M. Emmet Walsh
Acting1935Ogdensburg, New York, USA
Biography
Michael Emmet Walsh (March 22, 1935 – March 19, 2024) was an American character actor who has appeared in over 200 films and television series, including supporting roles in dozens of major studio features of the 1970s and 1980s. He starred in Blood Simple (1984), the Coen Brothers' first film for which he won the Independent Spirit Award for Best Male Lead. He also appeared in The Jerk (1979), Ordinary People (1980), Blade Runner (1982), Wild Wild West (1999), and The Iron Giant (1999). His final films included Knives Out (2019) and Brothers (2024).
Known For
Acting History
2025
Green and Gold
as Scotty
2024
Brothers
as Judge Farful
Outlaw Posse
as Catfish
2023
A Little White Lie
as Arthur Baldwin
Dotty and Soul
as Harold Eichelbaum
2022
The Immaculate Room
as Kate's Father
American Gigolo
TVas Coleman
2021
The Mimic
as The Director
2019
Knives Out
as Mr. Proofroc
Faith, Hope & Love
as Fr. John
Raising Buchanan
as Larry Kiesling
Sorry, Not Sorry
as Harry's Father
South of Bix
as Grandpa
The Righteous Gemstones
TVas Roy Gemstone• 2 eps
Sneaky Pete
TVas Tex Hopkins• 7 eps
2018
2015
Boiling Pot
as Dean Marison
Empire
TVas Harold Blakeley• 1 eps
2014
Calvary
as The Writer
Tim and Eric's Bedtime Stories
TVas Detective
2012
Arthur Newman
as Zazek
The Odd Life of Timothy Green
as Uncle Bub
Love Sick Love
as Ed
Damages
TVas Lyle Hewes• 3 eps
Army Wives
TVas Bernie Wallacheck• 1 eps
Adventure Time
TVas Cosmic Owl (voice)• 3 eps
2011
Sam Steele and the Junior Detective Agency
as Chief Van Owen
2010
Chasing 3000
as Chuck Ireland
The Assignment
as Mr. Beudreaux
'Til Death
TVas Uncle Rudolph• 1 eps
Pound Puppies
TVas Olaf (voice)• 65 eps
2009
Don McKay
as Samuel
Youth in Revolt
as Mr. Saunders
2008
2007
2005
Racing Stripes
as Woodzie
Greener Mountains
as Muggs
2004
Christmas with the Kranks
as Walt Scheel
2003
Baggage
as Sandy Westphall
Tracey Ullman in the Trailer Tales
as Wally Westland
The Guardian
TVas Ezra Pence• 1 eps
Charlie Lawrence
TVas Cubby
2002
Snow Dogs
as George
What's New, Scooby-Doo?
TVas Jeb (voice)• 1 eps
2001
Christmas in the Clouds
as Stu O'Malley
Eyeball Eddie
as Coach Cook
Night Visions
TVas Gus (segment "Reunion")
Frasier
TVas Rich Koechner• 1 eps
2000
Poor White Trash
as Judge Pike
Jack of Hearts
as Comissioner Menlo Boyce
NYPD Blue
TVas Joe Kroft• 1 eps
Ed
TVas Mayor Wally Kendricks• 1 eps
1999
Wild Wild West
as Coleman
Monster!
as Lloyd Reeves
Random Hearts
as Billy (uncredited)
Me and Will
as Dean
The Iron Giant
as Earl Stutz (voice)
The Wild Thornberrys
TVas Gemsbok #1 (voice)• 1 eps
The Big Guy and Rusty the Boy Robot
TVas Mack (voice)
The X-Files
TVas Arthur Dales• 1 eps
1998
Twilight
as Lester Ivar
Chairman of the Board
as Freemont
Erasable You
as Ralph Worth
Men in White
as Stanley
Nightmare in Big Sky Country
as Marshal Jim Phillips
1997
My Best Friend's Wedding
as Joe O'Neal
The Killing Jar
as Sheriff Foley
Albino Alligator
as Dino
Retroactive
as Sam
1996
A Time to Kill
as Willard Tyrell Bass (uncredited)
The Lottery
as Chief Davis
Portraits of a Killer
as Raymond Garrison
Criminal Hearts
as Martin
Romeo + Juliet
as Apothecary
Early Edition
TVas Santa• 1 eps
The West
TVas Self (voice)
The Outer Limits
TVas Sanford Vallé• 1 eps
1995
1994
Cops & Robbersons
as Captain Ted Corbett (uncredited)
The Glass Shield
as Det. Jesse Hall
Probable Cause
as Sadler
Camp Nowhere
as T.R. Polk
Relative Fear
as Earl Ladelle
Madness of Method
as Rudolph Thorndyke
Home Improvement
TVas Colonel• 2 eps
Baseball
TVas (voice)• 2 eps
1993
1992
Equinox
as Pete Petosa
White Sands
as Bert Gibson
Killer Image
as John Kane
The Naked Truth
as Garcia / Gesundheim
Four Eyes and Six-Guns
as Mayor Thornbush
Wild Card
as Mose
1991
1990
The Flash
as Henry Allen
Chattahoochee
as Morris
Narrow Margin
as Sergeant Dominick Benti
Love and Lies
as Clyde Wilson
The Flash
as Henry Allen
The Flash
TVas Henry Allen• 2 eps
The Civil War
TVas Various• 9 eps
1989
Thunderground
as Wedge
The Mighty Quinn
as Fred Miller
Catch Me... If You Can
as Johnny Phatmun
Brotherhood of the Rose
TVas Hardy
Tales from the Crypt
TVas Jonas• 1 eps
Unsub
TVas Ned Platt
1988
Clean and Sober
as Richard Dirks
Sunset
as Chief Marvin Dibner
The Milagro Beanfield War
as Governor
War Party
as Colin Ditweiler
Red Scorpion
as Dewey Ferguson
1987
Raising Arizona
as Machine Shop Ear-Bender
Murder Ordained
as Vern Humphrey
The Abduction of Kari Swenson
as Don Nichols
No Man's Land
as Captain Haun
Harry and the Hendersons
as George Henderson Sr.
