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{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{Infobox person
{{Infobox person
| name = J. T. Walsh
| name = J.T. Walsh
| image = J.T. Walsh.jpg
| image = J.T. Walsh.jpg
| caption = J. T. Walsh as Warren 'Red' Barr in ''[[Breakdown (1997 film)|Breakdown]]'' (1997)
| caption = Walsh in ''[[Breakdown (1997 film)|Breakdown]]'' (1997)
| birth_name = James Thomas Patrick Walsh
| birth_name = James Thomas Patrick Walsh
| birth_date = {{birth date|1943|9|28}}
| birth_date = {{birth date|1943|9|28}}
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| occupation = Actor
| occupation = Actor
| years_active = 1975–1998
| years_active = 1975–1998
| spouse = {{Marriage|Susan West|1972|1982|reason=divorced}}
| spouse =
| children = 1
| children =
| alma_mater = [[University of Tübingen]]<br />[[University of Rhode Island]]
| alma_mater = [[University of Tübingen]]<br />[[University of Rhode Island]]
}}
}}
'''James Thomas Patrick Walsh''' (September 28, 1943 – February 27, 1998) was an American [[character actor]]. His many films include ''[[Tin Men]]'' (1987), ''[[Good Morning, Vietnam]]'' (1987), ''[[A Few Good Men]]'' (1992), ''[[Hoffa (film)|Hoffa]]'' (1992), ''[[Nixon (film)|Nixon]]'' (1995), ''[[Sling Blade]]'' (1996), ''[[Breakdown (1997 film)|Breakdown]]'' (1997), and ''[[Pleasantville (film)|Pleasantville]]'' (1998).<ref>{{cite web|date=2004|work=Salon|title=J. T. Walsh|url=https://www.salon.com/2004/08/26/j_t_walsh/}}</ref>
'''James Thomas Patrick Walsh''' (September 28, 1943 – February 27, 1998) was an American [[character actor]]. His many films include: ''[[Tin Men]]'' (1987), ''[[Good Morning, Vietnam]]'' (1987), ''[[A Few Good Men]]'' (1992), ''[[Hoffa (film)|Hoffa]]'' (1992), ''[[Nixon (film)|Nixon]]'' (1995), ''[[Sling Blade]]'' (1996), ''[[Breakdown (1997 film)|Breakdown]]'' (1997) and ''[[Pleasantville (film)|Pleasantville]]'' (1998).<ref>{{cite web|date=2004|work=Salon|title=J. T. Walsh|url=https://www.salon.com/2004/08/26/j_t_walsh/}}</ref>


==Early life==
==Early life==
Walsh was born in [[San Francisco]], [[California]]. He had three siblings: Christopher, Patricia, and Mary.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Frammolino |first1=Ralph |title=tuaries J.T. Walsh; Actor Excelled in Malevolent Roles |url=http://articles.latimes.com/1998/feb/28/news/mn-23903 |access-date=August 16, 2023 |work=Los Angeles Times |date=February 28, 1998 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150920020902/http://articles.latimes.com/1998/feb/28/news/mn-23903 |archive-date=September 20, 2015}}</ref> From 1948 until 1962, the family lived in West Germany, where Walsh's father was stationed; they lived in [[Munich]] for seven years before moving to [[Stuttgart]].{{Citation needed |date=February 2023}}
Walsh was born in [[San Francisco]], [[California]]. He had three siblings: Christopher, Patricia, and Mary.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Frammolino |first1=Ralph |title=tuaries J.T. Walsh; Actor Excelled in Malevolent Roles |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1998-feb-28-mn-23903-story.html |access-date=August 16, 2023 |work=Los Angeles Times |date=February 28, 1998 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150920020902/http://articles.latimes.com/1998/feb/28/news/mn-23903 |archive-date=September 20, 2015}}</ref>


⚫
After graduating from college in 1967, Walsh worked briefly as a [[AmeriCorps VISTA|VISTA]] volunteer in [[Newport, Rhode Island]] organizing tenants for the United Tenant Organizations of Rhode Island (UTO) before resigning to pursue his acting career. Prior to becoming an actor, he also worked as a barman, an encyclopedia salesman, a junior high school teacher, a gymnasium equipment salesman, and a reporter. In 1974, he was discovered by a theater director and began working in [[off-Broadway]] shows, where he began using the initials "J. T." to avoid confusion with another stage actor named James Walsh.{{Citation needed |date=August 2024}}
Walsh and his brother studied at [[Clongowes Wood College]] (a [[Jesuits|Jesuit]] school in Ireland) from 1955 until 1961. He then attended the [[University of Tübingen]] (Walsh spoke fluent German) for a year before his father died of a [[brain tumour]], after which he and his family moved back to the United States, settling in his mother's native [[Rhode Island]]. He completed his studies at the [[University of Rhode Island]], where he majored in sociology and starred in many college theater productions. During this time, he was also active in [[Students for a Democratic Society|SDS]] demonstrations against the [[Vietnam War]].{{Citation needed |date=February 2023}}

