M. Emmet Walsh, an actor whose career spanned six decades, died Tuesday of cardiac arrest, ET can confirm. He was 88 years old.
According to his longtime manager, Sandy Joseph, Walsh died at Curbs Memorial Hospital in St. Albans, Vermont.
The actor — born March 22, 1935 in Ogdensburg, New York, and raised in rural Swanton, Vermont — is known for his work in theater, TV and film. He made his screen debut in Alice’s Restaurant in 1969.
Of his other credits, Walsh played Harrison Ford’s Los Angeles Police Department chief in Ridley Scott’s 1982 futuristic thriller Blade runnerand had a role in the 1984 Coen brothers film, Simple Blood. He also played a corrupt local sheriff in the 1986 sci-fi horror film. Creatures, and was Dermot Mulroney’s father in the beloved 1997 romantic comedy My best friend’s weddingstarring Julia Roberts.
It also appeared in the 1970s Little Big Man with Dustin Hoffman, 1971 They can be giants with Joanne Woodward and George C. Scott, 1972 What’s up, doctor? with Ryan O’Neal and Barbra Streisand, 1977 Scam with Paul Newman, 1978 Consecutive time with Hoffman and 1979 The idiot with Steve Martin.
As for TV, Walsh was a series regular on Sneaky Pete It is The mind of the married man and also had guest roles in Frasier, Home Improvement, The X-Files, NYPD Blue, Army Wives, Damages, McMillan & Wife, The Twilight Zone, The Bob Newhart Show, The Rockford Files It is The Waltons. His voice was also used by Ken Burns in his PBS docuseries, The Civil War and Baseball. Walsh’s other voice work included The iron giant It is Libra Puppies.
His work on Broadway began in 1969, when he starred alongside Al Pacino and Hal Holbrook in Does the tiger wear a tie?.
Most recently, Walsh played an elderly security guard in Rian Johnson’s 2019 murder mystery comedy, Knives outand also had plays in Brothers, God Loves the Green Bay Packers It is The fair gemstones.
Overall, he participated in 119 films and 250 television productions, according to his manager.
Walsh’s achievements don’t stop there. In 2018, he was honored with the Carney Life Achievement Award, which was presented to him by Ford at the Carney Awards, known as the Character Actors Hall of Fame. He was also honored by the Breckenridge Film Festival in 1998. That same year, Walsh also received the Golden Knight, Clarkson University’s highest alumni award.
Furthermore, Walsh established the Blarney Fund Education Trust in 1979, which offers scholarships to Vermont students.
Walsh is survived by his niece, Meagan Walsh, nephew, Kevin Walsh (Renee) and great-nephews, Emmet and Elliot. He was preceded in death by his father, Harry Maurice Walsh Sr., his mother, Agnes, and his brother, Harry Maurice Walsh Jr.
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