Broken Vows
as Detective Mulligan
Murder Ordained
TVas Vern Humphrey
1986
Critters
as Harv
Back to School
as Coach Turnbull
Bundy: The Deliberate Stranger
as Det. Sam Davies
Resting Place
as Sarge
The Best of Times
as Charlie
Hero in the Family
as General Presser
The Right of the People
as Sindaco
Wildcats
as Walt Coes
Amazing Stories
TVas Grandpa• 1 eps
The Hitchhiker
TVas Detective Underhill• 1 eps
The Deliberate Stranger
TVas Det. Sam Davies
1985
Fletch
as Dr. Joseph Dolan
Blood Simple
as Private Detective
The Twilight Zone
TVas Peter (segment "Dealer's Choice")• 1 eps
1984
Scandalous
as Simon Reynolds
The Pope of Greenwich Village
as Burns
Grandview, U.S.A.
as Mr. Clark
Missing in Action
as Tuck
Courage
as Colonel Crouse
The Outlaws
as Warden MacDonald
AfterMASH
TVas Reverend Horn• 1 eps
1983
1982
1981
Reds
as Speaker at Liberal Club
Back Roads
as Arthur
Hellinger's Law
as Mr. Graebner
East of Eden
TVas Sheriff Horace Quinn
Little House on the Prairie
TVas Callahan• 1 eps
1980
Ordinary People
as Swim Coach
Brubaker
as C.P. Woodward
Skag
as Moran
Raise the Titanic
as Master Chief Vinnie Walker
City in Fear
as Sheldon Lewis
High Noon, Part II: The Return of Will Kane
as Harold Patton
1979
Dear Detective
as Capt. Gorcey
The Gift
as Legion Commander
The Fish That Saved Pittsburgh
as Wally Cantrell
The Jerk
as Madman
No Other Love
as DeFranco
The French Atlantic Affair
TVas Harry
1978
1977
1976
Mikey and Nicky
as Bus Driver
Bound for Glory
as Husband
Nickelodeon
as "Father" Logan
The Invasion of Johnson County
as Irvine
Starsky & Hutch
TVas Lloyd Herman Eckworth• 1 eps
Gibbsville
TVas Yostie
1975
Sarah T. - Portrait of a Teenage Alcoholic
as Mr. Peterson
The Prisoner of Second Avenue
as Doorman
At Long Last Love
as Harold
Crime Club
as Jack Doyle
The Rockford Files
TVas Edgar Burch• 1 eps
The Waltons
TVas David Fletcher• 1 eps
1974
The Gambler
as Las Vegas Gambler
McMillan & Wife
TVas Officer Ames• 1 eps
1972
Get to Know Your Rabbit
as Mr. Wendel
What's Up, Doc?
as Arresting Officer
The Bob Newhart Show
TVas Jack Hoover• 1 eps
1971
They Might Be Giants
as 1st Sanitation Man
Cold Turkey
as Art
Bonanza
TVas Mattheson• 1 eps
All in the Family
TVas Billy Hartfield• 1 eps
Nichols
TVas Gabe McCutcheon• 5 eps
Ironside
TVas Telegraph Clerk• 1 eps
1970
Little Big Man
as Shotgun Guard
The Traveling Executioner
as Warden Brodski
End of the Road
as Crab Man / Tutu Man
1969
Midnight Cowboy
as Bus Passenger (uncredited)
Alice's Restaurant
as Group W Sergeant
Stiletto
as Racing Partner (uncredited)
1954
The Wonderful World of Disney
TVas General Presser
1951
Hallmark Hall of Fame
TVas Sarge