M. Emmet Walsh

Acting

M. Emmet Walsh

Born March 22, 1935Ogdensburg, New York, USA223 credits

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

Filmography

Green and Gold
2025Green and Gold
as ScottyMovie
Brothers
2024Brothers
as Judge FarfulMovie
Outlaw Posse
2024Outlaw Posse
as CatfishMovie
Dotty and Soul
2023Dotty and Soul
as Harold EichelbaumMovie
A Little White Lie
2023A Little White Lie
as Arthur BaldwinMovie
The Immaculate Room
2022The Immaculate Room
as Kate's FatherMovie
The Mimic
2021The Mimic
as The DirectorMovie
Knives Out
2019Knives Out
as Mr. ProofrocMovie
South of Bix
2019South of Bix
as GrandpaMovie
Raising Buchanan
2019Raising Buchanan
as Larry KieslingMovie
Faith, Hope & Love
2019Faith, Hope & Love
as Fr. JohnMovie
Sorry, Not Sorry
2019Sorry, Not Sorry
as Harry's FatherMovie
Change in the Air
2018Change in the Air
as Walter LemkeMovie
Toto
2018Toto
as TotoMovie
Shifting Gears
2018Shifting Gears
as HankMovie
Boiling Pot
2015Boiling Pot
as Dean MarisonMovie
Sneaky Pete
2015Sneaky Pete
as Tex HopkinsTV
Empire
2015Empire
as Harold BlakeleyTV
Calvary
2014Calvary
as The WriterMovie
Arthur Newman
2012Arthur Newman
as ZazekMovie
Pound Puppies
2010Pound Puppies
as Olaf (voice)TV
Chasing 3000
2010Chasing 3000
as Chuck IrelandMovie
The Assignment
2010The Assignment
as Mr. BeudreauxMovie
Adventure Time
2010Adventure Time
as Cosmic Owl (voice)TV
Youth in Revolt
2009Youth in Revolt
as Mr. SaundersMovie
Don McKay
2009Don McKay
as SamuelMovie
Haunted Echoes
2008Haunted Echoes
as NeilMovie
Your Name Here
2008Your Name Here
as KrogerMovie
Big Stan
2007Big Stan
as Lew PopperMovie
Damages
2007Damages
as Lyle HewesTV
Army Wives
2007Army Wives
as Bernie WallacheckTV
Man in the Chair
2007Man in the Chair
as Mickey HopkinsMovie
'Til Death
2006'Til Death
as Uncle RudolphTV
Racing Stripes
2005Racing Stripes
as WoodzieMovie
Baggage
2003Baggage
as Sandy WestphallMovie
Snow Dogs
2002Snow Dogs
as GeorgeMovie
The Guardian
2001The Guardian
as Ezra PenceTV
Night Visions
2001Night Visions
as Gus (segment "Reunion")TV
Eyeball Eddie
2001Eyeball Eddie
as Coach CookMovie
Christmas in the Clouds
2001Christmas in the Clouds
as Stu O'MalleyMovie
Poor White Trash
2000Poor White Trash
as Judge PikeMovie
Jack of Hearts
2000Jack of Hearts
as Comissioner Menlo BoyceMovie
Ed
2000Ed
as Mayor Wally KendricksTV
Random Hearts
1999Random Hearts
as Billy (uncredited)Movie
Monster!
1999Monster!
as Lloyd ReevesMovie
The Iron Giant
1999The Iron Giant
as Earl Stutz (voice)Movie
Me and Will
1999Me and Will
as DeanMovie
Wild Wild West
1999Wild Wild West
as ColemanMovie
The Wild Thornberrys
1998The Wild Thornberrys
as Gemsbok #1 (voice)TV
Nightmare in Big Sky Country
1998Nightmare in Big Sky Country
as Marshal Jim PhillipsMovie
Men in White
1998Men in White
as StanleyMovie
E
1998Erasable You
as Ralph WorthMovie
Twilight
1998Twilight
as Lester IvarMovie
The Killing Jar
1997The Killing Jar
as Sheriff FoleyMovie
Retroactive
1997Retroactive
as SamMovie
Romeo + Juliet
1996Romeo + Juliet
as ApothecaryMovie
The Lottery
1996The Lottery
as Chief DavisMovie