⚫
After graduating from college in 1967, Walsh worked briefly as a [[AmeriCorps VISTA|VISTA]] volunteer in [[Newport, Rhode Island]] organizing tenants for the United Tenant Organizations of Rhode Island (UTO) before resigning to pursue his acting career. Prior to becoming an actor, he also worked as a barman, an encyclopedia salesman, a junior high school teacher, a gymnasium equipment salesman, and a reporter. In 1974, he was discovered by a theater director and began working in [[off-Broadway]] shows, where he began using the initials "J. T." to avoid confusion with another stage actor named James Walsh.<ref>[https://marcseifer.com/assets/jimwalshreflection.pdf J. T. Walsh (1943-1998): Reflections Of A Friend]; accessed September 10, 2020.</ref>


==Career==
==Career==
{{more citations needed section|date=April 2016}}
{{more citations needed section|date=April 2016}}
On stage, Walsh received critical acclaim for his performance as John Williamson in the 1984 U.S. premiere of [[David Mamet]]'s ''[[Glengarry Glen Ross]]'' in [[Chicago]] and subsequently on [[Broadway theatre|Broadway]]. He did not appear in films until 1983, when he had a minor role in ''[[Eddie Macon's Run]]''. Over the next 15 years, he appeared in over 50 feature films, increasingly taking the villain role for which he is well known, such as Sergeant Major Dickerson in ''[[Good Morning, Vietnam]]''. On television, he again portrayed an evil character, prison warden Brodeur on the 1995 ''[[The X-Files|X-Files]]'' episode "[[The List (The X-Files)|The List]]".
On stage, Walsh received critical acclaim for his performance as John Williamson in the 1984 U.S. premiere of [[David Mamet]]'s ''[[Glengarry Glen Ross]]'' in [[Chicago]] and subsequently on [[Broadway theatre|Broadway]].{{Citation needed |date=August 2024}} He did not appear in films until 1983, when he had a minor role in ''[[Eddie Macon's Run]]''. Over the next 15 years, he appeared in over 50 feature films, increasingly taking the villain role for which he is well known, such as Sergeant Major Dickerson in ''[[Good Morning, Vietnam]]'' (1987). On television, he again portrayed an evil character, prison warden Brodeur on the 1995 ''[[The X-Files|X-Files]]'' episode "[[The List (The X-Files)|The List]]".


Wishing to show his range as an actor and play good guys, despite being typecast as a villain, he played relatively decent characters{{Citation needed |date=February 2023}} in ''[[Outbreak (film)|Outbreak]]'' and ''[[Sniper (1993 film)|Sniper]]'', and also played the rather sympathetic [[United States Marine Corps|Marine]] [[Lieutenant Colonel (United States)|Lieutenant Colonel]] Matthew Markinson in ''[[A Few Good Men (film)|A Few Good Men]]''. He played a member of [[Majestic 12]] in the 1996 sci-fi drama series ''[[Dark Skies]]''. Walsh notably played real people in three films: journalist [[Bob Woodward]] in ''[[Wired (film)|Wired]]'', [[International Brotherhood of Teamsters|Teamsters]] president [[Frank Fitzsimmons]] in ''[[Hoffa (film)|Hoffa]]'', and [[Richard Nixon]]'s domestic advisor [[John Ehrlichman]] in ''[[Nixon (film)|Nixon]]''. He was fired from ''[[Loose Cannons (1990 film)|Loose Cannons]]'' after completing two days of filming because his co-star [[Dan Aykroyd]] had learned of Walsh's involvement in ''Wired'', a biopic of Aykroyd's friend [[John Belushi]] to which Aykroyd was hostile.{{Citation needed |date=February 2023}}
Among the films Walsh appeared in are ''[[Tin Men]]'' (1987), ''[[Misery (film)|Misery]]'' (1990), ''[[Backdraft (film)|Backdraft]]'' (1991), ''[[Sniper (1993 film)|Sniper]]'' (1993), ''[[The Client (1994 film)|The Client]]'' (1994), ''[[Miracle on 34th Street (1994 film)|Miracle on 34th Street]]'' (1994), ''[[Outbreak (film)|Outbreak]]'' (1995), ''[[Executive Decision]]'' (1996), ''[[Sling Blade]]'' (1996), and he also played the rather sympathetic [[United States Marine Corps|Marine]] [[Lieutenant Colonel (United States)|Lieutenant Colonel]] Matthew Markinson in ''[[A Few Good Men (film)|A Few Good Men]]'' (1992). He played a member of [[Majestic 12]] in the 1996 sci-fi drama series ''[[Dark Skies]]''. Walsh notably played real people in three films: journalist [[Bob Woodward]] in ''[[Wired (film)|Wired]]'' (1989), [[International Brotherhood of Teamsters|Teamsters]] president [[Frank Fitzsimmons]] in ''[[Hoffa (film)|Hoffa]]'' (1992), and [[Richard Nixon]]'s domestic advisor [[John Ehrlichman]] in ''[[Nixon (film)|Nixon]]'' (1995).


