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M. Emmet Walsh
★ Acting

M. Emmet Walsh

1935 – 2024 · Ogdensburg, New York, USA · Active 1951–2025

M. Emmet Walsh, born in 1935, is a prolific American character actor whose career spans decades. He appeared in Midnight Cowboy (1969), a seminal film that helped define the gritty realism of the era, and played a memorable role in The Gambler (1974), showcasing his ability to embody complex characters. Walsh's contributions to the cult film landscape are evident in his performances across various genres, including the dark comedy of Scandalous (1984) and the offbeat charm of Get to Know Your Rabbit (1972). His versatility and presence have left an indelible mark on the world of cult cinema.

▶ Watch on SassyFlix 14 films available
Poor White Trash

Poor White Trash

2000 ★ 4.8
as Judge Pike

Mike and Lenny are two buddies who dream of getting out of the trailer park. Out of desperation they resort to burglary as a means of financing Mike's college education. Their dream is jeopardized one summer day when their ploy to shoplift Near Beer begins a crime spree and a series of mishaps during which they are threatened with jail.

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Career Highlights Top 6 by popularity · TMDB

Filmography

224 credits
2020s 8 credits
2025
Movie ★ 7.0
2024
Outlaw Posse as Catfish
Movie ★ 4.7
2024
Brothers as Judge Farful
Movie ★ 5.9
2023
A Little White Lie as Arthur Baldwin
Movie ★ 5.7
2023
Dotty and Soul as Harold Eichelbaum
Movie ★ 4.0
2022
The Immaculate Room as Kate's Father
Movie ★ 5.3
2022
TV ★ 6.8
2021
The Mimic as The Director
Movie ★ 4.1
2010s 23 credits
2019
South of Bix as Grandpa
Movie
2019
Movie ★ 7.5
2019
Knives Out as Mr. Proofroc
Movie ★ 7.8
2019
Raising Buchanan as Larry Kiesling
Movie ★ 5.7
2019
Sorry, Not Sorry as Harry's Father
Movie ★ 6.0
2019
TV ★ 7.4
2018
Change in the Air as Walter Lemke
Movie ★ 5.7
2018
Movie ★ 6.5
2018
Toto as Toto
Movie
2015
Movie ★ 5.2
2015
Boiling Pot as Dean Marison
Movie ★ 5.2
2015
Empire as Harold Blakeley
TV ★ 7.1
2015
Sneaky Pete as Tex Hopkins
TV ★ 7.5
2014
Calvary as The Writer
Movie ★ 7.1
2014
TV ★ 7.2
2012
Movie ★ 7.0
2012
Movie ★ 5.5
2012
Movie ★ 5.6
2011
Movie ★ 4.8
2010
The Assignment as Mr. Beudreaux
Movie ★ 6.5
2010
Chasing 3000 as Chuck Ireland
Movie ★ 6.2
2010
Pound Puppies as Olaf (voice)
TV ★ 5.3
2010
Adventure Time as Cosmic Owl (voice)
TV ★ 8.5
2000s 27 credits
2009
Don McKay as Samuel
Movie ★ 4.9
2009
Youth in Revolt as Mr. Saunders
Movie ★ 6.2
2008
Movie ★ 3.3
2008
Movie ★ 4.2
2008
Movie
2007
Big Stan as Lew Popper
Movie ★ 6.6
2007
Man in the Chair as Mickey Hopkins
Movie ★ 6.5
2007
Movie ★ 7.8
2007
Damages as Lyle Hewes
TV ★ 7.5
2007
Army Wives as Bernie Wallacheck
TV ★ 7.5
2006
'Til Death as Uncle Rudolph
TV ★ 6.4
2005
Racing Stripes as Woodzie
Movie ★ 5.9
2005
Movie ★ 5.3
2004
Movie ★ 6.2
2003
Baggage as Sandy Westphall
Movie ★ 8.0
2003
Movie ★ 7.9
2003
TV ★ 8.0
2002
Snow Dogs as George
Movie ★ 5.6
2002
TV ★ 7.8
2001
Movie ★ 6.3
2001
Eyeball Eddie as Coach Cook
Movie ★ 7.0
2001
Night Visions as Gus (segment "Reunion")
TV ★ 7.1
2001
The Guardian as Ezra Pence
TV ★ 7.0
2000
Poor White Trash as Judge Pike
Movie ★ 4.5
2000
Movie ★ 7.7