The West
1996The West
as Self (voice)TV
A Time to Kill
1996A Time to Kill
as Willard Tyrell Bass (uncredited)Movie
Portraits of a Killer
1996Portraits of a Killer
as Raymond GarrisonMovie
Criminal Hearts
1996Criminal Hearts
as MartinMovie
Panther
1995Panther
as DorsettMovie
Dead Badge
1995Dead Badge
as Sergeant Miller HoskinsMovie
The Outer Limits
1995The Outer Limits
as Sanford ValléTV
Relative Fear
1994Relative Fear
as Earl LadelleMovie
Probable Cause
1994Probable Cause
as SadlerMovie
Baseball
1994Baseball
as (voice)TV
The Glass Shield
1994The Glass Shield
as Det. Jesse HallMovie
Camp Nowhere
1994Camp Nowhere
as T.R. PolkMovie
Cops & Robbersons
1994Cops & Robbersons
as Captain Ted Corbett (uncredited)Movie
M
1994Madness of Method
as Rudolph ThorndykeMovie
Bitter Harvest
1993Bitter Harvest
as Sheriff BobMovie
NYPD Blue
1993NYPD Blue
as Joe KroftTV
Frasier
1993Frasier
as Rich KoechnerTV
The X-Files
1993The X-Files
as Arthur DalesTV
Wilder Napalm
1993Wilder Napalm
as Fire ChiefMovie
The Music of Chance
1993The Music of Chance
as Calvin MurksMovie
Four Eyes and Six-Guns
1992Four Eyes and Six-Guns
as Mayor ThornbushMovie
The Naked Truth
1992The Naked Truth
as Garcia / GesundheimMovie
Equinox
1992Equinox
as Pete PetosaMovie
Wild Card
1992Wild Card
as MoseMovie
White Sands
1992White Sands
as Bert GibsonMovie
Killer Image
1992Killer Image
as John KaneMovie
S
1991Silverfox
as Charles BlankenshipMovie
Fourth Story
1991Fourth Story
as HarryMovie
The Flash
1990The Flash
as Henry AllenMovie
The Civil War
1990The Civil War
as VariousTV
Narrow Margin
1990Narrow Margin
as Sergeant Dominick BentiMovie
The Flash
1990The Flash
as Henry AllenTV
Chattahoochee
1990Chattahoochee
as MorrisMovie
Love and Lies
1990Love and Lies
as Clyde WilsonMovie
Catch Me... If You Can
1989Catch Me... If You Can
as Johnny PhatmunMovie
Thunderground
1989Thunderground
as WedgeMovie
The Mighty Quinn
1989The Mighty Quinn
as Fred MillerMovie
Unsub
1989Unsub
as Ned PlattTV
Red Scorpion
1988Red Scorpion
as Dewey FergusonMovie
War Party
1988War Party
as Colin DitweilerMovie
Clean and Sober
1988Clean and Sober
as Richard DirksMovie
Sunset
1988Sunset
as Chief Marvin DibnerMovie
No Man's Land
1987No Man's Land
as Captain HaunMovie
Harry and the Hendersons
1987Harry and the Hendersons
as George Henderson Sr.Movie
Murder Ordained
1987Murder Ordained
as Vern HumphreyMovie
Murder Ordained
1987Murder Ordained
as Vern HumphreyTV
Raising Arizona
1987Raising Arizona
as Machine Shop Ear-BenderMovie
Broken Vows
1987Broken Vows
as Detective MulliganMovie
Hero in the Family
1986Hero in the Family
as General PresserMovie
Back to School
1986Back to School
as Coach TurnbullMovie
The Deliberate Stranger
1986The Deliberate Stranger
as Det. Sam DaviesMovie
The Deliberate Stranger
1986The Deliberate Stranger
as Det. Sam DaviesTV
Resting Place
1986Resting Place
as SargeMovie
Critters
1986Critters
as HarvMovie
Wildcats
1986Wildcats
as Walt CoesMovie
The Best of Times
1986The Best of Times
as CharlieMovie
The Twilight Zone
1985The Twilight Zone
as Peter (segment "Dealer's Choice")TV