The 1997 thriller ''[[Breakdown (1997 film)|Breakdown]]'', which featured Walsh as villainous truck driver Warren "Red" Barr, was his last starring film released during his lifetime. In his final year of life, Walsh starred in ''Hidden Agenda'', ''[[Pleasantville (film)|Pleasantville]]'', and ''[[The Negotiator]]'', all of which were dedicated to his memory.<ref>[http://supersite.jtwalsh.org The J.T. Walsh Supersite]; accessed February 24, 2015.</ref>
The 1997 thriller ''[[Breakdown (1997 film)|Breakdown]]'', which featured Walsh as villainous truck driver Warren "Red" Barr, was his last starring film released during his lifetime. In his final year of life, Walsh starred in ''[[The Negotiator]]'' (1998), ''[[Pleasantville (film)|Pleasantville]]'' (1998), and ''Hidden Agenda'' (1999), all of which were dedicated to his memory.<ref>[http://supersite.jtwalsh.org The J.T. Walsh Supersite] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210730185509/http://supersite.jtwalsh.org/ |date=30 July 2021 }}; accessed February 24, 2015.</ref>


==Personal life and death==
==Personal life and death==
He married Susan West in 1972 and they had a son, John Alan West (born 1974), who works in film production under the name John West. They divorced in 1982. Walsh lived in [[Encino, Los Angeles]]. He was a lifelong [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democrat]], and an avid reader with a strong interest in [[metaphysics]].{{Citation needed |date=February 2023}}


A heavy smoker, Walsh died of a [[Myocardial infarction|heart attack]] in the hospital in [[La Mesa, California]], on February 27, 1998, at the age of 54, after feeling ill and collapsing at the Optimum Health Institute in [[Lemon Grove, California|Lemon Grove]]. According to author [[Marc Seifer]], for whom Walsh had narrated a documentary, just a few weeks earlier, Walsh had experienced chest pains and had an [[Electrocardiography|EKG]] test done that was misread as normal.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://marcseifer.com/assets/jimwalshreflection.pdf |title=Reflections of a Friend |last=Seifer |first=Marc |date=1998-03-04 |website=marcseifer.com |access-date=2023-07-30}}</ref>
Walsh died of a [[Myocardial infarction|heart attack]] in the hospital in [[La Mesa, California]], on February 27, 1998, at the age of 54, after feeling ill and collapsing at the Optimum Health Institute in [[Lemon Grove, California|Lemon Grove]]. According to author [[Marc Seifer]], for whom Walsh had narrated a documentary a few weeks earlier, Walsh had experienced chest pains and had an [[Electrocardiography|EKG]] test done that resulted in a misdiagnosis.{{Citation needed |date=August 2024}}

[[Jack Nicholson]], who acted with Walsh in ''[[A Few Good Men]]'' and ''[[Hoffa (film)|Hoffa]]'', dedicated his Best Actor Oscar for ''[[As Good as It Gets]]'' to him.<ref>{{cite web|title=J.T. Walsh Was Hollywood's Ultimate Go-To Villain|website=[[Screen Rant]] |date=12 August 2019 |url=https://screenrant.com/jt-walsh-hollywoods-ultimate-villain/}}</ref>


In his tribute to Walsh in ''[[Time Out (magazine)|Time Out New York]]'', [[Andrew Johnston (critic)|Andrew Johnston]] wrote: {{blockquote|Walsh is invariably referred to as a character actor who specialized in villains, but that description doesn't quite do justice to what he did. The typical Walsh character was a plot device, really, serving either as a moral counterpoint to the star of the show or as an [[Iago]]like figure egging on the hero in a way likely to lead to the protagonists's downfall. These characters were often self-important authority figures 'defending' the American establishment from the individualism represented by the movies' heroes ... or crooks who thrived by exploiting the hypocrisy of the system. Walsh didn't just make a career of playing bad guys — his performances offered a sort of running commentary on the power structure of American society.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Johnston|first=Andrew|date=March 19, 1998|title=American psycho|journal=Time Out New York}}</ref>}}
In his tribute to Walsh in ''[[Time Out (magazine)|Time Out New York]]'', [[Andrew Johnston (critic)|Andrew Johnston]] wrote: {{blockquote|Walsh is invariably referred to as a character actor who specialized in villains, but that description doesn't quite do justice to what he did. The typical Walsh character was a plot device, really, serving either as a moral counterpoint to the star of the show or as an [[Iago]]like figure egging on the hero in a way likely to lead to the protagonists's downfall. These characters were often self-important authority figures 'defending' the American establishment from the individualism represented by the movies' heroes ... or crooks who thrived by exploiting the hypocrisy of the system. Walsh didn't just make a career of playing bad guys — his performances offered a sort of running commentary on the power structure of American society.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Johnston|first=Andrew|date=March 19, 1998|title=American psycho|journal=Time Out New York}}</ref>}}

