Actor M. Emmet Walsh has worked on more than 200 film and television projects during his long career in Hollywood. According to IMDB, his first acting role was in an episode of the TV show “The Doctors” back in 1968. His most recent credit is in an upcoming project called “Green & Gold” that is currently listed as being in post-production. He is best known for roles in films like “My Best Friend’s Wedding,” “Blade Runner,” “Blood Simple” and “The Jerk.”
According to AP News, Walsh’s manager, Sandy Joseph, has confirmed the sad news that Walsh has died at the age of 88 years old. His cause of death was cardiac arrest, and he died at a hospital in St. Albans, Vermont, on Tuesday March 19, 2024.
Walsh’s full name is Michael Emmet Walsh. Despite the fact that he often played characters as if he was raised the southern United States, Walsh was actually born and raised in Vermont, not far from the Canadian border. His father, brother and grandfather all worked as U.S. customs officers at the border.
Walsh got his start in acting at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York City. He began his career on stage and didn’t intend to transition to a career on screen. In the 1960’s, that changed.
His big break came in the 1978 film “Straight Time” staring Dustin Hoffman. He went on to act in many popular films with many different A-list celebrities.
Back in 2017, Walsh recounted the time he acted in the Cohen brothers film “Blood Simple.” At the time, the Cohen brothers were still aspiring filmmakers. Walsh explained, “My agent called with a script written by some kids for a low-budget movie.” He added, “I saw it three or four days later when it opened in LA, and I was, like: Wow!” He continued, “Suddenly my price went up five times. I was the guy everybody wanted.”
One of Walsh’s more recent roles was in the 2019 movie “Knives Out” which was directed by Rian Johnson. Upon learning the news of Walsh’s death, Johnson wrote on X (formerly Twitter), “Emmet came to set with 2 things: a copy of his credits, which was a small-type single spaced double column list of modern classics that filled a whole page, & two-dollar bills which he passed out to the entire crew. ‘Don’t spend it and you’ll never be broke.’ Absolute legend.”
Watch the video below to learn more about Walsh’s career and the recent news of his death.