Fletch
1985Fletch
as Dr. Joseph DolanMovie
Blood Simple
1985Blood Simple
as Private DetectiveMovie
Courage
1984Courage
as Colonel CrouseMovie
Grandview, U.S.A.
1984Grandview, U.S.A.
as Mr. ClarkMovie
The Outlaws
1984The Outlaws
as Warden MacDonaldMovie
Scandalous
1984Scandalous
as Simon ReynoldsMovie
Silkwood
1983Silkwood
as Walt YarboroughMovie
The Hitchhiker
1983The Hitchhiker
as Detective UnderhillTV
Night Partners
1983Night Partners
as Joe KirbyMovie
AfterMASH
1983AfterMASH
as Reverend HornTV
Blade Runner
1982Blade Runner
as BryantMovie
Fast-Walking
1982Fast-Walking
as Sergeant SangerMovie
Cannery Row
1982Cannery Row
as MackMovie
Reds
1981Reds
as Speaker at Liberal ClubMovie
Back Roads
1981Back Roads
as ArthurMovie
Hellinger's Law
1981Hellinger's Law
as Mr. GraebnerMovie
East of Eden
1981East of Eden
as Sheriff Horace QuinnTV
Ordinary People
1980Ordinary People
as Swim CoachMovie
Raise the Titanic
1980Raise the Titanic
as Master Chief Vinnie WalkerMovie
Brubaker
1980Brubaker
as C.P. WoodwardMovie
City in Fear
1980City in Fear
as Sheldon LewisMovie
Skag
1980Skag
as MoranMovie
The Gift
1979The Gift
as Legion CommanderMovie
The Jerk
1979The Jerk
as MadmanMovie
Dear Detective
1979Dear Detective
as Capt. GorceyMovie
No Other Love
1979No Other Love
as DeFrancoMovie
Straight Time
1978Straight Time
as Earl FrankMovie
A Question of Guilt
1978A Question of Guilt
as Inspector McCartneyMovie
Superdome
1978Superdome
as WhitleyMovie
Red Alert
1977Red Alert
as Sheriff SweeneyMovie
Airport '77
1977Airport '77
as Dr. WilliamsMovie
Slap Shot
1977Slap Shot
as Dickie DunnMovie
Nickelodeon
1976Nickelodeon
as "Father" LoganMovie
Mikey and Nicky
1976Mikey and Nicky
as Bus DriverMovie
Bound for Glory
1976Bound for Glory
as HusbandMovie
Gibbsville
1976Gibbsville
as YostieTV
Crime Club
1975Crime Club
as Jack DoyleMovie
At Long Last Love
1975At Long Last Love
as HaroldMovie
The Gambler
1974The Gambler
as Las Vegas GamblerMovie
The Rockford Files
1974The Rockford Files
as Edgar BurchTV
Serpico
1973Serpico
as GallagherMovie
Kid Blue
1973Kid Blue
as BarberMovie
The Bob Newhart Show
1972The Bob Newhart Show
as Jack HooverTV
The Waltons
1972The Waltons
as David FletcherTV
Get to Know Your Rabbit
1972Get to Know Your Rabbit
as Mr. WendelMovie
What's Up, Doc?
1972What's Up, Doc?
as Arresting OfficerMovie
McMillan & Wife
1971McMillan & Wife
as Officer AmesTV
Nichols
1971Nichols
as Gabe McCutcheonTV
They Might Be Giants
1971They Might Be Giants
as 1st Sanitation ManMovie
Cold Turkey
1971Cold Turkey
as ArtMovie
All in the Family
1971All in the Family
as Billy HartfieldTV
Little Big Man
1970Little Big Man
as Shotgun GuardMovie
The Traveling Executioner
1970The Traveling Executioner
as Warden BrodskiMovie
End of the Road
1970End of the Road
as Crab Man / Tutu ManMovie
Alice's Restaurant
1969Alice's Restaurant
as Group W SergeantMovie
Stiletto
1969Stiletto
as Racing Partner (uncredited)Movie
Midnight Cowboy
1969Midnight Cowboy
as Bus Passenger (uncredited)Movie
Ironside
1967Ironside
as Telegraph ClerkTV
Bonanza
1959Bonanza
as MatthesonTV