R.I.P. M. Emmet Walsh: ‘Blade Runner’ And ‘Knives Out’ Star Dead At 88

M. Emmet Walsh, the famed actor known for roles in movies like Blood Simple, Knives Out and Blade Runner, has died. He was 88.

His longtime manager Sandy Joseph confirmed to Entertainment Tonight that Walsh died at the Kerbs Memorial Hospital in St. Albans, Vermont on Tuesday (March 19) after going into cardiac arrest.

Born in 1935, Walsh graduated with a business degree from Clarkson University before moving to New York City to attend the American Academy of Dramatic Arts. He eventually made his Broadway debut in 1969, where he starred opposite Al Pacino in Does a Tiger Wear a Necktie?

Walsh landed his first big-screen role that same year in the comedy Alice’s Restaurant. However, his breakout came when he played the small-town sports reporter Dickie Dunn in the 1977 sports comedy Slap Shot. Within the following two years, he appeared in films like Straight Time opposite Dustin Hoffman and The Jerk starring Steve Martin.

He later played Harrison Ford‘s boss at the police department in the 1982 science fiction flick Blade Runner as well as private detective Loren Visser in the Coen Brothers’ 1984 crime film Blood Simple. He also appeared as Dermot Mulroney‘s dad in the 1997 rom-com My Best Friend’s Wedding, which also starred Julia Roberts.

Walsh has been in more than 200 films and television shows. More recently, he starred as Grandaddy Roy Gemstone in two episodes of HBO’s The Righteous Gemstones and as a security guard named Mr. Proofroc in Rian Johnson’s Knives Out.

Following the news of his death, Johnson paid tribute to Walsh on X (the platform formerly known as Twitter).

“Emmet came to set with 2 things: a copy of his credits, which was a small-type single spaced double column list of modern classics that filled a whole page, & two-dollar bills which he passed out to the entire crew,” he remembered. “‘Don’t spend it and you’ll never be broke.’ Absolute legend.”

The actor’s final film before his death — Outlaw Posse starring Whoopi Goldberg and Cedric the Entertainer — was released on March 1, 2024.

Walsh is survived by his niece, nephew, and two grandnephews.