Walter John Matthow was born on the 1st October 1920, in New York City, USA, of Lithuanian-Jewish (mother) and Rusiisan-Jewish(father) descent. He was a comedian and actor, who was known for starring in over 100 film and TV titles, such as appearing in the role of Billy Wilder in “The Fortune Cookie” (1966), playing Oscar Madison in “The Odd Couple” (1968), and as Max Goldman in “Grumpy Old Men” (1993). His career was active from 1944 to 2000, when he passed away.
So, have you ever wondered how rich Walter Matthau was? It was estimated that the total size of Walter’s net worth was over $10 million; the sum was accumulated through his successful involvement in the film industry.
Walter Matthau Net Worth $10 Million
Walter Matthau spent his childhood in New York City’s Lower East Side, where he was raised in a Jewish family by his mother, Rose, who made clothing, and his father, Milton Matthow, who was an electrician. Bright and talented, he carried his love for acting through attending Tranquillity Camp, a Jewish non-profit sleepaway camp, where he beganto perform; parallel with that, he also went to Surprise Lake Camp. He matriculated from Seward Park High School, after which he began to pursue his acting career, working in the Yiddish Theater District. Later, during the World War II, he joined the US Army Air Force, flying bombing missions over Europe, and when he returned he continued with acting classes at the Dramatic Workshop of the New School, appearing in such productions as “A Shot In The Dark”, and “Will Success Spoil Rock Hunter?”. His net worth was established.
Walter’s professional acting career really began in the early 1950s, with the role of Coach Burr in the pilot of “Mister Peepers” (1952), starring alongside Wally Cox, and then made his motion picture debut appearance in the film “The Kentuckian” in 1955. During those years, he also starred in such titles as “Goodyear Playhouse” (1952-1957), “A Face In The Crowd” (1957), directed by Elia Kazan, “Ride A Crooked Trail” (1958), starring alongside Audie Murphy, and “Gangster Story” (1959), adding a lot to his net worth.
He continued to line up success after success during the next decade, as he starred in a number of films, including the role of Morey Johnson in “Lonely Are The Brave” (1962) with Kirk Douglas, playing Hamilton Bartholomew in “Charade” (1963) alongside Audrey Hepburn, and as Dr. Julian Winston in “Cactus Flower” (1969). In 1973, Walter was chosen for the title role in the film “Charley Varrick”, which was followed by numerous other roles, including in “The Sunshine Boys” (1975), “Hopscotch” (1980), and “Pirates” (1986). His net worth was certainly rising.
The next decade didn’t change too much for Walter, as he featured in the film “JFK” (1991) as Senator Long, directed by Oliver Stone. His next big role came in the following year, as he landed the role in the television film “Against Her Will: An Incident In Baltimore”, increasing further his net worth. In 1993, he featured in “Dennis The Menace” as Mr. George Wilson, and in 1994 in “I.Q.”, portraying Albert Einstein and starring alongside Meg Ryan and Tim Robbins. Until his death, he also starred in such film titles as “The Grass Harp” (1995), “Out To Sea” (1997), and “The Odd Couple II” (1998). His last appearance was in the film “Hanging Up” in 2000.
Thanks to his accomplishment in the film industry, Walter had eight awards and 15 nominations, including Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his work on “The Fortune Cookie”, BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role in the film “Pete ‘n’ Tillie”, Tony Award for Best Actor in a Play for his work on the film “The Odd Couple”, among many others.
Regarding his personal life, Walter was married twice. His first wife was Grace Geraldine Johnson (1948-1958), with whom he had two children, while his lsecond was Carol Grace. from 1959 until his death, and with whom he had one child. Walter passed away from heart attack at the age of 79, on the 1st July 2000 in Santa Monica, California, USA.
