Acting · Ogdensburg, New York, USA · Born March 22, 1935
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).
MovieGreen and Gold
2025
as Scotty
MovieBrothers
2024
as Judge Farful
MovieOutlaw Posse
2024
as Catfish
MovieDotty and Soul
2023
as Harold Eichelbaum
MovieA Little White Lie
2023
as Arthur Baldwin
TVAmerican Gigolo
2022
as Coleman
MovieThe Immaculate Room
2022
as Kate's Father
MovieThe Mimic
2021
as The Director
MovieKnives Out
2019
as Mr. Proofroc
TVThe Righteous Gemstones
2019
as Roy Gemstone
MovieSouth of Bix
2019
as Grandpa
MovieRaising Buchanan
2019
as Larry Kiesling
MovieFaith, Hope & Love
2019
as Fr. John
MovieSorry, Not Sorry
2019
as Harry's Father
MovieChange in the Air
2018
as Walter Lemke
MovieToto
2018
as Toto
MovieShifting Gears
2018
as Hank
MovieBoiling Pot
2015
as Dean Marison
TVSneaky Pete
2015
as Tex Hopkins
MovieThe Scorpion King 4: Quest for Power
2015
as Gorak
TVEmpire
2015
as Harold Blakeley
TVTim and Eric's Bedtime Stories
2014
as Detective
MovieCalvary
2014
as The Writer
MovieLove Sick Love
2012
as Ed
MovieArthur Newman
2012
as Zazek
MovieThe Odd Life of Timothy Green
2012
as Uncle Bub
MovieSam Steele and the Junior Detective Agency
2011
as Chief Van Owen
TVPound Puppies
2010
as Olaf (voice)
MovieChasing 3000
2010
as Chuck Ireland
MovieThe Assignment
2010
as Mr. Beudreaux
TVAdventure Time
2010
as Cosmic Owl (voice)
MovieYouth in Revolt
2009
as Mr. Saunders
MovieDon McKay
2009
as Samuel
MovieHaunted Echoes
2008
as Neil
MovieYour Name Here
2008
as Kroger
A True Character
2008
as Self
MovieDangerous Days: Making Blade Runner
2007
as Self
MovieBig Stan
2007
as Lew Popper
TVDamages
2007
as Lyle Hewes
TVArmy Wives
2007
as Bernie Wallacheck
MovieMan in the Chair
2007
as Mickey Hopkins
TV'Til Death
2006
as Uncle Rudolph
MovieGreener Mountains
2005
as Muggs
MovieRacing Stripes
2005
as Woodzie
MovieChristmas with the Kranks
2004
as Walt Scheel
MovieTracey Ullman in the Trailer Tales
2003
as Wally Westland
Charlie Lawrence
2003
as Cubby
MovieBaggage
2003
as Sandy Westphall
TVWhat's New, Scooby-Doo?
2002
as Jeb (voice)
MovieSnow Dogs
2002
as George
TVThe Guardian
2001
as Ezra Pence
TVNight Visions
2001
as Gus (segment "Reunion")
MovieEyeball Eddie
2001
as Coach Cook
MovieChristmas in the Clouds
2001
as Stu O'Malley
MoviePoor White Trash
2000
as Judge Pike
MovieJack of Hearts
2000
as Comissioner Menlo Boyce
TVEd
2000
as Mayor Wally Kendricks
MovieOn the Edge of 'Blade Runner'
2000
as Self
MovieRandom Hearts
1999
as Billy (uncredited)
TVThe Big Guy and Rusty the Boy Robot
1999
as Mack (voice)
MovieMonster!
1999
as Lloyd Reeves
MovieThe Iron Giant
1999
as Earl Stutz (voice)
MovieMe and Will
1999
as Dean
MovieWild Wild West
1999
as Coleman
TVThe Wild Thornberrys
1998
as Gemsbok #1 (voice)
MovieNightmare in Big Sky Country
1998
as Marshal Jim Phillips
MovieMen in White
1998
as Stanley
Erasable You
1998
as Ralph Worth
MovieChairman of the Board
1998
as Freemont
MovieTwilight
1998
as Lester Ivar
MovieMy Best Friend's Wedding
1997
as Joe O'Neal
MovieThe Killing Jar
1997
as Sheriff Foley
MovieRetroactive
1997
as Sam
MovieAlbino Alligator
1997
as Dino
MovieRomeo + Juliet
1996
as Apothecary
MovieThe Lottery
1996
as Chief Davis
TVEarly Edition
1996
as Santa
TVThe West
1996
as Self (voice)
MovieA Time to Kill
1996
as Willard Tyrell Bass (uncredited)
MoviePortraits of a Killer
1996
as Raymond Garrison
MovieCriminal Hearts
1996
as Martin
TVTracey Takes On...
