- He and Jack Lemmon acted together in eleven movies: Buddy Buddy (1981), The Fortune Cookie (1966), The Front Page (1974), The Grass Harp (1995), Grumpier Old Men (1995), Grumpy Old Men (1993), The Odd Couple II (1998), The Odd Couple (1968) and Out to Sea (1997). Lemmon also directed Matthau in Kotch (1971). Lemmon and Matthau also both appeared in JFK (1991), but had no scenes together.
- After filming Grumpy Old Men (1993) in 1993 in freezing weather in Minnesota, he was hospitalized for double pneumonia.
- He once estimated his lifetime gambling losses at $5 million.
- Served in the US Army Air Force, 8th Air Force, 453rd Bombardment Group in England with James Stewart.
- Dan Castellaneta has said that his original voice for Homer Simpson was simply an impression of Matthau.
- According to son Charles Matthau, Walter's real name was Walter Matthow, but he changed it to Walter Matuschanskayasky to sound more exotic.
- People were never sure if he was joking or saying things seriously, either on-screen or off-screen.
- During the filming of Hello, Dolly! (1969), he clashed with Barbra Streisand and disliked her so intensely that he refused to be around her except when required to do so by the script. He is famously quoted as telling Streisand that she "had no more talent than a butterfly's fart." Interestingly, he is clearly seen in the audience at the One Voice (1986) concert at her Malibu ranch, where invitation-only guests had the privilege of paying $5,000 per couple to help establish the Streisand Foundation, which supports numerous charitable organizations. Apparently, he did not hold grudges.
- He hated to be identified as a comedic actor.
- Dealt with a gambling addiction his entire adult life.
- When he inscribed himself formally to the U.S. Social Security in 1937, he included "Foghorn" as his middle name. He never changed it.
- Was passionate about classical music and often sang pieces by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart on the set.
- Very tall as young man (6' 3"), Matthau had a very slouchy posture by the time he was an actor. This was in part due to back injuries sustained in combat during World War II. But, he probably exaggerated it because the slouch fitted his miserly characters.
- Buried at Pierce Brothers Westwood Village Memorial Park. Marilyn Monroe, Truman Capote, Natalie Wood, Donna Reed, among other stars are buried at this cemetery.
- Brought to the St. John's Health Center in Santa Monica, California by ambulance from his home on the late evening of June 30, 2000 after suffering a heart attack and was pronounced dead shortly afterward at 1:42 a.m. on July 1.
- Once claimed that his wife's name was Carol Wellington-Smythe Marcus, just to give it a more "aristocratic" sound.
- Reports are that he made up "Matuschanskayasky" as a joke and that his real "real" name is Matthow. The existence of Michelle Matthow would seem to confirm this...
- Won two Tony Awards: in 1962, as Best Supporting or Featured Actor (Dramatic) for "A Shot in the Dark," and in 1965 as Best Actor (Dramatic) for "The Odd Couple," recreating his part as Oscar Madison in the film version of the same name, The Odd Couple (1968). Previously, he also had a Tony nomination in 1959 as Best Supporting or Featured Actor (Dramatic) for "Once More, with Feeling."
- Appeared in Ensign Pulver (1964), the sequel to Mister Roberts (1955), for which his friend Jack Lemmon won an Oscar.
- Studied in the dramatic workshop at New York's New School with Gene Saks, Rod Steiger, Harry Guardino and Tony Curtis.
- Screen-tested for the part of Richard Sherman in The Seven Year Itch (1955). After seeing his test, director Billy Wilder believed he had found his leading man. Unfortunately, executives at 20th Century-Fox were unwilling to take a risk on an unknown newcomer. Because of this, the role went to Tom Ewell, who had originated the role on Broadway.
- Big break came when understudying the actor who played the Archbishop in "Anne Of The Thousand Days," starring Rex Harrison.
- Told the editors of AFI's "Private Screenings" that John Ford's The Informer (1935) is his favorite film.
- While making a TV series in Florida before his movie stardom, he lost $183,000 betting on spring-training baseball games.
- He once claimed that his father was an Orthodox priest in Czarist Russia, who was removed after he claimed that the Pope was infallible.
- Drove a Mercedes with the personalized plate WALTZ.
- He was a lifelong Democrat.
- When he accepted his Best Supporting Actor Oscar for The Fortune Cookie (1966), he showed up on stage with a cast in one of his arms, to which presenter Shelley Winters said: "You had a tough time getting in here". During his speech, Matthau mentioned that he fell from his bicycle a few days earlier.
- He has appeared in three films that have been selected for the National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically or aesthetically" significant: A Face in the Crowd (1957), Charade (1963) and A New Leaf (1971).
- Father, with Grace Geraldine Johnson, of son David Matthau and daughter Jenny Matthau. Father, with Carol Grace, of son Charles Matthau.
- Had one sibling, an older brother named Henry Matthow (born July 14, 1918; died May 21, 1995, in Long Beach, NY. His mother, Rose Matthow, was born December 15, 1894, and died in Pacific Palisades, CA, in January 1979.
- On August 9, 2018, he was honored with a day of his film work during the TCM Summer Under The Stars.
- The original family name was Matushansky. Father, Meilach Matushansky, a native of Belaya Tserkov, Kiev Governate, Russia changed his name to Milton Matthow.
- Played Albert Einstein in the film I.Q. (1994) even though he was a half-foot taller than the famous scientist.
- Lived on Toyopa Drive in Pacific Palisades next door to Mel Blanc and around the corner from William Schallert, who lived on Ramos Place.
- Between 1962 and 1974, Walter Matthau and George Kennedy appeared in four films together: Lonely Are the Brave (1962), Charade (1963), Mirage (1965), and Earthquake (1974).
- Stepfather of Lucy Saroyan and Aram Saroyan.
- Uncle of Juliette Gruber.
- Turned down the sequel to Dennis (1993).
- 1948 he was in the play Anne of a 1,000 Days.
- Made his stage debut in Philadelphia.
- He was originally wanted the Seven Year Itch.
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