RIP: M. Emmet Walsh

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M. Emmet Walsh, born Michael Emmet Walsh,  the great character actor, died yesterday from cardiac arrest.  He was 88.

Although Mr. Walsh graduated from Clarkson University with a B.A. in Business Administration, his career path led him to acting.  With well over 200 roles on his resume, E. Emmet Walsh alternated between television and feature films throughout his over 55 year career.

Television appearances of M. Emmet Walsh include: The Doctors; Arnie; Julia (2 episodes); All in the Family; The Jimmy Stewart Show; Ironside; Bonanza; The Don Rickles Show; Nichols (5 episodes); The Bob Newhart Show; The Sandy Duncan Show (11 episodes); McMillian & Wife; The Rockford Files; Sarah T. – Portrait of a Teenage Alcoholic; The Waltons; Baretta (2 episodes); Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman (2 episodes); Starsky and Hutch (2 episodes); James at 16; East of Eden; Little House on the Prairie; AfterMASH; The Twilight Zone; The Deliberate Stranger; The Magical World of Disney; Amazing Stories; The Abduction of Kari Swanson; Brotherhood of the Rose; Unsub (8 episodes); Tales from the Crypt; The Civil War (9 episodes); The Flash (2 episodes); Home Improvement (2 episodes); The Outer Limits; The X-Files; NYPD Blue; Ed; Big Guy & Rusty the Boy Robot (26 episodes); Frasier; What’s New Scooby Doo?; Til Death; Damages (3 episodes); Pound Puppies (46 episodes); Empire; Adventure Time (4 episodes); Sneaky Pete (7 episodes) and The Righteous Gemstones (2 episodes).

Feature film appearances of M. Emmet Walsh include: Midnight Cowboy; Alice’s Restaurant; Little Big Man; Cold Turkey; Escape from the Planet of the Apes; What’s Up Doc?; Kid Blue; Serpico; The Gambler; At Long Last Love; The Prisoner of Second Avenue; Bound for Glory; Nickelodeon; Slap Shot; Airport ’77; Straight Time; The Fish That Saved Pittsburgh; The Jerk; Brubaker; Raise the Titanic; Ordinary People;  Back Roads; Reds; Canary Row; Blade Runner; Silkwood; Blood Simple; The Pope of Greenwich Village; Missing in Action; Fletch; The Best of Times; Wildcats; Critters; Back to School; Raising Arizona; Harry and the Hendersons; The Milagro Beanfield War; Sunset; Clean and Sober; Red Scorpion; The Mighty Quinn; Narrow Margin; White Sands; Free Willy 2; Albino Alligator; Romeo + Juliet; My Best Friend’s Wedding; Twilight; Wild, Wild West; The Iron Giant; Random Hearts; Snow Dogs; Christmas with the Kranks and Knives Out.

Just look at the career M. Emmet Walsh had.  And I didn’t list everything he did. It would be hard to find any actor who worked on more great television shows and feature films.  Or one who worked with so many of the best actors/actresses and directors.

I don’t know when I first saw M. Emmet Walsh act.  It may have been in All in the Family or Nichols or.. well, you get the idea.  My favorite M. Emmet Walsh role is also hard to nail down… because he had so many.  If I had to pick just one, it would be the sleazy Private Eye, Loren Visser in Blood Simple. But truth be told, any role that Mr. Walsh took on became something special.

Out thoughts and prayers go out to M. Emmet Walsh’s family, friends and fans.