Performer
A performer whose catalogue work here is strong, with the fuller case still to be made.
Nutevio rank
#1517
of 909177 performers
Top 1%
Matt Walsh works on versatility rather than volume, and the catalogue keeps proving that the quieter choice was the correct one.
The essay
Our editors on the work, the patterns and the reason this body of work holds together.
Matt Walsh appears in 45 films in the Nutevio catalogue, and none of them would work the same way without Matt. Little Lorraine is the clearest case: a film rated 10.0 by our editors, where the performance carries weight the script only implies.
The recognisable elements are versatility, transformation, quiet performance. Watch two of these films back to back and the method separates from the material — the same instrument, tuned differently for romance, comedy, crime. It is a style built on what is withheld as much as what is played.
Working with Linda Mendoza, Laura Chinn, Robert Schwartzman and others, Matt Walsh helped set a standard other performers now audition against. Awards bodies have been slower than the work, which is usually the sign of a career built on choices rather than campaigns.
Little Lorraine (2026) as Officer Douglas · Flamin' Hot (2023) as Lonny Mason · The Hangover (2009) as Dr. Valsh
Career snapshot
Ranked #1517 of 909177 performers tracked in the Nutevio library.
Films in Nutevio
45
2003–2026
Career length
23 yrs
Measured across our catalogue
Academy Awards
—
Unknown
Oscar nominations
—
Unknown
Highest Nutevio score
10.0
Little Lorraine
Average Nutevio score
6.2
Across catalogue work
Highest IMDb rating
10.0
Little Lorraine
Most frequent director
Todd Phillips
5 films together
Longest collaboration
5×
With Todd Phillips
Most common genre
Comedy
40 titles
Average runtime
1h 40m
Across catalogue work
Golden Globe wins
—
Unknown
Nutevio metric
Ten weighted categories, applied identically to everyone we cover.
Nutevio Performer Score
6.8
out of 10
A performer whose catalogue work here is strong, with the fuller case still to be made.
Nutevio metric
Cultural impact and legacy, measured separately from craft — how far the work travelled once it left the cinema.
Nutevio Influence Score
6.5
out of 10
A quieter influence — felt inside the films rather than across the industry.
How far the work travelled past the people who saw it first.
What survives once the release-week conversation has burned off.
Institutional acknowledgement, weighted but never decisive.
Years of chosen, relevant work rather than years merely employed.
Statuettes, read as evidence rather than verdict.
Roles named without needing the film named alongside them.
Directors who wrote parts because this performer existed.
The reading other performers now have to answer.
Actor DNA
A fingerprint derived from the roles themselves — register, range and the kind of film they carry.
The shape of a career
Every performance plotted in time. Hover a point to read the title behind it.
Peak years
Where the scores, the awards and the sheer volume of work agree with each other.
Best decade
2020s
6.5 average MV
The 2020s are where the work and the material meet. Relationship Goals, Little Lorraine, Novocaine — the run our editors reach for first when the argument is about range rather than fame.
Highest average Nutevio score
2020s
6.5
Across 12 catalogue films in this decade, our scores never drop below the level a career is judged on.
Highest average IMDb rating
2020s
6.5
The public agrees most strongly about this stretch — useful context, and occasionally a decade behind our own reading.
Most awarded era
2000s
0 Academy Awards
Statuettes for the films themselves, which is the honest way to read an ensemble career. The Hangover, I Love You, Man, The Goods: Live Hard, Sell Hard.
Most productive era
2010s
19 films
The busiest stretch of the catalogue — volume that reads as appetite rather than availability.
Range, mapped
Genres down the side, decades across the top. Warmer cells mean stronger titles.
| Genre | 2000s | 2010s | 2020s |
|---|---|---|---|
| Drama | 6.31 film | 6.56 films | 7.35 films |
| Action | — | 5.73 films | 6.81 film |
| Thriller | 6.11 film | 5.83 films | 6.81 film |
| Comedy | 6.214 films | 6.017 films | 5.99 films |
| Crime | 5.92 films | 6.51 film | 7.82 films |
| Romance | 6.02 films | 5.84 films | 6.24 films |
| Horror | — | 4.81 film | — |
Chronology
Firsts and peaks
The turning points, in the order they happened.
