# RIP legendary character actor M. Emmet Walsh **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** celebrity-death\ **Created:** [March 21, 2024, 12:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-legendary-character-actor-m-emmet-walsh/999109 "2024-03-21T00:40:43Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![flurb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/51bf81/32.png) [@flurb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flurb)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2024, 12:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-legendary-character-actor-m-emmet-walsh/999109/1 "2024-03-21T00:40:43Z")
A truly prodigious actor (over 200 credits on IMDB) with memorable roles in _Blade Runner, Back to School, Blood Simple, Fletch_ and too many more to mention. RIP. > **[M. Emmet Walsh, ‘Blade Runner’ and ‘Blood Simple’ Actor, Dies at 88](https://variety.com/2024/tv/news/m-emmet-walsh-dead-blade-runner-1235947723/)** > > M. Emmet Walsh, a longtime character actor who appeared in 'Blade Runner' and 'Blood Simple,' has died. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2024, 12:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-legendary-character-actor-m-emmet-walsh/999109/2 "2024-03-21T00:56:03Z")
He’s _not_ one of those actors I would have thought was already dead. In fact, I would have thought he was older than 88 and still kickin’. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2024, 12:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-legendary-character-actor-m-emmet-walsh/999109/3 "2024-03-21T00:58:37Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > He’s _not_ one of those actors I would have thought was already dead. In fact, I would have thought he was older than 88 A great Abe Vigoda type candidate. The man looked ancient since he was in his 40’s. ---
**Author:** ![Slithy\_Tove](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slithy_tove/32/18248_2.png) [@Slithy\_Tove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slithy_Tove)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2024, 12:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-legendary-character-actor-m-emmet-walsh/999109/4 "2024-03-21T00:58:40Z")
That mother-scratcher? ---
**Author:** ![Capn\_Carl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/838e76/32.png) [@Capn\_Carl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Capn_Carl)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2024, 1:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-legendary-character-actor-m-emmet-walsh/999109/5 "2024-03-21T01:09:10Z")
Oh, that’s a good memory, right there. Another from _Raising Arizona_: “…a spherical object, resting on the highway. And it’s not a part of the car!” ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2024, 1:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-legendary-character-actor-m-emmet-walsh/999109/6 "2024-03-21T01:17:03Z")
Not too many actors get a rule named after them! > **[M. Emmet Walsh](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/M._Emmet_Walsh)** > > Michael Emmet Walsh (March 22, 1935 – March 19, 2024) was an American movie, television, stage, and voice actor. He appeared in over 200 movies and television series. He is known for his roles in The Jerk, Blood Simple, Killer Image, Christmas with the Kranks, Wild Wild West, Blade Runner and Knives Out. > According to Roger Ebert's Stanton-Walsh Rule, "no movie featuring either Harry Dean Stanton or M. Emmet Walsh in a supporting role can be altogether bad." Ebert later conceded that this rule wa... ---
**Author:** ![snfaulkner](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snfaulkner/32/433_2.png) [@snfaulkner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snfaulkner)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2024, 1:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-legendary-character-actor-m-emmet-walsh/999109/7 "2024-03-21T01:18:34Z")
Wait, he was still alive? (I mean, until now) I could’ve swore he died in like the mid/late 80s! Next you’re gonna tell me harry dean Stanton is still alive… ---
**Author:** ![Lancia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lancia/32/17174_2.png) [@Lancia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lancia)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2024, 1:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-legendary-character-actor-m-emmet-walsh/999109/8 "2024-03-21T01:40:56Z")
I was just thinking about him for some reason, wondering if he was still alive but was too lazy or preoccupied to go check. I’m surprised he was 88. He always looked old, even 50 years ago. He appeared with Tim Allen on both _Home Improvement_ and _Christmas With the Kranks_ almost a decade apart. He was also in the forgotten/underrated movie _No Other Love_ with Julie Kavner. Actually, that’s why he came to mind – I was thinking about movies that featured main characters who had special needs, and that one popped into mind. ---
**Author:** ![Slithy\_Tove](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slithy_tove/32/18248_2.png) [@Slithy\_Tove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slithy_Tove)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2024, 2:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-legendary-character-actor-m-emmet-walsh/999109/9 "2024-03-21T02:32:04Z")
> [@Lancia](#): > > I was just thinking about him for some reason, I do that too sometimes: think about an actor out of the blue, and then within days their obituary appears. And yes, I was thinking about M Emmet Walsh yesterday. I feel somehow complicit, and I’m consumed with guilt. ---
**Author:** ![Shoeless](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shoeless/32/7099_2.png) [@Shoeless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shoeless)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2024, 2:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-legendary-character-actor-m-emmet-walsh/999109/10 "2024-03-21T02:34:02Z")
So many memorable roles. I think the first thing I remember him in was “The Jerk” where he’s a crazed sniper who picks Steve Martin’s name out of a phone book. “Die you random son of a bitch victim bastard!” ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2024, 2:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-legendary-character-actor-m-emmet-walsh/999109/11 "2024-03-21T02:54:12Z")
I was just going to say… “He hates these cans!” ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2024, 3:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-legendary-character-actor-m-emmet-walsh/999109/12 "2024-03-21T03:56:42Z")
And guess who just showed up in a film I’m watching on TCM? ---
**Author:** ![hogarth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hogarth/32/1773_2.png) [@hogarth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hogarth)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2024, 4:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-legendary-character-actor-m-emmet-walsh/999109/13 "2024-03-21T04:54:56Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > He’s _not_ one of those actors I would have thought was already dead. I thought he was dead because I was thinking of J. T. Walsh. ---
**Author:** ![JKellyMap](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jkellymap/32/15880_2.png) [@JKellyMap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKellyMap)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2024, 11:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-legendary-character-actor-m-emmet-walsh/999109/14 "2024-03-21T11:13:57Z")
You using the whole fist there, doc? [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/9-zf2UBp7fY/maxresdefault.jpg "Fletch (2/10) Movie CLIP - Bend Over, Mr. Babar (1985) HD") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9-zf2UBp7fY) ---
**Author:** ![commasense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/commasense/32/3017_2.png) [@commasense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/commasense)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2024, 2:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-legendary-character-actor-m-emmet-walsh/999109/15 "2024-03-21T14:20:23Z")
> [@hogarth](#): > > I thought he was dead because I was thinking of J. T. Walsh. When I heard the name, I mixed him up with [Wilford Brimley](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000979/?ref_=tt_cl_i_6).