1996
MovieFree Willy 2: The Adventure Home
1995
as Bill Wilcox
MovieFrom the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler
1995
as Morris
MoviePanther
1995
as Dorsett
MovieDead Badge
1995
as Sergeant Miller Hoskins
TVThe Outer Limits
1995
as Sanford Vallé
MovieRelative Fear
1994
as Earl Ladelle
MovieProbable Cause
1994
as Sadler
TVBaseball
1994
as (voice)
MovieThe Glass Shield
1994
as Det. Jesse Hall
MovieCamp Nowhere
1994
as T.R. Polk
MovieCops & Robbersons
1994
as Captain Ted Corbett (uncredited)
Madness of Method
1994
as Rudolph Thorndyke
MovieBitter Harvest
1993
as Sheriff Bob
TVNYPD Blue
1993
as Joe Kroft
TVFrasier
1993
as Rich Koechner
TVThe X-Files
1993
as Arthur Dales
MovieWilder Napalm
1993
as Fire Chief
MovieThe Music of Chance
1993
as Calvin Murks
MovieFour Eyes and Six-Guns
1992
as Mayor Thornbush
MovieThe Naked Truth
1992
as Garcia / Gesundheim
MovieEquinox
1992
as Pete Petosa
MovieWild Card
1992
as Mose
MovieWhite Sands
1992
as Bert Gibson
MovieKiller Image
1992
as John Kane
MovieSundown: The Vampire in Retreat
1991
as Mort
TVHome Improvement
1991
as Colonel
Silverfox
1991
as Charles Blankenship
MovieFourth Story
1991
as Harry
MovieThe Flash
1990
as Henry Allen
TVThe Civil War
1990
as Various (voice)
MovieNarrow Margin
1990
as Sergeant Dominick Benti
TVThe Flash
1990
as Henry Allen
MovieChattahoochee
1990
as Morris
MovieLove and Lies
1990
as Clyde Wilson
MovieCatch Me... If You Can
1989
as Johnny Phatmun
MovieThunderground
1989
as Wedge
TVTales from the Crypt
1989
as Jonas
MovieThe Mighty Quinn
1989
as Fred Miller
TVUnsub
1989
as Ned Platt
TVBrotherhood of the Rose
1989
as Hardy
MovieRed Scorpion
1988
as Dewey Ferguson
MovieWar Party
1988
as Colin Ditweiler
MovieClean and Sober
1988
as Richard Dirks
MovieSunset
1988
as Chief Marvin Dibner
MovieThe Milagro Beanfield War
1988
as Governor
MovieNo Man's Land
1987
as Captain Haun
MovieHarry and the Hendersons
1987
as George Henderson Sr.
MovieMurder Ordained
1987
as Vern Humphrey
TVMurder Ordained
1987
as Vern Humphrey
MovieRaising Arizona
1987
as Machine Shop Ear-Bender
MovieThe Abduction of Kari Swenson
1987
as Don Nichols
MovieBroken Vows
1987
as Detective Mulligan
MovieHero in the Family
1986
as General Presser
MovieBack to School
1986
as Coach Turnbull
MovieThe Deliberate Stranger
1986
as Det. Sam Davies
TVThe Deliberate Stranger
1986
as Det. Sam Davies
MovieResting Place
1986
as Sarge
MovieCritters
1986
as Harv
MovieWildcats
1986
as Walt Coes
MovieThe Best of Times
1986
as Charlie
MovieThe Right of the People
1986
as Sindaco
TVAmazing Stories
1985
as Grandpa
TVThe Twilight Zone
1985
as Peter (segment "Dealer's Choice")
MovieThe Adventures of Con Sawyer and Hucklemary Finn
1985
as Rocco
MovieFletch
1985
as Dr. Joseph Dolan
MovieBlood Simple
1985
as Private Detective
MovieMissing in Action
1984
as Tuck
MovieCourage
1984
as Colonel Crouse
MovieGrandview, U.S.A.
