Blade Runner & Knives Out actor M Emmet Walsh dies at 88

Actor M Emmet Walsh died, aged 88, on Tuesday, March 19. (Photo: AP)

On Tuesday, March 19, renowned actor M Emmet Walsh, who starred in critically acclaimed movies like Blade Runner and Knives Out, died, at the age of 88.

Walsh, who played the role of Dermot Mulroney’s dad in My Best Friend’s Wedding, died of cardiac arrest in St. Albans, Vermont. His publicist Cynthia Snyder said in a statement, “In a remarkable career spanning six decades on stage, in film and television, he became widely recognized for his standout portrayals of such memorable characters.”

During his six-decade career, the American actor played a variety of roles, including Harrison Ford's LAPD boss in Sir Ridley Scott's 1982 Blade Runner.

M Emmet Walsh in a still from Sir Ridley Scott's 1982 Blade Runner.

"Walsh’s tremendous body of work includes 119 feature films and more than 250 television productions," his manager shared in a statement with Fox News Digital. "Among his most recent credits are his scene-stealing performance as the elderly security guard in Rian Johnson’s murder-mystery comedy ‘Knives Out' and roles in ‘Brothers’ with Brendan Fraser for Legendary Films, the independent feature ‘God Loves the Green Bay Packers' and ‘The Righteous Gemstones’ for HBO."

Born on March 22, 1935, in Ogdensburg, New York, he started his acting career in theatre, before starting working in TV and film. His big debut came in Alice’s Restaurant in 1969. He was raised in rural Swanton, Vermont, by his parents Agnes Katharine (Sullivan) and Harry Maurice Walsh. While he was named Michael Emmet Walsh, he eventually came to be known as M. Emmet Walsh because a union stipulation prevented him from using his first name. He is survived by his niece Meagan Walsh, nephew Kevin Walsh (Renee), and grandnephews, Emmet and Elliot.

He made his TV debut in 1968 when he appeared in an episode of The Doctors. He also went on to star in Broadway shows and shared the stage with Al Pacino.

Walsh rose to fame in the 1970s, when he played the role of Dickie Dunn in the film Slap Shot. Later, he went on to play memorable roles in Straight Time, The Jerk. He has also lent his voice to narrating The Civil War,  Baseball, The Iron Giant and Pound Puppies.

Walsh's performance in the movie was loved by the critics. Film critic Roger Ebert created the “Stanton-Walsh Rule,” saying, “no movie featuring either Harry Dean Stanton or M. Emmet Walsh in a supporting role can be altogether bad.”