Tributes pour in as 'Blade Runner' and 'Knives Out' character actor M Emmet Walsh dies at 88

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Veteran character actor M Emmet Walsh, known for his roles in 'Blade Runner' and 'Knives Out', died on Tuesday, March 19th, at the age of 88.

The actor's manager Sandy Joseph and publicist Cynthia Snyder announced his death to People on Wednesday, March 20. According to Snyder, Walsh died on Tuesday in St. Albans, Vermont, following cardiac arrest.

Snyder's statement said, "In a remarkable career spanning six decades on stage, in film and television, he became widely recognized for his standout portrayals of such memorable characters."

M Emmet Walsh's decades-long career in brief

Born in Ogdensburg, New York, on March 22, 1935, Michael Emmet Walsh spent his formative years in Swanton, Vermont. Throughout his career, Walsh made memorable appearances in nearly 250 television shows and 119 feature films.

Walsh played Harrison Ford's boss in Ridley Scott's 1982 film 'Blade Runner,' and portrayed the ferocious private investigator Loren Visser in the Coen brothers' directorial debut 'Blood Simple.'

Described by Pauline Kael as the movie's "only colorful performer," Walsh, adorned in an unattractive yellow ensemble, was noted for his portrayal. Kael remarked, "He lays on the loathsomeness, but he gives it a little twirl — a sportiness," per Variety.

Walsh starred in several iconic movies during the 1970s, such as Dustin Hoffman's 'Little Big Man,' Ryan O'Neal and Barbra Streisand's 'What's Up, Doc?,' Paul Newman's 'Slap Shot,' and Steve Martin's 'The Jerk.'

In addition, he had a brief part as a security guard in the 1986 horror movie 'Knives Out' and portrayed a corrupt sheriff in the movie 'Critters.'

Walsh also starred in several TV episodes, such as 'Frasier,' 'The X-Files,' 'NYPD Blue,' 'The Twilight Zone,' 'The Bob Newhart Show,' and 'The Rockford Files.'

More recently, Walsh appeared in the series 'The Righteous Gemstones' and 'Sneaky Pete.'

Two of his projects are set for posthumous release. 'Western Outlaw Posse' is scheduled to debut later in 2024, while 'Green & Gold' is currently in post-production.

In 1998, Clarkson University honored Walsh with the Golden Knight Alumni Award, and he was acknowledged by the Breckenridge Film Festival.

In 2018, at the annual Carney Awards, also known as the Character Actors Hall of Fame, Walsh was bestowed with the Carney Life Achievement Award.

Fans pay tribute to the 'screen icon' M Emmet Walsh

Social media users took to X (formerly Twitter) to pay tribute to the legendary actor for his decade-long contribution to the entertainment industry, with one saying, "So long M Emmet Walsh, who will always live in my heart as the doctor in Fletch."

Another fan wrote, "Farewell to the legendary M Emmet Walsh. He voiced the Cosmic Owl in multiple Adventure Time episodes. At record sessions, he passed out two-dollar bills to everyone. Kent Osborne asked him 'how many of those do you have?' and he said 'a lot less than when I walked in!'" [sic]

"RIP to the great M Emmet Walsh... one of the great modern character actors, in a whole bunch of my favourite movies from Blade Runner to Straight Time to Slap Shot to Clean and Sober... a screen icon as far as I'm concerned," chimed in a fan. [sic]

One more exclaimed, "Goddamnit. Yet another SLAP SHOT cast member has left us. The inimitable M Emmet Walsh has died at 88. One of the greatest character actors in film history. He always captured the spirit of the thing."

American actor and comedian Rob Schneider posted, "One of the finest actors and human beings I have ever known, M Emmet Walsh has passed. I remember all his wonderful stories and how generous he was with the wisdom and acting knowledge he had accumulated in the 119 movies he made in his career. God bless you, my friend."

"Loved this actor so much. He was the neo-noir answer to Sydney Greenstreet, cultivating a persona of jovial menace and infusing it with enough creepiness to fill a ten-gallon hat. M Emmet Walsh, rest in peace," wrote another one.

One more said, "RIP M Emmet Walsh. A legend who I'll always remember as the man who taught Mulder to 'start paying a little less attention to the heart of the mystery and a little more attention to the mystery of the heart.'"

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