Rest in Peace M. Emmet Walsh: Legendary Character Man of BLOOD SIMPLE, THE JERK, BLADE RUNNER & More

M. E.W. National Film Treasure

For over 50 years, Michael Emmet Walsh etched a remarkably varied and entertaining career as one of film and TV's supreme character actors.

On March 19th, 2024, just 3 days before his 89th Birthday, Walsh passed away from a heart attack.

Walsh ranks as one of the most durable, dependable and daring character men of his generation.

Recent Walsh sightings: AMERICAN GIGOLO, A LITTLE WHITE LIE with Kate Hudson, Michael Shannon and Zach Braff, THE IMMACULATE ROOM with Emile Hirsch and Kate Bosworth, DOTTY AND SOUL with Leslie Uggams and the just released Mario Van Pebbles oater OUTLAW POSSE.

AG

With Shannon in LIE

He also played Tex Hopkins on Amazon's SNEAKY PETE with Giovanni Ribisi, John Goodman's Dad on HBO's THE RIGHTEOUS GEMSTONES, had a cameo in KNIVES OUT 1 and was the Director in THE MIMIC with Austin Pendleton, Jessica Walter, Marilu Henner, Didi Conn and Gina Gershon

He is probably best known for playing the sleazy, double-dealing private eye Loren Visser in The Coen Bros. brilliant neo-noir debut BLOOD SIMPLE, the nutty sniper who randomly picks Navin R. Johnson's (Steve Martin) name out of the phone book in the Carl Reiner directed Martin comedy masterwork THE JERK and Bryant, Harrison Ford's former boss in Ridley Scott's sci-fi cult classic BLADE RUNNER.

''We'll ma'am, if I see him, I'll sure give him the message''

BLOOD SIMPLE

''Die gas pumper!''

THE JERK

''I need the old blade runner, I need your magic''

BLADE RUNNER

Walsh was born in the state of New York and raised in Vermont.

He attended Clarkson University in Potsdam, NY.

In 1969, Walsh got a great start to his film career, working with 2 top directors: appearing as a bus passenger in John Schlesinger's Oscar Winning Best Picture MIDNIGHT COWBOY and as a Group Sergeant in Best Director Oscar Nominee Arthur Penn's ALICE'S RESTAURANT.

The following year Penn cast Walsh as a shotgun guard in LITTLE BIG MAN.

He later became a favorite of such other directors as Peter Bogdanovich, Robert Redford, The Coen Bros., Michael Ritchie, Stuart Rosenberg and Joseph Zito.

Over the last 5 decades, Walsh has amassed over 200 film & TV credits.

Some of my other favorite Walsh characterizations include:

Tim Matheson's Doctor, who makes Chevy Chase sing Moon River

in FLETCH

''Drop your shorts and bend over Mr. Babar''

Dustin Hoffman's smug, dickhead parole officer Earl Frank (probably my favorite Walsh role) in 1978's searing STRAIGHT TIME

Working with The Coen Bros. again,

as the ear-bending machine shop co-worker of Nicolas Cage

in RAISING ARIZONA

''No, not that mother scratcher''

Gallagher in Sidney Lumet's SERPICO

Quirky Charlestown sportswriter Dickie Dunn in SLAP SHOT

''I tried to capture the spirit of the thing''

With the equally peculiar Andrew Duncan in

SLAP SHOT

The General's Aide in ESCAPE FROM THE PLANET OF THE APES

John Alderman, Harry Lauter and Walsh are amazed by Cornelius and Zira in the

second APES sequel

Oregon State Prison Sgt. Sanger in FAST-WALKING

The policeman who arrests pretty much all of the WHAT'S UP DOC? cast

With Liam Dunn in WHAT'S UP DOC?

Harv in CRITTERS

Joe O'Neal in MY BEST FRIEND'S WEDDING

Singing a little prayer to Chelcie Ross & Chris Masterson

in WEDDING

The grizzled Apothecary in Baz Luhrman's

WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE'S ROMEO + JULIET

The doomed cop, Sgt. Dominick Benti, in 1990's NAROW MARGIN with

Gene Hackman

Tuck, old army buddy of Chuck Norris in the original

MISSING IN ACTION

The voice of Earl Stutz in THE IRON GIANT

The snide caretaker Calvin Murks in THE MUSIC OF CHANCE

Keeping an eye on Mandy Patinkin in

CHANCE

Detective Jesse Hall in THE GLASS SHIELD

With Ice Cube in SHIELD

Burns, the cop who interrogates Geraldine Page in THE POPE OF GREENWICH VILLAGE

Pestering Page in POPE

Mr. Saunders, Portia Doubleday's father in YOUTH IN REVOLT

With Mary Kay Place (as his wife) in YOUTH IN REVOLT

Thomas Haden Church's friendly cab driver in the thriller DON McKAY

Bub, Jennifer Garber's uncle, in THE ODD LIFE OF TIMOTHY GREEN

With Lois Smith in TIMOTHY GREEN

Other big screen roles for Walsh include:

The Governor in THE MILAGRO BEANFIELD WAR, diving Coach Turnbull in BACK TO SCHOOL, Art in COLD TURKEY, Dr. Williams im AIRPORT '77, Dewey Ferguson in RED SCORPION, John Lithgow's dad in HARRY AND THE HENDERSONS, Richard, Micheal Keaton's sponsor, in CLEAN AND SOBER, Master Chief Walker in RAISE THE TITANIC, Lew Popper in BIG STAN, one-eyed George Murphy in SNOW DOGS, Walt Scheel in CHRISTMAS WITH THE KRANKS, Motion Picture home resident Mickey Higgins in MAN IN THE CHAIR, defense psychologist Dr. Bass in A TIME TO KILL, Tim Hutton's swim coach in ORDINARY PEOPLE, Harold in AT LONG LAST LOVE, Father Logan in NICKELODEON, The Warden in THE TRAVELING EXECUTIONER, Mack in CANNERY ROW, Walt Yarborough in SILKWOOD, Chief Van Owen in SAM STEELE AND THE JUNIOR DETECTIVE AGENCY, The Writer in CALVARY and Woodzie in RACING STRIPES.

