M. Emmet Walsh's Main TV Roles Show Character(s) The Mind of the Married Man Randall Evans The Don Rickles Show Kingston Dear Detective Capt. Garcey The Sandy Duncan Show Alex Lembeck

Main Movie Roles 2009 - Don McKay 2009 - Youth in Revolt 2008 - Sherman's Way 2007 - Big Stan 2007 - Man in the Chair 2005 - Racing Stripes 2004 - Christmas with the Kranks 2002 - Snow Dogs 2000 - Poor White Trash 1999 - Wild Wild West 1999 - Random Hearts 1999 - Me and Will 1999 - The Iron Giant 1998 - Twilight 1998 - Chairman of the Board 1997 - My Best Friend's Wedding 1997 - Retroactive 1996 - Romeo + Juliet 1996 - A Time to Kill 1994 - Cops and Robbersons 1994 - Camp Nowhere 1992 - White Sands 1990 - Narrow Margin 1989 - Red Scorpion 1989 - The Mighty Quinn 1989 - Sundown: The Vampire in Retreat 1989 - Catch Me If You Can 1988 - Clean and Sober 1988 - Sunset 1988 - The Milagro Beanfield War 1987 - Raising Arizona 1987 - Harry and the Hendersons 1987 - No Man's Land 1986 - Critters 1986 - Wildcats 1986 - The Best Of Times 1986 - Back to School 1985 - Fletch 1984 - Missing in Action 1984 - Blood Simple 1984 - The Pope of Greenwich Village 1983 - Silkwood 1982 - Blade Runner 1982 - Fast-Walking 1982 - Cannery Row 1981 - Reds 1981 - Ordinary People 1980 - Brubaker 1980 - Raise The Titanic 1979 - The Jerk 1978 - Straight Time 1977 - Slap Shot 1977 - Airport '77 1976 - Bound for Glory 1975 - At Long Last Love 1975 - The Prisoner of Second Avenue 1974 - The Gambler 1973 - Serpico 1972 - What's Up, Doc? 1971 - Cold Turkey 1971 - They Might Be Giants 1971 - Escape from the Planet of the Apes 1970 - Little Big Man 1969 - Midnight Cowboy 1969 - Alice's Restaurant

BIOGRAPHY:

Wonderfully talented, heavyset character actor (from New York, but regularly playing Southerners) M. Emmet Walsh has made a solid career of playing corrupt cops, deadly crooks, and zany comedic roles since the early 1970s. First appeared in a few fairly forgettable roles both on TV and onscreen before cropping up in several well remembered films, including a courtroom police officer in What's Up, Doc? (1972), as the weird Dickie Dunn in Slap Shot (1977), and as a loony sniper hunting Steve Martin (I) in The Jerk (1979). On-screen demand heated up for him in the early 1980s with attention-grabbing work in key hits, including Brubaker (1980), Reds (1981), and as Harrison Ford (I)'s police chief in the futuristic thriller Blade Runner (1982). Walsh then turned in a stellar performance as the sleazy, double-crossing private detective in the Joel Cohen (I) and Ethan Coen film noir Blood Simple. (1984), and showed up again for the Coens as a loud-mouthed sheet-metal worker bugging Nicolas Cage in the hilarious Raising Arizona (1987). As Walsh moved into his fifties and beyond, Hollywood continued to offer him plenty of work, and he has appeared in over 50 movies since passing the half-century mark. His consistent ability to turn out highly entertaining portrayals led film critic Roger Ebert to coin the "Stanton-Walsh Rule," which states that any film starring Walsh or Harry Dean Stanton has to have some merit. And the "M" stands for Michael!


TRIVIA:

• Appeared in the pilot episode of _"The Bob Newhart Show" (1972)_ (qv).
• Critic 'Roger Ebert' (qv) so admires him that he created the "Stanton-Walsh Rule," which states that "no movie featuring either 'Harry Dean Stanton' (qv) or M. Emmet Walsh in a supporting role can be altogether bad." Ebert later admitted this rule was broken by _Wild Wild West (1999)_ (qv), in which Walsh appeared.
• Attended Tilton School in Tilton, N.H.
• Has been deaf in his left ear since age three.
• Keeps a home in rural West Swanton, Vermont.
• In _Christmas with the Kranks (2004)_ (qv), he plays a neighbor of 'Tim Allen (I)' (qv). He played Allen's father-in-law on _"Home Improvement" (1991)_ (qv).
• Graduated from the Clarkson University School of Business.
• Was roommates with actor 'William Devane' (qv) in college.