(FeaturedHeadlines.com) Emmet Walsh, the instantly recognizable character actor who graced our screens for decades, died on Tuesday, March 19, at the age of 88. His manager, Sandy Joseph, confirmed the news, revealing that Walsh died of a heart condition at a hospital in St. Albans, Vermont.
Walsh was known for his ability to portray characters that walked a fine line between folksy charm and unsettling menace. In his breakout role, he fully displayed this talent as the villainous private detective Loren Visser in the Coen brothers’ neo-noir masterpiece, “Blood Simple” (1984). The role, practically written for him by the Coens, even earned Walsh the first-ever Film Independent Spirit Award for Best Male Lead.
Walsh’s filmography boasts a vast array of memorable characters. He played a deranged sniper in the Steve Martin comedy “The Jerk” (1979) and a prostate-examining doctor opposite Chevy Chase in “Fletch” (1985). Sci-fi enthusiasts will remember him as the hard-nosed Captain Bryant who pulled Rick Deckard (Harrison Ford) out of retirement to hunt down replicants in Ridley Scott’s groundbreaking “Blade Runner” (1982).
Despite the characters he portrayed often leading one to believe he hailed from the South, Walsh was a Vermont native. He grew up on Lake Champlain, just a stone’s throw from the Canadian border. His family lineage was steeped in customs work. After graduating from a tiny class of just 13, Walsh pursued acting, attending Clarkson University and the American Academy of Dramatic Arts.
For the first decade of his career, Walsh dedicated himself solely to the stage. He honed his craft in summer stock and repertory companies before eventually transitioning to film in 1969 with a small part in “Alice’s Restaurant.” However, it wasn’t until his 40s that Walsh started landing prominent roles. He had his breakthrough in “Straight Time” (1978), where he played Dustin Hoffman’s arrogant parole officer.
Johnson paid tribute to Walsh on social media, sharing a heartwarming anecdote on Twitter. He described Walsh’s arrival on set with a copy of his credits, which comprised a comprehensive list of modern classics that filled an entire page, along with two-dollar bills that he distributed to the whole crew. Johnson concluded by referring to Walsh as an absolute legend.
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