==Other==
The "Hey It's That Guy!" feature in [[Fametracker]] was inspired by him, as he appeared in over 60 films but was not well known by name. The creators expanded upon this idea in 2005 by publishing ''Hey! It's That Guy!: The Fametracker.com Guide to Character Actors''.<ref>[https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1594740429 Amazon.com: Hey! It's That Guy!: Books: Tara Ariano<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>


==Filmography==
==Filmography==
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|
|
|-
|-
| 1985
| rowspan="2" | 1985
| ''[[Right to Kill?]]''
| ''[[Right to Kill?]]''
| Major Eckworth
| Major Eckworth
| TV movie
| TV movie
|-
|-
| 1985
| ''[[Hard Choices (film)|Hard Choices]]''
| ''[[Hard Choices (film)|Hard Choices]]''
| Deputy Anderson
| Deputy Anderson
|
|
|-
|-
| 1986
| rowspan="2" | 1986
| ''[[Hannah and Her Sisters]]''
| ''[[Hannah and Her Sisters]]''
| Ed Smythe
| Ed Smythe
|
|
|-
|-
| 1986
| ''[[Power (1986 film)|Power]]''
| ''[[Power (1986 film)|Power]]''
| Jerome Cade
| Jerome Cade
|
|
|-
|-
| 1987
| rowspan="3" | 1987
| ''[[Tin Men]]''
| ''[[Tin Men]]''
| Wing
| Wing
|
|
|-
|-
| 1987
| ''[[House of Games]]''
| ''[[House of Games]]''
| The Businessman / Cop
| The Businessman / Cop
|
|
|-
|-
| 1987
| ''[[Good Morning, Vietnam]]''
| ''[[Good Morning, Vietnam]]''
| Sergeant Major Phillip Dickerson
| Sergeant Major Phillip Dickerson
|
|
|-
|-
| 1988
| rowspan="2" | 1988
| ''[[Things Change (film)|Things Change]]''
| ''[[Things Change (film)|Things Change]]''
| Hotel Manager
| Hotel Manager
|
|
|-
|-
| 1988
| ''[[Tequila Sunrise (film)|Tequila Sunrise]]''
| ''[[Tequila Sunrise (film)|Tequila Sunrise]]''
| DEA Agent Hal Maguire
| DEA Agent Hal Maguire
|
|
|-
|-
| 1989
| rowspan="3" | 1989
| {{sort|Big Picture|''[[The Big Picture (1989 film)|The Big Picture]]''}}
| {{sort|Big Picture|''[[The Big Picture (1989 film)|The Big Picture]]''}}
| Allen Habel
| Allen Habel
|
|
|-
|-
| 1989
| ''[[Wired (film)|Wired]]''
| ''[[Wired (film)|Wired]]''
| [[Bob Woodward]]
| [[Bob Woodward]]
|
|
|-
|-
| 1989
| ''[[Dad (1989 film)|Dad]]''
| ''[[Dad (1989 film)|Dad]]''
| Dr. Santana
| Dr. Santana
|
|
|-
|-
| 1990
| rowspan="6" | 1990
| ''[[Why Me? (1990 film)|Why Me?]]''
| ''[[Why Me? (1990 film)|Why Me?]]''
| Francis Mahoney
| Chief Inspector Francis Mahoney
|
|
|-
|-
| 1990
| ''[[Cяazy People|Crazy People]]''
| ''[[Cяazy People|Crazy People]]''
| Mr. Drucker
| Mr. Charles F Drucker
|
|
|-
|-
| 1990
| {{sort|Grifters|''[[The Grifters (film)|The Grifters]]''}}
| {{sort|Grifters|''[[The Grifters (film)|The Grifters]]''}}
| Cole
| Cole
|
|
|-
|-
| 1990
| ''[[Narrow Margin]]''
| ''[[Narrow Margin]]''
| Michael Tarlow
| Michael Tarlow
|
|
|-
|-
| 1990
| ''[[Misery (film)|Misery]]''
| ''[[Misery (film)|Misery]]''
| Chief Sherman Douglas
| Chief Sherman Douglas
| Uncredited{{citation needed|date=October 2019}}
| Uncredited{{citation needed|date=October 2019}}
|-
|-
| 1990
| {{sort|Russia House|''[[The Russia House (film)|The Russia House]]''}}
| {{sort|Russia House|''[[The Russia House (film)|The Russia House]]''}}
| Colonel Jackson Quinn
| Colonel Jackson Quinn
|
|
|-
|-
| 1991
| rowspan="4" | 1991
| ''[[Iron Maze]]''
| ''[[Iron Maze]]''
| Jack Ruhle
| Jack Ruhle
|
|
|-
|-
| 1991
| ''[[Backdraft (film)|Backdraft]]''
| ''[[Backdraft (film)|Backdraft]]''
| Alderman Marty Swayzak
| Alderman Marty Swayzak
|
|
|-
|-
| 1991
| ''Defenseless''
| ''Defenseless''
| Steven Seldes
| Steven Seldes
|
|
|-
|-
| 1991
| ''[[True Identity]]''
| ''[[True Identity]]''
| Agent Houston
| Agent Houston
|
|
|-
|-
| 1992
| rowspan="3" | 1992
| {{sort|Few Good Men|''[[A Few Good Men]]''}}
| {{sort|Few Good Men|''[[A Few Good Men]]''}}
| Lieutenant Colonel Matthew Andrew Markinson
| Lieutenant Colonel Matthew Andrew Markinson
|
|
|-
|-
| 1992
| ''[[Hoffa (film)|Hoffa]]''
| ''[[Hoffa (film)|Hoffa]]''
| [[Frank Fitzsimmons]]
| [[Frank Fitzsimmons]]
|
|
|-
|-
| 1992
