Claim: Walter Matthau is an actor.

Walter Matthau -LRB- -LSB- ˈmæθaʊ -RSB- October 1 , 1920 -- July 1 , 2000 -RRB- was an American actor and comedian , best known for his role as Oscar Madison in The Odd Couple and its sequel 30 years later , The Odd Couple II , and his frequent collaborations with Odd Couple co-star Jack Lemmon , particularly in the '90s with Grumpy Old Men and its sequel Grumpier Old Men . He won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his performance in the 1966 Billy Wilder film The Fortune Cookie . Besides the Oscar , he was the winner of BAFTA , Golden Globe and Tony awards .