M. Emmet Walsh

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

The X-Files

NYPD Blue

Adventure Time

Frasier

Bonanza

Ironside

The Waltons

Little House on the Prairie

All Movies (168)

• Green and Gold2025 · as Scotty
• Brothers2024 · as Judge Farful
• Outlaw Posse2024 · as Catfish
• Dotty and Soul2023 · as Harold Eichelbaum
• A Little White Lie2023 · as Arthur Baldwin
• The Immaculate Room2022 · as Kate's Father
• The Mimic2021 · as The Director
• Knives Out2019 · as Mr. Proofroc
• South of Bix2019 · as Grandpa
• Raising Buchanan2019 · as Larry Kiesling
• Faith, Hope & Love2019 · as Fr. John
• Sorry, Not Sorry2019 · as Harry's Father
• Change in the Air2018 · as Walter Lemke
• Toto2018 · as Toto
• Shifting Gears2018 · as Hank
• Boiling Pot2015 · as Dean Marison
• The Scorpion King 4: Quest for Power2015 · as Gorak
• Calvary2014 · as The Writer
• Love Sick Love2012 · as Ed
• Arthur Newman2012 · as Zazek
• The Odd Life of Timothy Green2012 · as Uncle Bub
• Sam Steele and the Junior Detective Agency2011 · as Chief Van Owen
• Chasing 30002010 · as Chuck Ireland
• The Assignment2010 · as Mr. Beudreaux
• Youth in Revolt2009 · as Mr. Saunders
• Don McKay2009 · as Samuel
• Haunted Echoes2008 · as Neil
• Your Name Here2008 · as Kroger
• A True Character2008 · as Self
• Dangerous Days: Making Blade Runner2007 · as Self
• Big Stan2007 · as Lew Popper
• Man in the Chair2007 · as Mickey Hopkins
• Greener Mountains2005 · as Muggs
• Racing Stripes2005 · as Woodzie
• Christmas with the Kranks2004 · as Walt Scheel
• Tracey Ullman in the Trailer Tales2003 · as Wally Westland
• Baggage2003 · as Sandy Westphall
• Snow Dogs2002 · as George
• Eyeball Eddie2001 · as Coach Cook
• Christmas in the Clouds2001 · as Stu O'Malley
• Poor White Trash2000 · as Judge Pike
• Jack of Hearts2000 · as Comissioner Menlo Boyce
• On the Edge of 'Blade Runner'2000 · as Self
• Random Hearts1999 · as Billy (uncredited)
• Monster!1999 · as Lloyd Reeves
• The Iron Giant1999 · as Earl Stutz (voice)
• Me and Will1999 · as Dean
• Wild Wild West1999 · as Coleman
• Nightmare in Big Sky Country1998 · as Marshal Jim Phillips
• Men in White1998 · as Stanley
• Erasable You1998 · as Ralph Worth
• Chairman of the Board1998 · as Freemont
• Twilight1998 · as Lester Ivar
• My Best Friend's Wedding1997 · as Joe O'Neal
• The Killing Jar1997 · as Sheriff Foley
• Retroactive1997 · as Sam
• Albino Alligator1997 · as Dino
• Romeo + Juliet1996 · as Apothecary
• The Lottery1996 · as Chief Davis
• A Time to Kill1996 · as Willard Tyrell Bass (uncredited)
• Portraits of a Killer1996 · as Raymond Garrison
• Criminal Hearts1996 · as Martin
• Free Willy 2: The Adventure Home1995 · as Bill Wilcox
• From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler1995 · as Morris
• Panther1995 · as Dorsett
• Dead Badge1995 · as Sergeant Miller Hoskins
• Relative Fear1994 · as Earl Ladelle
• Probable Cause1994 · as Sadler
• The Glass Shield1994 · as Det. Jesse Hall
• Camp Nowhere1994 · as T.R. Polk
• Cops & Robbersons1994 · as Captain Ted Corbett (uncredited)
• Madness of Method1994 · as Rudolph Thorndyke
• Bitter Harvest1993 · as Sheriff Bob
• Wilder Napalm1993 · as Fire Chief
• The Music of Chance1993 · as Calvin Murks
• Four Eyes and Six-Guns1992 · as Mayor Thornbush
• The Naked Truth1992 · as Garcia / Gesundheim
• Equinox1992 · as Pete Petosa
• Wild Card1992 · as Mose
• White Sands1992 · as Bert Gibson
• Killer Image1992 · as John Kane
• Sundown: The Vampire in Retreat1991 · as Mort
