M. Emmet Walsh | |
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![]() Walsh at the 2009 Tribeca Film Festival
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Born |
Michael Emmet Walsh March 22, 1935 Ogdensburg, New York, United States |
Occupation | Actor and Comedian |
Years active | 1969–present |
Parent(s) | Agnes Katharine (née Sullivan) Harry Maurice Walsh, Sr. |
Michael "M." Emmet Walsh (born March 22, 1935) is an American actor and Comedian who has appeared in over 200 films and television series. He is arguably most known for his work in the Coen Brothers first film, Blood Simple. Walsh has also appeared in a number of other films including Carl Reiner's comedy The Jerk (1979), Ridley Scott's science fiction film Blade Runner (1982), and Brad Bird's animated film The Iron Giant (1999).
Walsh was born in Ogdensburg, New York, the son of Agnes Katharine (née Sullivan) and Harry Maurice Walsh, Sr., a customs agent. He is of Irish descent. He was raised in rural Swanton, Vermont, and attended college at Clarkson University. He graduated in 1958 (B.A., Business Administration). In 1998, the Clarkson Alumni Association presented him with the Golden Knight Award.
Walsh came to prominence in the 1978 crime film Straight Time, in which he played a parole officer. He also had a small but memorable role as a crazed sniper in the Steve Martin comedy The Jerk. One of his best-known roles was Bryant in Ridley Scott's cult film Blade Runner. His most acclaimed performance was arguably the double-crossing private detective in Blood Simple (1984), for which he won the 1986 Independent Spirit Award for Best Male Lead.