2000
Jack of Hearts as Comissioner Menlo Boyce
Movie ★ 3.1
2000
Ed as Mayor Wally Kendricks
TV ★ 7.7
1990s 58 credits
1999
The Iron Giant as Earl Stutz (voice)
Movie ★ 8.0
1999
Wild Wild West as Coleman
Movie ★ 5.3
1999
Movie ★ 5.4
1999
Random Hearts as Billy (uncredited)
Movie ★ 5.6
1999
Monster! as Lloyd Reeves
Movie ★ 5.0
1999
TV ★ 7.2
1998
Movie ★ 3.6
1998
Twilight as Lester Ivar
Movie ★ 6.1
1998
Nightmare in Big Sky Country as Marshal Jim Phillips
Movie ★ 10.0
1998
Erasable You as Ralph Worth
Movie ★ 8.0
1998
Men in White as Stanley
Movie ★ 3.8
1998
The Wild Thornberrys as Gemsbok #1 (voice)
TV ★ 7.0
1997
Movie ★ 6.6
1997
Movie ★ 6.1
1997
Movie ★ 5.7
1997
The Killing Jar as Sheriff Foley
Movie ★ 4.4
1996
A Time to Kill as Willard Tyrell Bass (uncredited)
Movie ★ 7.4
1996
Movie ★ 4.8
1996
Portraits of a Killer as Raymond Garrison
Movie ★ 4.2
1996
The Lottery as Chief Davis
Movie ★ 6.0
1996
Romeo + Juliet as Apothecary
Movie ★ 6.8
1996
TV ★ 7.4
1996
TV ★ 8.2
1996
The West as Self (voice)
TV ★ 8.4
1995
Movie ★ 5.9
1995
Panther as Dorsett
Movie ★ 6.3
1995
Dead Badge as Sergeant Miller Hoskins
Movie ★ 6.8
1995
The Outer Limits as Sanford Vallé
TV ★ 7.7
1994
Cops & Robbersons as Captain Ted Corbett (uncredited)
Movie ★ 5.2
1994
Camp Nowhere as T.R. Polk
Movie ★ 6.0
1994
Movie ★ 4.6
1994
Relative Fear as Earl Ladelle
Movie ★ 5.1
1994
Madness of Method as Rudolph Thorndyke
Movie ★ 7.0
1994
The Glass Shield as Det. Jesse Hall
Movie ★ 5.1
1994
Baseball as (voice)
TV ★ 7.5
1993
The Music of Chance as Calvin Murks
Movie ★ 6.5
1993
Bitter Harvest as Sheriff Bob
Movie ★ 4.7
1993
Wilder Napalm as Fire Chief
Movie ★ 5.6
1993
Frasier as Rich Koechner
TV ★ 7.7
1993
The X-Files as Arthur Dales
TV ★ 8.4
1993
NYPD Blue as Joe Kroft
TV ★ 7.1
1992
White Sands as Bert Gibson
Movie ★ 5.9
1992
Killer Image as John Kane
Movie ★ 4.3
1992
The Naked Truth as Garcia / Gesundheim
Movie ★ 3.1
1992
Four Eyes and Six-Guns as Mayor Thornbush
Movie ★ 3.5
1992
Wild Card as Mose
Movie ★ 6.0
1992
Equinox as Pete Petosa
Movie ★ 5.7
1991
Movie ★ 6.0
1991
Movie ★ 5.4
1991
Silverfox as Charles Blankenship
Movie
1991
TV ★ 7.4
1990
Narrow Margin as Sergeant Dominick Benti
Movie ★ 6.4
1990
The Flash as Henry Allen
Movie ★ 6.5
1990
Chattahoochee as Morris
Movie ★ 5.8
1990
Love and Lies as Clyde Wilson
Movie
1990
The Flash as Henry Allen
TV ★ 7.4
1990
The Civil War as Various (voice)
TV ★ 7.9
1980s 57 credits
1989
The Mighty Quinn as Fred Miller
Movie ★ 6.0
1989
Catch Me... If You Can as Johnny Phatmun
Movie ★ 5.6
1989
Movie ★ 4.3
1989
TV ★ 8.0
1989
Unsub as Ned Platt
TV ★ 8.3
1989
TV ★ 6.9
1988
Red Scorpion as Dewey Ferguson
Movie ★ 6.0
1988
War Party as Colin Ditweiler
Movie ★ 6.3
1988
Sunset as Chief Marvin Dibner
Movie ★ 5.7
1988
Clean and Sober as Richard Dirks
Movie ★ 6.3
1988
Movie ★ 6.6
1987
Harry and the Hendersons as George Henderson Sr.
Movie ★ 6.1
1987
No Man's Land as Captain Haun
Movie ★ 6.0
1987
Broken Vows as Detective Mulligan
Movie ★ 4.8
1987
Movie ★ 6.0
1987
Murder Ordained as Vern Humphrey
Movie ★ 5.0
1987
Raising Arizona as Machine Shop Ear-Bender
Movie ★ 7.1
1987
Murder Ordained as Vern Humphrey
TV ★ 5.1
1986
Movie ★ 6.5
1986
Movie ★ 5.7
1986
Back to School as Coach Turnbull
Movie ★ 6.3
1986