• Silverfox1991 · as Charles Blankenship
• Fourth Story1991 · as Harry
• The Flash1990 · as Henry Allen
• Narrow Margin1990 · as Sergeant Dominick Benti
• Chattahoochee1990 · as Morris
• Love and Lies1990 · as Clyde Wilson
• Catch Me... If You Can1989 · as Johnny Phatmun
• Thunderground1989 · as Wedge
• The Mighty Quinn1989 · as Fred Miller
• Red Scorpion1988 · as Dewey Ferguson
• War Party1988 · as Colin Ditweiler
• Clean and Sober1988 · as Richard Dirks
• Sunset1988 · as Chief Marvin Dibner
• The Milagro Beanfield War1988 · as Governor
• No Man's Land1987 · as Captain Haun
• Harry and the Hendersons1987 · as George Henderson Sr.
• Murder Ordained1987 · as Vern Humphrey
• Raising Arizona1987 · as Machine Shop Ear-Bender
• The Abduction of Kari Swenson1987 · as Don Nichols
• Broken Vows1987 · as Detective Mulligan
• Hero in the Family1986 · as General Presser
• Back to School1986 · as Coach Turnbull
• The Deliberate Stranger1986 · as Det. Sam Davies
• Resting Place1986 · as Sarge
• Critters1986 · as Harv
• Wildcats1986 · as Walt Coes
• The Best of Times1986 · as Charlie
• The Right of the People1986 · as Sindaco
• The Adventures of Con Sawyer and Hucklemary Finn1985 · as Rocco
• Fletch1985 · as Dr. Joseph Dolan
• Blood Simple1985 · as Private Detective
• Missing in Action1984 · as Tuck
• Courage1984 · as Colonel Crouse
• Grandview, U.S.A.1984 · as Mr. Clark
• The Outlaws1984 · as Warden MacDonald
• The Pope of Greenwich Village1984 · as Burns
• Scandalous1984 · as Simon Reynolds
• Silkwood1983 · as Walt Yarborough
• Night Partners1983 · as Joe Kirby
• The Woman Who Willed a Miracle1983 · as Joe Lemke
• Blade Runner1982 · as Bryant
• The Escape Artist1982 · as Fritz
• Fast-Walking1982 · as Sergeant Sanger
• Cannery Row1982 · as Mack
• Reds1981 · as Speaker at Liberal Club
• Back Roads1981 · as Arthur
• Hellinger's Law1981 · as Mr. Graebner
• High Noon, Part II: The Return of Will Kane1980 · as Harold Patton
• Ordinary People1980 · as Swim Coach
• Raise the Titanic1980 · as Master Chief Vinnie Walker
• Brubaker1980 · as C.P. Woodward
• City in Fear1980 · as Sheldon Lewis
• Skag1980 · as Moran
• The Gift1979 · as Legion Commander
• The Jerk1979 · as Madman
• The Fish That Saved Pittsburgh1979 · as Wally Cantrell
• Dear Detective1979 · as Capt. Gorcey
• No Other Love1979 · as DeFranco
• Straight Time1978 · as Earl Frank
• A Question of Guilt1978 · as Inspector McCartney
• Superdome1978 · as Whitley
• Red Alert1977 · as Sheriff Sweeney
• Airport '771977 · as Dr. Williams
• Slap Shot1977 · as Dickie Dunn
• Nickelodeon1976 · as "Father" Logan
• Mikey and Nicky1976 · as Bus Driver
• Bound for Glory1976 · as Husband
• The Invasion of Johnson County1976 · as Irvine
• Crime Club1975 · as Jack Doyle
• The Prisoner of Second Avenue1975 · as Doorman
• At Long Last Love1975 · as Harold
• Sarah T. - Portrait of a Teenage Alcoholic1975 · as Mr. Peterson
• The Gambler1974 · as Las Vegas Gambler
• Serpico1973 · as Gallagher
• Kid Blue1973 · as Barber
• Get to Know Your Rabbit1972 · as Mr. Wendel
• What's Up, Doc?1972 · as Arresting Officer
• They Might Be Giants1971 · as 1st Sanitation Man
• Escape from the Planet of the Apes1971 · as Aide
• Cold Turkey1971 · as Art
• Little Big Man1970 · as Shotgun Guard
• The Traveling Executioner1970 · as Warden Brodski
• End of the Road1970 · as Crab Man / Tutu Man
• Alice's Restaurant1969 · as Group W Sergeant
• Stiletto1969 · as Racing Partner (uncredited)
• Midnight Cowboy1969 · as Bus Passenger (uncredited)

