Walter Matthau: Master of the Hangdog Face
Walter Matthau (October 1, 1920 – July 1, 2000) was an American actor known for his “hangdog face” and for playing world-weary characters. He won an Academy Award, one BAFTA Award, and two Tony Awards, and starred in ten films alongside his real-life friend Jack Lemmon, a pairing The New York Times called “one of Hollywood’s most successful pairings.”
Early Life and Education
Matthau was born Walter John Matthow on October 1, 1920, on New York City’s Lower East Side. His mother, Rose, was a Lithuanian immigrant who worked in a garment factory; his father, Milton Matuschanskayasky, was a Ukrainian peddler and electrician from Kiev. When Matthau was three years old, his father abandoned the family, and Matthau was raised by his mother in cold-water tenement apartments in the Ukrainian area of the Lower East Side. His father died in Bellevue Hospital in 1935.
As a boy, Matthau attended Tranquillity Camp and Surprise Lake Camp, where he first performed in theatrical productions. He attended Seward Park High School and worked as a concession stand cashier in the Yiddish Theatre District while appearing in Yiddish theater productions. After high school, he trained in acting at the Dramatic Workshop of The New School under German director Erwin Piscator.
Career and Achievements
Matthau served as a radioman-gunner in the U.S. Army Air Forces from 1942 to 1945, stationed in England, Germany, and France. Upon returning home, he pursued acting full-time, becoming a respected stage actor in productions including Will Success Spoil Rock Hunter? and A Shot in the Dark, for which he won the 1962 Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Play.
His film career began in 1955 with a role in The Kentuckian opposite Burt Lancaster. Throughout the late 1950s and early 1960s, he appeared in King Creole (1958), A Face in the Crowd (1957), Bigger Than Life (1956), Charade (1963), and Fail Safe (1964). He won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for The Fortune Cookie (1966), directed by Billy Wilder.
Matthau originated the role of Oscar Madison in Neil Simon’s The Odd Couple on Broadway, winning his second Tony Award for Best Leading Actor in a Play in 1965. He reprised this role in the 1968 film alongside Jack Lemmon, beginning a celebrated partnership that would span ten films. Other notable films include Hello, Dolly! (1969), A New Leaf (1971), Plaza Suite (1971), The Taking of Pelham One Two Three (1974), The Sunshine Boys (1975), The Bad News Bears (1976), California Suite (1978), Hopscotch (1980), Grumpy Old Men (1993), and Dennis the Menace (1993).
Notable Events and Milestones
Matthau received Academy Award nominations for Best Actor for Kotch (1971) and The Sunshine Boys (1975). He gained further recognition for his portrayal of a little league baseball coach in The Bad News Bears (1976). In 1982, Matthau received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. He continued working throughout his career, appearing in films directed by major filmmakers including Elia Kazan, Stanley Donen, Gene Kelly, Elaine May, and Herbert Ross.
Awards and Honors
Matthau won two Tony Awards: one in 1962 for Best Featured Actor in a Play for A Shot in the Dark, and another in 1965 for Best Leading Actor in a Play for The Odd Couple. He received the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor in 1967 for The Fortune Cookie and earned two additional Best Actor nominations for Kotch (1971) and The Sunshine Boys (1975). He also won one BAFTA Award. In 1982, he received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Additional Resources
Walter Matthau’s extensive career in theater, film, and television is documented in greater detail through Wikipedia and other biographical archives. His collaborations with Jack Lemmon, his stage work under Neil Simon, and his roles in films by acclaimed directors remain central to his legacy in American cinema and theater.
Observer Voice is the one stop site for National, International news, Sports, Editor’s Choice, Art/culture contents, Quotes and much more. We also cover historical contents. Historical contents includes World History, Indian History, and what happened today. The website also covers Entertainment across the India and World.
Follow Us on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, & LinkedIn