First film in Nutevio
2003Elf
Where our catalogue meets this career, as Matt Walsh.
First Nutevio masterpiece · Highest rated performance · Career peak · Most recent film
2026Little Lorraine
The first film here to clear 9.0 on our scale — a threshold fewer than one film in ten reaches. 10.0 on the Nutevio scale, the top of the catalogue for this performer. Weighing billing against the film's own quality, this is the point where everything aligned at once. The current state of the argument, as Officer Douglas.
Our order
Every performance in the catalogue, ordered by Nutevio Score.
Every title
Filter by genre or decade, and compare any two titles side by side.
45 of 45 films
as Officer Douglas
Directed by Unknown
as Lonny Mason
Directed by Eva Longoria
as Dr. Valsh
Directed by Todd Phillips
as Greg Pope
Directed by Dave McCary
From the library
Every movie and TV credit stored for this name in the Nutevio catalogue — filter by media, role or sort by rating.
Loading credits…
The defining work
#1
Officer Douglas
Little Lorraine (2026)
Performance score9.7
The performance the rest of the career is read through. Officer Douglas gives Matt Walsh a structure to work against, and the film hands over its centre of gravity without hesitation.
View movie#2
Lonny Mason
Flamin' Hot (2023)
Performance score7.4
Flamin' Hot asks for something the previous films did not, and gets it. Lonny Mason is played without a single line of pleading for the audience's sympathy — which is exactly why it lands.
View movie#3
Dr. Valsh
The Hangover (2009)
Performance score7.4
The Hangover asks for something the previous films did not, and gets it. Dr. Valsh is played without a single line of pleading for the audience's sympathy — which is exactly why it lands.
View movie#4
Greg Pope
Brigsby Bear (2017)
Performance score7.2
Brigsby Bear asks for something the previous films did not, and gets it. Greg Pope is played without a single line of pleading for the audience's sympathy — which is exactly why it lands.
View movieStart here
A guided path through the work, ordered so each film explains the next.
Best entry point
as Officer Douglas
Start here. Little Lorraine is the clearest statement of what Matt Walsh does — accessible, 115 minutes, and rated 10.0 by our editors. No context required.
Our editors order this path by accessibility first and chronology second. You meet Matt at the most legible performance, then move forward in time so each film reads as a response to the one before it rather than a repetition of it.
The Hangover (2009)
A deliberate change of key after Little Lorraine — same instrument, unfamiliar tuning, and the reason range gets mentioned.
Brigsby Bear (2017)
Keeps the comedy register of The Hangover but asks for a colder reading of it.
Flamin' Hot (2023)
Keeps the drama register of Brigsby Bear but asks for a colder reading of it.
Novocaine (2025)
A deliberate change of key after Flamin' Hot — same instrument, unfamiliar tuning, and the reason range gets mentioned.
Company kept
The directors and performers this career keeps returning to.
Todd Phillips
Director
5 films together
Notably The Hangover
Steven Brill
Director
2 films together
Notably Drillbit Taylor
David Wain
Director
2 films together
Notably A Futile and Stupid Gesture
Jon Favreau
Director
1 film together
Notably Elf
Joe Roth
Director
1 film together
Notably Christmas with the Kranks
Michel Gondry
Director
1 film together
Notably Be Kind Rewind
Adam McKay
Director
1 film together
Notably Step Brothers
Dan Eckman
Director
1 film together
Notably Mystery Team
Neal Brennan
Director
1 film together
Notably The Goods: Live Hard, Sell Hard
John Hamburg
Director
1 film together
Notably I Love You, Man
Jay Duplass
Director
1 film together
Notably Cyrus
Ramaa Mosley
Director
1 film together
Notably The Brass Teapot
Seth MacFarlane
Director
1 film together
Notably Ted
Brett Ratner
Director
1 film together
Notably Movie 43
Etan Cohen
Director
1 film together
Notably Get Hard
Chris Kelly
Director
1 film together
Notably Other People
Greg McLean
Director
1 film together
Notably The Darkness
Josh Gordon
Director
1 film together
Notably Office Christmas Party
Greg Mottola
Director
1 film together
Notably Keeping Up with the Joneses
Paul Feig
Director
1 film together
Notably Ghostbusters
Dave McCary
Director
1 film together
Notably Brigsby Bear
Steve McQueen
Director
1 film together
Notably Widows
Ben Falcone
Director
1 film together
Notably Life of the Party
Debra Neil-Fisher
Director
1 film together
Notably Unplugging
Gary Alazraki
Director
1 film together
Notably Father of the Bride
Eva Longoria
Director
1 film together
Notably Flamin' Hot
Robert Schwartzman
Director
1 film together
Notably The Good Half
Laura Chinn
Director
1 film together
Notably Suncoast
Linda Mendoza
Director
1 film together
Notably Relationship Goals
Behind the camera
Who casts this performer, how often, and what the pairing produces.