All TV Shows (56)

• American Gigolo2022 · as Coleman
• The Righteous Gemstones2019 · as Roy Gemstone
• Sneaky Pete2015 · as Tex Hopkins
• Empire2015 · as Harold Blakeley
• Tim and Eric's Bedtime Stories2014 · as Detective
• Pound Puppies2010 · as Olaf (voice)
• Adventure Time2010 · as Cosmic Owl (voice)
• Damages2007 · as Lyle Hewes
• Army Wives2007 · as Bernie Wallacheck
• 'Til Death2006 · as Uncle Rudolph
• Charlie Lawrence2003 · as Cubby
• What's New, Scooby-Doo?2002 · as Jeb (voice)
• The Guardian2001 · as Ezra Pence
• Night Visions2001 · as Gus (segment "Reunion")
• Ed2000 · as Mayor Wally Kendricks
• The Big Guy and Rusty the Boy Robot1999 · as Mack (voice)
• The Wild Thornberrys1998 · as Gemsbok #1 (voice)
• Early Edition1996 · as Santa
• The West1996 · as Self (voice)
• Tracey Takes On...1996
• The Outer Limits1995 · as Sanford Vallé
• Baseball1994 · as (voice)
• NYPD Blue1993 · as Joe Kroft
• Frasier1993 · as Rich Koechner
• The X-Files1993 · as Arthur Dales
• Home Improvement1991 · as Colonel
• The Civil War1990 · as Various (voice)
• The Flash1990 · as Henry Allen
• Tales from the Crypt1989 · as Jonas
• Unsub1989 · as Ned Platt
• Brotherhood of the Rose1989 · as Hardy
• Murder Ordained1987 · as Vern Humphrey
• The Deliberate Stranger1986 · as Det. Sam Davies
• Amazing Stories1985 · as Grandpa
• The Twilight Zone1985 · as Peter (segment "Dealer's Choice")
• The Hitchhiker1983 · as Detective Underhill
• AfterMASH1983 · as Reverend Horn
• East of Eden1981 · as Sheriff Horace Quinn
• The French Atlantic Affair1979 · as Harry
• Gibbsville1976 · as Yostie
• Starsky & Hutch1975 · as Freddie
• Starsky & Hutch1975 · as Lloyd Herman Eckworth
• Baretta1975
• The Rockford Files1974 · as Edgar Burch
• Little House on the Prairie1974 · as Callahan
• The Sandy Duncan Show1972
• The Bob Newhart Show1972 · as Jack Hoover
• The Waltons1972 · as David Fletcher
• McMillan & Wife1971 · as Officer Ames
• Nichols1971 · as Gabe McCutcheon
• All in the Family1971 · as Billy Hartfield
• Arnie1970
• Ironside1967 · as Telegraph Clerk
• Bonanza1959 · as Mattheson
• The Wonderful World of Disney1954 · as General Presser
• Hallmark Hall of Fame1951 · as Sarge