Walter Matthau

Birth Name: Walter John Matthow

Date of Birth: October 1, 1920

Place of Birth: New York City, New York, U.S.

Date of Death: July 1, 2000

Place of Death: Los Angeles, California, U.S.

Ethnicity: Ashkenazi Jewish

Walter Matthau was an American actor and comedian. He won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for The Fortune Cookie (1966). He was known for working with actor Jack Lemmon.

Walter was the son of Rose (Berolsky) and Milton Melas Mateshensky/Matthow. His parents were Jewish emigrants, his father from Bila Tserkva, Kyivs’ka oblast, Ukraine, and his mother from Lithuania, then both in the Russian Empire.

He was married to actress and author Carol Grace, until his death. Walter had two children with his former wife Grace Geraldine Johnson; and a son, actor and director Charles Matthau, with Carol.