Todd Phillips
Director
5 films together · 6.4 avg MV
A working relationship rather than a booking — 5 films, and the register shifts each time.
Best film together
The HangoverDavid Wain
Director
2 films together · 6.5 avg MV
A working relationship rather than a booking — 2 films, and the register shifts each time.
Best film together
A Futile and Stupid GestureSteven Brill
Director
2 films together · 5.8 avg MV
A working relationship rather than a booking — 2 films, and the register shifts each time.
Best film together
Drillbit TaylorEva Longoria
Director
1 film together · 7.6 avg MV
One film, but the kind that reorganises how a performer is cast afterwards.
Best film together
Flamin' HotDave McCary
Director
1 film together · 7.1 avg MV
One film, but the kind that reorganises how a performer is cast afterwards.
Best film together
Brigsby BearLaura Chinn
Director
1 film together · 6.7 avg MV
One film, but the kind that reorganises how a performer is cast afterwards.
Best film together
SuncoastJon Favreau
Director
1 film together · 6.7 avg MV
One film, but the kind that reorganises how a performer is cast afterwards.
Best film together
ElfJohn Hamburg
Director
1 film together · 6.6 avg MV
One film, but the kind that reorganises how a performer is cast afterwards.
Best film together
I Love You, ManAdam McKay
Director
1 film together · 6.6 avg MV
One film, but the kind that reorganises how a performer is cast afterwards.
Best film together
Step BrothersSteve McQueen
Director
1 film together · 6.5 avg MV
One film, but the kind that reorganises how a performer is cast afterwards.
Best film together
WidowsSeth MacFarlane
Director
1 film together · 6.5 avg MV
One film, but the kind that reorganises how a performer is cast afterwards.
Best film together
TedChris Kelly
Director
1 film together · 6.4 avg MV
One film, but the kind that reorganises how a performer is cast afterwards.
Best film together
Other PeopleGary Alazraki
Director
1 film together · 6.3 avg MV
One film, but the kind that reorganises how a performer is cast afterwards.
Best film together
Father of the BrideMichel Gondry
Director
1 film together · 6.3 avg MV
One film, but the kind that reorganises how a performer is cast afterwards.
Best film together
Be Kind RewindLinda Mendoza
Director
1 film together · 6.2 avg MV
One film, but the kind that reorganises how a performer is cast afterwards.
Best film together
Relationship GoalsJoe Roth
Director
1 film together · 6.2 avg MV
One film, but the kind that reorganises how a performer is cast afterwards.
Best film together
Christmas with the KranksRobert Schwartzman
Director
1 film together · 6.1 avg MV
One film, but the kind that reorganises how a performer is cast afterwards.
Best film together
The Good HalfBen Falcone
Director
1 film together · 6.1 avg MV
One film, but the kind that reorganises how a performer is cast afterwards.
Best film together
Life of the PartyGreg Mottola
Director
1 film together · 6.1 avg MV
One film, but the kind that reorganises how a performer is cast afterwards.
Best film together
Keeping Up with the JonesesRamaa Mosley
Director
1 film together · 6.1 avg MV
One film, but the kind that reorganises how a performer is cast afterwards.
Best film together
The Brass TeapotDan Eckman
Director
1 film together · 6.1 avg MV
One film, but the kind that reorganises how a performer is cast afterwards.
Best film together
Mystery TeamEtan Cohen
Director
1 film together · 6.0 avg MV
One film, but the kind that reorganises how a performer is cast afterwards.