| {{sort|Prom|''The Prom''}}
| {{sort|Prom|''The Prom''}}
| Grover Dean
| Grover Dean
|
|
|-
|-
| 1993
| rowspan="6" | 1993
| ''[[Sniper (1993 film)|Sniper]]''
| ''[[Sniper (1993 film)|Sniper]]''
| Colonel Chester Van Damme
| Colonel Chester Van Damme
|
|
|-
|-
| 1993
| ''[[Loaded Weapon 1]]''
| ''[[Loaded Weapon 1]]''
| Desk Clerk
| Desk Clerk
|
|
|-
|-
| 1993
| ''[[Red Rock West]]''
| ''[[Red Rock West]]''
| Kevin McCord / Sheriff Wayne Brown
| Kevin McCord / Sheriff Wayne Brown
|
|
|-
|-
| 1993
| ''[[Needful Things (film)|Needful Things]]''
| ''[[Needful Things (film)|Needful Things]]''
| Danforth "Buster" Keeton III
| Danforth "Buster" Keeton III
| Nominated – [[Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actor]]
| Nominated – [[Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actor]]
|-
|-
| 1993
| ''[[Morning Glory (1993 film)|Morning Glory]]''
| ''[[Morning Glory (1993 film)|Morning Glory]]''
| Sheriff Reese Goodloe
| Sheriff Reese Goodloe
|
|
|-
|-
| 1993
| ''One Little Indian''
| ''One Little Indian''
| Marshall Robinson
| Marshall Robinson
| Short
| Short
|-
|-
| 1994
| rowspan="5" | 1994
| {{sort|Last Seduction|''[[The Last Seduction]]''}}
| {{sort|Last Seduction|''[[The Last Seduction]]''}}
| Frank Griffith
| Frank Griffith
|
|
|-
|-
| 1994
| ''[[Blue Chips]]''
| ''[[Blue Chips]]''
| "Happy" Kuykendahl
| "Happy" Kuykendahl
|
|
|-
|-
| 1994
| {{sort|Client|''[[The Client (1994 film)|The Client]]''}}
| {{sort|Client|''[[The Client (1994 film)|The Client]]''}}
| FBI Agent Jason McThune
| FBI Agent Jason McThune
|
|
|-
|-
| 1994
| ''[[Silent Fall]]''
| ''[[Silent Fall]]''
| Sheriff Mitch Rivers
| Sheriff Mitch Rivers
|
|
|-
|-
| 1994
| ''[[Miracle on 34th Street (1994 film)|Miracle on 34th Street]]''
| ''[[Miracle on 34th Street (1994 film)|Miracle on 34th Street]]''
| Ed Collins
| Ed Collins
|
|
|-
|-
| 1995
| rowspan="7" | 1995
| ''[[Outbreak (film)|Outbreak]]''
| ''[[Outbreak (film)|Outbreak]]''
| White House Chief of Staff
| White House Chief of Staff
| Uncredited
| Uncredited
|-
|-
| 1995
| {{sort|Low Life|''[[The Low Life]]''}}
| {{sort|Low Life|''[[The Low Life]]''}}
| Mike Sr.
| Mike Sr.
|
|
|-
|-
| 1995
| {{sort|Babysitter|''[[The Babysitter (1995 film)|The Babysitter]]''}}
| {{sort|Babysitter|''[[The Babysitter (1995 film)|The Babysitter]]''}}
| Harry Tucker
| Harry Tucker
|
|
|-
|-
| 1995
| ''[[Black Day Blue Night]]''
| ''[[Black Day Blue Night]]''
| Lieutenant John Quinn
| Lieutenant John Quinn
|
|
|-
|-
| 1995
| ''[[Charlie's Ghost Story]]''
| ''[[Charlie's Ghost Story]]''
| Darryl
| Darryl
|
|
|-
|-
| 1995
| ''[[Nixon (film)|Nixon]]''
| ''[[Nixon (film)|Nixon]]''
| [[John Ehrlichman]]
| [[John Ehrlichman]]
| Nominated – [[Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture]]
| Nominated – [[Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture]]
|-
|-
| 1995
| ''Sacred Cargo''
| ''Sacred Cargo''
| Father Stanislav
| Father Stanislav
|
|
|-
|-
| 1996
| rowspan="3" | 1996
| ''[[Executive Decision]]''
| ''[[Executive Decision]]''
| Senator Jason Mavros
| Senator Jason Mavros
|
|
|-
|-
| 1996
| {{sort|Little Death|''The Little Death''}}
| {{sort|Little Death|''The Little Death''}}
| Ted Hannon
| Ted Hannon
|
|
|-
|-
| 1996
| ''[[Sling Blade]]''
| ''[[Sling Blade]]''
| Charles Bushman
| Charles Bushman
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| Nominated – [[Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actor]]
| Nominated – [[Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actor]]
|-
|-
| 1998
| rowspan="2" | 1998
| {{sort|Negotiator|''[[The Negotiator]]''}}
| {{sort|Negotiator|''[[The Negotiator]]''}}
| Inspector Terence Niebaum
| Inspector Terence Niebaum
| Posthumous release
| rowspan="3" | Posthumous release
|-
|-
| 1998
| ''[[Pleasantville (film)|Pleasantville]]''
| ''[[Pleasantville (film)|Pleasantville]]''
| Bob "Big Bob"
| Bob "Big Bob"
|-
| Posthumous release
| 1999
| ''Hidden Agenda''
| Jonathan Zanuck
|}
|}