The Deliberate Stranger as Det. Sam Davies
Movie ★ 6.4
1986
Movie ★ 6.3
1986
Wildcats as Walt Coes
Movie ★ 6.3
1986
Movie ★ 5.7
1986
Hero in the Family as General Presser
Movie ★ 6.5
1986
The Deliberate Stranger as Det. Sam Davies
TV
1985
Blood Simple as Private Detective
Movie ★ 7.3
1985
Fletch as Dr. Joseph Dolan
Movie ★ 6.8
1985
The Twilight Zone as Peter (segment "Dealer's Choice")
TV ★ 7.7
1985
TV ★ 7.5
1984
Movie ★ 6.3
1984
The Outlaws as Warden MacDonald
Movie
1984
Movie ★ 5.9
1984
Movie ★ 5.8
1984
Scandalous as Simon Reynolds
Movie ★ 4.7
1984
Courage as Colonel Crouse
Movie ★ 6.0
1983
Silkwood as Walt Yarborough
Movie ★ 6.9
1983
Movie ★ 9.0
1983
Night Partners as Joe Kirby
Movie ★ 7.5
1983
The Hitchhiker as Detective Underhill
TV ★ 6.3
1983
AfterMASH as Reverend Horn
TV ★ 5.5
1982
Movie ★ 5.9
1982
Fast-Walking as Sergeant Sanger
Movie ★ 5.8
1982
Blade Runner as Bryant
Movie ★ 7.9
1982
Movie ★ 6.2
1981
Back Roads as Arthur
Movie ★ 5.4
1981
Reds as Speaker at Liberal Club
Movie ★ 6.9
1981
Hellinger's Law as Mr. Graebner
Movie ★ 8.8
1981
East of Eden as Sheriff Horace Quinn
TV ★ 7.4
1980
Brubaker as C.P. Woodward
Movie ★ 7.1
1980
Raise the Titanic as Master Chief Vinnie Walker
Movie ★ 5.3
1980
Ordinary People as Swim Coach
Movie ★ 7.4
1980
City in Fear as Sheldon Lewis
Movie ★ 5.7
1980
Movie ★ 4.7
1980
Skag as Moran
Movie
1970s 44 credits
1979
The Jerk as Madman
Movie ★ 6.9
1979
Movie ★ 5.7
1979
The Gift as Legion Commander
Movie ★ 6.5
1979
Dear Detective as Capt. Gorcey
Movie ★ 10.0
1979
No Other Love as DeFranco
Movie ★ 8.0
1979
TV ★ 7.2
1978
Straight Time as Earl Frank
Movie ★ 7.2
1978
A Question of Guilt as Inspector McCartney
Movie ★ 6.8
1978
Superdome as Whitley
Movie ★ 4.7
1977
Slap Shot as Dickie Dunn
Movie ★ 6.8
1977
Red Alert as Sheriff Sweeney
Movie ★ 5.5
1977
Airport '77 as Dr. Williams
Movie ★ 5.6
1976
Nickelodeon as "Father" Logan
Movie ★ 6.1
1976
Mikey and Nicky as Bus Driver
Movie ★ 6.9
1976
Movie ★ 6.6
1976
Movie ★ 6.9
1976
Gibbsville as Yostie
TV ★ 10.0
1975
Movie ★ 6.6
1975
Movie ★ 5.2
1975
Movie ★ 5.7
1975
Crime Club as Jack Doyle
Movie ★ 7.0
1975
TV ★ 7.3
1975
TV ★ 6.5
1975
Starsky & Hutch as Lloyd Herman Eckworth
TV ★ 7.3
1974
The Gambler as Las Vegas Gambler
Movie ★ 6.7
1974
TV ★ 7.9
1974
The Rockford Files as Edgar Burch
TV ★ 7.6
1973
Serpico as Gallagher
Movie ★ 7.5
1973
Kid Blue as Barber
Movie ★ 6.9
1972
What's Up, Doc? as Arresting Officer
Movie ★ 7.4
1972
Movie ★ 5.0
1972
The Bob Newhart Show as Jack Hoover
TV ★ 7.5
1972
TV ★ 10.0
1972
The Waltons as David Fletcher
TV ★ 7.2
1971
Movie ★ 6.3
1971
They Might Be Giants as 1st Sanitation Man
Movie ★ 7.0
1971
Movie ★ 6.4
1971
All in the Family as Billy Hartfield
TV ★ 7.8
1971
McMillan & Wife as Officer Ames
TV ★ 7.0
1971
Nichols as Gabe McCutcheon
TV ★ 6.3
1970
Movie ★ 5.9
1970
Little Big Man as Shotgun Guard
Movie ★ 7.5
1970
End of the Road as Crab Man / Tutu Man
Movie ★ 5.1
1970
TV ★ 5.3
1960s 4 credits
1969
Alice's Restaurant as Group W Sergeant
Movie ★ 6.3
1969
Midnight Cowboy as Bus Passenger (uncredited)
Movie ★ 7.5
1969
Stiletto as Racing Partner (uncredited)
Movie ★ 5.3
1967
Ironside as Telegraph Clerk
TV ★ 6.9
1950s 3 credits
1959
Bonanza as Mattheson
TV ★ 7.5
1954
TV ★ 7.9
1951
TV ★ 8.8