was known for his generosity and sardonic wit. He made a habit of handing out two-dollar bills to film crews along with some advice: "Don't spend it, and you'll never be broke."
- #011
He graduated from the School of Business at Clarkson University.
- #012
His grandfather, father and brother were immigration officers at the Canadian border.
- #013
In Christmas with the Kranks (2004) he plays Tim Allen's neighbor. In Home Improvement (1991) he played Allen's father-in-law.
- #014
He is a graduate of AADA (American Academy of Dramatic Arts), Class of 1961.
- #015
Over a career spanning more than seventy years, he appeared as a character actor in more than 220 films and television programs.
- #016
He made his United Kingdom stage debut at the National Theatre in London in a revival of Sam Shepard's "Buried Child."
- #017
Although he played Tim Thomerson's father in Pilot (1990) and The Flash (1990), in real life he is only eleven years older than him.
- #018
He attended the Tilton School in Tilton, N.H.
- #019
He appeared in three films with Dustin Hoffman: Midnight Cowboy (1969), Little Big Man (1970) and Straight Time (1978).
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