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| 1 Episode
| 1 Episode
|-
|-
| 1987
| rowspan="3" | 1987
| ''[[Spenser: For Hire]]''
| ''[[Spenser: For Hire]]''
| Andrew Lawford
| Andrew Lawford
| Episode: "Murder and Acquisitions"
| Episode: "Murder and Acquisitions"
|-
|-
| 1987
| ''[[The Ellen Burstyn Show]]''
| ''[[The Ellen Burstyn Show]]''
| Dan Hodges
| Dan Hodges
| Episode: "Writer, Wronger"
| Episode: "Writer, Wronger"
|-
|-
| 1987
| ''[[The Equalizer (1985 TV series)|The Equalizer]]''
| ''[[The Equalizer (1985 TV series)|The Equalizer]]''
| Andrew Banks / Sam Griffith
| Andrew Banks / Sam Griffith
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| TV film based on [[The American Clock|the play]] by [[Arthur Miller]]
| TV film based on [[The American Clock|the play]] by [[Arthur Miller]]
|-
|-
| 1994
| rowspan="3" | 1994
| ''[[Birdland (TV series)|Birdland]]''
| ''[[Birdland (TV series)|Birdland]]''
| Potter
| Potter
| Episode: "Grand Delusion"
| Episode: "Grand Delusion"
|-
|-
| 1994
| ''[[Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman]]''
| ''[[Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman]]''
| Colonel Charles Fane
| Colonel Charles Fane
| Episode: "Operation Blackout"
| Episode: "Operation Blackout"
|-
|-
| 1994
| ''Starstruck''
| ''Starstruck''
| Greer
| Greer
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| Episode: "[[The List (The X-Files)|The List]]"
| Episode: "[[The List (The X-Files)|The List]]"
|-
|-
| 1996
| rowspan="2" | 1996
| ''[[Crime of the Century (1996 film)|Crime of the Century]]''
| ''[[Crime of the Century (1996 film)|Crime of the Century]]''
| [[Norman Schwarzkopf Sr.]]
| [[Norman Schwarzkopf Sr.]]
| TV movie
| rowspan="2" | TV movie
|-
|-
| 1996
| ''[[Gang in Blue]]''
| ''[[Gang in Blue]]''
| Lieutenant William Eyler
| Lieutenant William Eyler
| TV movie
|-
|-
| 1996–1997
| 1996–1997
Line 398: Line 356:
| 19 Episodes
| 19 Episodes
|-
|-
| 1997
| rowspan="2" | 1997
| ''[[Hope (1997 film)|Hope]]''
| ''[[Hope (1997 film)|Hope]]''
| Ray Percy
| Ray Percy
| [[Goldie Hawn]]'s directorial debut
| [[Goldie Hawn]]'s directorial debut
|-
|-
| 1997
| ''[[C-16: FBI]]''
| ''[[C-16: FBI]]''
| Jules Rozack
| Jules Rozack