1984
as Mr. Clark
MovieThe Outlaws
1984
as Warden MacDonald
MovieThe Pope of Greenwich Village
1984
as Burns
MovieScandalous
1984
as Simon Reynolds
MovieSilkwood
1983
as Walt Yarborough
TVThe Hitchhiker
1983
as Detective Underhill
MovieNight Partners
1983
as Joe Kirby
TVAfterMASH
1983
as Reverend Horn
MovieThe Woman Who Willed a Miracle
1983
as Joe Lemke
MovieBlade Runner
1982
as Bryant
MovieThe Escape Artist
1982
as Fritz
MovieFast-Walking
1982
as Sergeant Sanger
MovieCannery Row
1982
as Mack
MovieReds
1981
as Speaker at Liberal Club
MovieBack Roads
1981
as Arthur
MovieHellinger's Law
1981
as Mr. Graebner
TVEast of Eden
1981
as Sheriff Horace Quinn
MovieHigh Noon, Part II: The Return of Will Kane
1980
as Harold Patton
MovieOrdinary People
1980
as Swim Coach
MovieRaise the Titanic
1980
as Master Chief Vinnie Walker
MovieBrubaker
1980
as C.P. Woodward
MovieCity in Fear
1980
as Sheldon Lewis
MovieSkag
1980
as Moran
MovieThe Gift
1979
as Legion Commander
MovieThe Jerk
1979
as Madman
TVThe French Atlantic Affair
1979
as Harry
MovieThe Fish That Saved Pittsburgh
1979
as Wally Cantrell
MovieDear Detective
1979
as Capt. Gorcey
MovieNo Other Love
1979
as DeFranco
MovieStraight Time
1978
as Earl Frank
MovieA Question of Guilt
1978
as Inspector McCartney
MovieSuperdome
1978
as Whitley
MovieRed Alert
1977
as Sheriff Sweeney
MovieAirport '77
1977
as Dr. Williams
MovieSlap Shot
1977
as Dickie Dunn
MovieNickelodeon
1976
as "Father" Logan
MovieMikey and Nicky
1976
as Bus Driver
MovieBound for Glory
1976
as Husband
TVGibbsville
1976
as Yostie
MovieThe Invasion of Johnson County
1976
as Irvine
TVStarsky & Hutch
1975
as Freddie
MovieCrime Club
1975
as Jack Doyle
MovieThe Prisoner of Second Avenue
1975
as Doorman
MovieAt Long Last Love
1975
as Harold
MovieSarah T. - Portrait of a Teenage Alcoholic
1975
as Mr. Peterson
TVBaretta
1975
MovieThe Gambler
1974
as Las Vegas Gambler
TVThe Rockford Files
1974
as Edgar Burch
TVLittle House on the Prairie
1974
as Callahan
MovieSerpico
1973
as Gallagher
MovieKid Blue
1973
as Barber
The Sandy Duncan Show
1972
TVThe Bob Newhart Show
1972
as Jack Hoover
TVThe Waltons
1972
as David Fletcher
MovieGet to Know Your Rabbit
1972
as Mr. Wendel
MovieWhat's Up, Doc?
1972
as Arresting Officer
TVMcMillan & Wife
1971
as Officer Ames
TVNichols
1971
as Gabe McCutcheon
MovieThey Might Be Giants
1971
as 1st Sanitation Man
MovieEscape from the Planet of the Apes
1971
as Aide
MovieCold Turkey
1971
as Art
TVAll in the Family
1971
as Billy Hartfield
MovieLittle Big Man
1970
as Shotgun Guard
MovieThe Traveling Executioner
1970
as Warden Brodski
TVArnie
1970
MovieEnd of the Road
1970
as Crab Man / Tutu Man
MovieAlice's Restaurant
1969
as Group W Sergeant
MovieStiletto
1969
as Racing Partner (uncredited)
MovieMidnight Cowboy
1969
as Bus Passenger (uncredited)
TVIronside
1967
as Telegraph Clerk
TVBonanza
1959
as Mattheson
TVThe Wonderful World of Disney
1954
as General Presser
TVHallmark Hall of Fame
1951
as Sarge