RAISING STRIPES

With Lee Grant and Buck Rogers, I mean, Gil Gerard, in AIRPORT '77

With Al AIRPLANE! White in RED SCORPION

With Keith Gordon in BACK TO SCHOOL

With Cuba Gooding Jr. in SNOW DOGS

CANNERY ROW

MAN IN THE CHAIR

Walsh has also been quite active on the Boob Tube.

He played Motorcycle patrolman Alex Lembeck in the short-lived 1972 NBC series THE SANDY DUNCAN SHOW, a recurring role on James Garner's 1971-72 TV cult classic NICHOLS, Det. Davies in THE DELIBERATE STRANGER, Patricia Richardson's father, Col. Patterson on HOME IMPROVEMENT, Sheriff Horace Quinn in the 1981 mini-series version of Steinbeck's EAST OF EDEN, Arthur Dales brother, Arthur, in The Unnatural episode of THE X-FILES, the voice of Olaf on POUND PUPPIES, Ned Platt (a nod to the great character actor of WEST SIDE STORY & CHARADE?), on the very brief run of the forensic expert series UNSUB, which ran a decade ahead of CSI on NBC in 1989, Jonas in the TALES OF THE CRYPT episode Collection Completed, Jack Hoover in the Pilot episode of THE BOB NEWHART SHOW, Sheriff Sweeney in the critically acclaimed 1977 tele-film RED ALERT, various voices in Ken Burns THE CIVIL WAR, Harry Allen, the father of THE FLASH (1990 CBS series), a recurring role on HBO's THE MIND OF THE MARRIED MAN (2001-02), the voice of Cosmic Owl on ADVENTURE TIME and the role of Glenn Close's father on DAMAGES.

THE SANDY DUNCAN SHOW cast

Sandy, Tom Bosley, Marian Mercer, Walsh and Pam Zarit

DAMAGES

The cast of UNSUB

Walsh gets stuffed in TALES FROM THE CRYPT

A sampling of Walsh's hundreds of other film & TV credits include:

THE MIGHTY QUINN, GET TO KNOW YOUR RABBIT, KID BLUE, THE GAMBLER, THE FISH THAT SAVED PITTSBURGH, THE ESCAPE ARTIST, REDS, JULIA, ALL IN THE FAMILY, THE JIMMY STEWART SHOW, BACK ROADS, A QUESTION OF GUILT, WILDER NAPALM, CAMP NOWHERE, PROBABLE CAUSE, DEAR DETECTIVE, BAGGAGE, SHERMAN'S WAY, PANTHER, STARSKY AND HUTCH, THE BEST OF TIMES, WILDCATS, CHASING 3000, NYPD BLUE, THEY MIGHT BE GIANTS, NO MAN'S LAND, WAR PARTY, CHATTAHOOCHEE, SUNSET, BAGGAGE, FRASIER, ARTHUR NEWMAN, THE ASSIGNMENT, TRACEY ULLMAN AND THE TRAILER TALES, MIKEY AND NICKY, SUPERDOME, EQUINOX, BITTER HARVEST, WILD WILD WEST, GRANDVIEW U.S.A., BROTHERHOOD OF THE ROSE, FREE WILLY 2: THE ADVENTURE HOME, TWILIGHT with Paul Newman, ALBINO ALLIGATOR, RAISING BUCHANAN, FAITH, HOPE AND LOVE, THE MIMIC and tons more.

With Debra Winger in WILDER NAPALM

With Esther Rolle in THE MIGHTY QUINN

ALBINO ALLIGATOR

Walsh has one last film to be released - GREEN & GOLD with Craig T. Nelson

Walsh appeared on Broadway in DOES A TIGER WEAR A NECKTIE? with Al Pacino and Off- Broadway in THE DEATH OF A WELL-LOVED BOY. He also appeared in Sam Shepard's BURIED CHILD at the National Theatre in London.

Did you know...?

Walsh has never been nominated for an Oscar or Emmy!

That's because he never gives a bad performance and makes it look so easy.

He did win an Independent Spirit Award for Best Male Lead for his

performance in BLOOD SIMPLE.

He was roommates with William Devane (THE MISSILES OF OCTOBER, KNOTS LANDING, ROLLING THUNDER) in college.

He has been deaf in his left ear since age 3.

The late critic Roger Ebert came up with the ''Stanton-Walsh Rule'', in which no film with either Walsh or Harry Dean Stanton in a supporting role can be altogether bad. In 1999, Ebert said that rule was broken when Walsh appeared in the WILD WILD WEST and Stanton popped up in DREAM A LITTLE DREAM.