Latest revision as of 06:33, 22 September 2024

Not to be confused with J. D. Walsh (actor).

J.T. Walsh
Walsh in Breakdown (1997)
Born
James Thomas Patrick Walsh

(1943-09-28)September 28, 1943
San Francisco, California, U.S.
DiedFebruary 27, 1998(1998-02-27) (aged 54)
La Mesa, California, U.S.
Alma materUniversity of Tübingen
University of Rhode Island
OccupationActor
Years active1975–1998

James Thomas Patrick Walsh (September 28, 1943 – February 27, 1998) was an American character actor. His many films include: Tin Men (1987), Good Morning, Vietnam (1987), A Few Good Men (1992), Hoffa (1992), Nixon (1995), Sling Blade (1996), Breakdown (1997) and Pleasantville (1998).[1]

Early life

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Walsh was born in San Francisco, California. He had three siblings: Christopher, Patricia, and Mary.[2]

After graduating from college in 1967, Walsh worked briefly as a VISTA volunteer in Newport, Rhode Island organizing tenants for the United Tenant Organizations of Rhode Island (UTO) before resigning to pursue his acting career. Prior to becoming an actor, he also worked as a barman, an encyclopedia salesman, a junior high school teacher, a gymnasium equipment salesman, and a reporter. In 1974, he was discovered by a theater director and began working in off-Broadway shows, where he began using the initials "J. T." to avoid confusion with another stage actor named James Walsh.[citation needed]

Career

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On stage, Walsh received critical acclaim for his performance as John Williamson in the 1984 U.S. premiere of David Mamet's Glengarry Glen Ross in Chicago and subsequently on Broadway.[citation needed] He did not appear in films until 1983, when he had a minor role in Eddie Macon's Run. Over the next 15 years, he appeared in over 50 feature films, increasingly taking the villain role for which he is well known, such as Sergeant Major Dickerson in Good Morning, Vietnam (1987). On television, he again portrayed an evil character, prison warden Brodeur on the 1995 X-Files episode "The List".

Among the films Walsh appeared in are Tin Men (1987), Misery (1990), Backdraft (1991), Sniper (1993), The Client (1994), Miracle on 34th Street (1994), Outbreak (1995), Executive Decision (1996), Sling Blade (1996), and he also played the rather sympathetic Marine Lieutenant Colonel Matthew Markinson in A Few Good Men (1992). He played a member of Majestic 12 in the 1996 sci-fi drama series Dark Skies. Walsh notably played real people in three films: journalist Bob Woodward in Wired (1989), Teamsters president Frank Fitzsimmons in Hoffa (1992), and Richard Nixon's domestic advisor John Ehrlichman in Nixon (1995).

The 1997 thriller Breakdown, which featured Walsh as villainous truck driver Warren "Red" Barr, was his last starring film released during his lifetime. In his final year of life, Walsh starred in The Negotiator (1998), Pleasantville (1998), and Hidden Agenda (1999), all of which were dedicated to his memory.[3]

Personal life and death

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Walsh died of a heart attack in the hospital in La Mesa, California, on February 27, 1998, at the age of 54, after feeling ill and collapsing at the Optimum Health Institute in Lemon Grove. According to author Marc Seifer, for whom Walsh had narrated a documentary a few weeks earlier, Walsh had experienced chest pains and had an EKG test done that resulted in a misdiagnosis.[citation needed]

Jack Nicholson, who acted with Walsh in A Few Good Men and Hoffa, dedicated his Best Actor Oscar for As Good as It Gets to him.[4]

In his tribute to Walsh in Time Out New York, Andrew Johnston wrote:

Walsh is invariably referred to as a character actor who specialized in villains, but that description doesn't quite do justice to what he did. The typical Walsh character was a plot device, really, serving either as a moral counterpoint to the star of the show or as an Iagolike figure egging on the hero in a way likely to lead to the protagonists's downfall. These characters were often self-important authority figures 'defending' the American establishment from the individualism represented by the movies' heroes ... or crooks who thrived by exploiting the hypocrisy of the system. Walsh didn't just make a career of playing bad guys — his performances offered a sort of running commentary on the power structure of American society.[5]

Filmography

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Film

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Year Title Role Notes
1983 Eddie Macon's Run Man in Bar Film debut
1984 The Beniker Gang Principal Stoddard
1985 Right to Kill? Major Eckworth TV movie
Hard Choices Deputy Anderson
1986 Hannah and Her Sisters Ed Smythe
Power Jerome Cade
1987 Tin Men Wing
House of Games The Businessman / Cop
Good Morning, Vietnam Sergeant Major Phillip Dickerson
1988 Things Change Hotel Manager
Tequila Sunrise DEA Agent Hal Maguire
1989 The Big Picture Allen Habel
Wired Bob Woodward
Dad Dr. Santana
1990 Why Me? Chief Inspector Francis Mahoney
Crazy People Mr. Charles F Drucker
The Grifters Cole
Narrow Margin Michael Tarlow
Misery Chief Sherman Douglas Uncredited[citation needed]
The Russia House Colonel Jackson Quinn
1991 Iron Maze Jack Ruhle
Backdraft Alderman Marty Swayzak
Defenseless Steven Seldes
True Identity Agent Houston
1992 A Few Good Men Lieutenant Colonel Matthew Andrew Markinson
Hoffa Frank Fitzsimmons
The Prom Grover Dean
1993 Sniper Colonel Chester Van Damme
Loaded Weapon 1 Desk Clerk
Red Rock West Kevin McCord / Sheriff Wayne Brown
Needful Things Danforth "Buster" Keeton III Nominated – Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actor
Morning Glory Sheriff Reese Goodloe
One Little Indian Marshall Robinson Short
1994 The Last Seduction Frank Griffith
Blue Chips "Happy" Kuykendahl
The Client FBI Agent Jason McThune
Silent Fall Sheriff Mitch Rivers
Miracle on 34th Street Ed Collins
1995 Outbreak White House Chief of Staff Uncredited
The Low Life Mike Sr.
The Babysitter Harry Tucker
Black Day Blue Night Lieutenant John Quinn
Charlie's Ghost Story Darryl
Nixon John Ehrlichman Nominated – Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture
Sacred Cargo Father Stanislav
1996 Executive Decision Senator Jason Mavros
The Little Death Ted Hannon
Sling Blade Charles Bushman Nominated – Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture
1997 Breakdown Warren "Red" Barr Nominated – Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actor
1998 The Negotiator Inspector Terence Niebaum Posthumous release
Pleasantville Bob "Big Bob"
1999 Hidden Agenda Jonathan Zanuck

Television

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Year Title Role Notes
1984 The Edge of Night Ken Bloom #2 9 Episodes
1985 All My Children Jay Garland 1 Episode
1987 Spenser: For Hire Andrew Lawford Episode: "Murder and Acquisitions"
The Ellen Burstyn Show Dan Hodges Episode: "Writer, Wronger"
The Equalizer Andrew Banks / Sam Griffith 2 Episodes
1988 Windmills of the Gods Colonel Bill McKinney TV Miniseries
1989 L.A. Law Pete Bostik Episode: "Consumed Innocent"
1992 In the Shadow of a Killer Inspector Leo Kemeny TV movie
1993 The American Clock Judge Bradley TV film based on the play by Arthur Miller
1994 Birdland Potter Episode: "Grand Delusion"
Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Colonel Charles Fane Episode: "Operation Blackout"
Starstruck Greer TV movie
1995 The X Files Warden Brodeur Episode: "The List"
1996 Crime of the Century Norman Schwarzkopf Sr. TV movie
Gang in Blue Lieutenant William Eyler
1996–1997 Dark Skies Frank Bach 19 Episodes
1997 Hope Ray Percy Goldie Hawn's directorial debut
C-16: FBI Jules Rozack Episode: "Radio FBI"

References

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  1. ^ "J. T. Walsh". Salon. 2004.
  2. ^ Frammolino, Ralph (28 February 1998). "tuaries J.T. Walsh; Actor Excelled in Malevolent Roles". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on 20 September 2015. Retrieved 16 August 2023.
  3. ^ The J.T. Walsh Supersite Archived 30 July 2021 at the Wayback Machine; accessed February 24, 2015.
  4. ^ "J.T. Walsh Was Hollywood's Ultimate Go-To Villain". Screen Rant. 12 August 2019.
  5. ^ Johnston, Andrew (19 March 1998). "American psycho". Time Out New York.
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