Best film together
Get HardJay Duplass
Director
1 film together · 5.9 avg MV
One film, but the kind that reorganises how a performer is cast afterwards.
Best film together
CyrusJosh Gordon
Director
1 film together · 5.7 avg MV
One film, but the kind that reorganises how a performer is cast afterwards.
Best film together
Office Christmas PartyNeal Brennan
Director
1 film together · 5.4 avg MV
One film, but the kind that reorganises how a performer is cast afterwards.
Best film together
The Goods: Live Hard, Sell HardPaul Feig
Director
1 film together · 5.3 avg MV
One film, but the kind that reorganises how a performer is cast afterwards.
Best film together
GhostbustersDebra Neil-Fisher
Director
1 film together · 4.9 avg MV
One film, but the kind that reorganises how a performer is cast afterwards.
Best film together
UnpluggingGreg McLean
Director
1 film together · 4.8 avg MV
One film, but the kind that reorganises how a performer is cast afterwards.
Best film together
The DarknessBrett Ratner
Director
1 film together · 4.7 avg MV
One film, but the kind that reorganises how a performer is cast afterwards.
Best film together
Movie 43Six degrees
Follow the thread outward — director, film, co-star, and the film after that.
Categories of our own
Six editorial categories we apply to every performer we cover.
Most rewatchable
Little Lorraine
as Officer Douglas
The one that survives a fourth viewing. Nothing in the performance depends on surprise, which is why it keeps paying out.
Most emotional performance
Flamin' Hot
as Lonny Mason
Grief played at conversational volume. The film never asks the audience to cry; the performance simply makes it difficult not to.
Most influential performance
Little Lorraine
as Officer Douglas
You can hear this reading in other actors' auditions a decade later — the surest measure of influence there is.
Best ensemble performance
Elf
as Matt Walsh
Work that makes everyone else in the frame better without ever pulling the camera towards itself.
Career defining performance
Little Lorraine
as Officer Douglas
If the career had to be argued in a single scene, our editors would pick one from this film and rest the case.
In their films' words
“You can build a whole film around a performer who knows when not to speak. Matt Walsh has known it for a long time.”
Head to head
Put two careers on the same scale and see where the argument actually sits.
Ours alone
Recognitions handed out by this desk, on criteria no awards body uses.
Career Achievement
Awarded
23 years of relevant work — not merely a long career, but a long career of choices.
Modern Classic Performer
Awarded
Defining performances delivered inside the last twenty-five years, in films already being taught rather than merely remembered.
Comedy Legend
Awarded
40 catalogue titles in comedy, each one a reference point for the films that followed.
Our desk
Best ending, best opening, best twist and the rest — categories we apply to everyone we cover.
Best ending
Little Lorraine
as Officer Douglas
The last five minutes reorganise everything before them, and hold up when you already know what's coming.
Best opening
Little Lorraine
as Officer Douglas
A first sequence that states the rules of the film without explaining a single one of them.
Most emotional
Flamin' Hot
as Lonny Mason
The film where the technique steps aside and lets the feeling arrive undefended.
Best twist
Mystery Team
as Jim
A reversal earned by information the film gave you and trusted you to misread.
Best visual achievement
Little Lorraine
as Officer Douglas
Images that would survive with the sound switched off.
Best action sequence
The Do-Over
as Shecky
Geography, stakes and consequence held in the same frame — spectacle you can follow.
Best dialogue
Father of the Bride
as Dr. Gary Saeger
Lines written to be spoken, staged so the pauses do half the work.
Most underrated film
The Hangover
as Dr. Valsh
The public vote sits below ours on this one, and the direction is the reason for the gap.
If you like this performer
Matt Damon
Built a career in the same territory: adventure and drama
Michael Caine
Built a career in the same territory: adventure and drama
Mark Ruffalo
Works with the same directors — shared collaborators
Tom Wilkinson
Works with the same directors — shared collaborators
David Krumholtz
Built a career in the same territory: action and adventure
Tom Hanks
Built a career in the same territory: family and comedy
Have your say
Community
Which Matt Walsh performance holds up best?
Our readers argue about this one. Make your case, or read the ranked debate already in progress.
Join the conversation
Reference
Continue exploring
Trending performers
Directors they work with
Collections to read next
