Matthew Paul Walsh (born October 13, 1964) is an American comedian and actor. He is best known for his role as Mike McLintock in Veep for which he received two Primetime Emmy Award nominations. He is a founding member of the Upright Citizens Brigade sketch comedy troupe, with which he co-starred in its original television series and the 2015 reboot. He also previously starred in short-lived comedy programs such as Dog Bites Man and Players, and was a correspondent on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart. He has also appeared in films such as Road Trip (2000), Bad Santa (2003), School for Scoundrels (2006), Role Models (2008), The Hangover (2009), Into the Storm (2014), and The Do-Over (2016).
Early life Walsh was born in Chicago, the fourth of seven children of Dick and Audrey Walsh. He graduated from Hinsdale South High School in 1982. While in high school he played on the football team as a backup tight end. He attended Northern Illinois University, where he graduated with a degree in Psychology, also spending a year studying abroad in Austria at Salzburg College.
Career After college, Walsh took improvisational comedy classes in Chicago, where he became a regular performer at the Annoyance Theater and ImprovOlympic, and studied under Del Close. In 1991, he met comedian Matt Besser, with whom he began performing stand-up comedy. Along with Matt Besser, Amy Poehler, and Ian Roberts, he is a founding member of the Upright Citizens Brigade improv comedy troupe and played "Trotter" in the troupe's sketch comedy series, which ran for three seasons on Comedy Central. Before the show, the UCB comedy foursome had already been doing improv shows at their theatre in New York, which used to be a burlesque house before they remodeled it to become a theatre. To date, they have founded four successful Upright Citizens Brigade comedy theaters located in New York at UCB Chelsea and The East Village UCB, and Los Angeles with UCB Franklin and UCB Sunset.
Besides his sketch work with the Upright Citizens Brigade, Walsh is also known for his memorable supporting roles in popular comedy films in recent years including Old School, Starsky & Hutch, Be Kind Rewind, Ted, and Keeping Up with the Joneses. Walsh also wrote and starred in the cult indie-comedy Martin & Orloff. Walsh was a correspondent on The Daily Show from 2001 to 2002, and made regular appearances in comedy sketches on Late Night with Conan O'Brien and MTV's Human Giant as well as starring in the Comedy Central mockumentary series Dog Bites Man in the summer of 2006. Walsh has the distinction of having appeared in several Todd Phillips comedy films, most often playing characters aptly named "Walsh".
In 2010, Walsh created the improvised comedy series Players for Spike TV. Walsh (creator, writer, director and executive producer of the show) stars in the series alongside his Upright Citizens Brigade partner Ian Roberts, as two brothers who run a sports bar together. The show aired for one season, concluding on August 14, 2010.
Walsh hosted the podcast Bear DownBear Down with comedian Scot Armstrong (screenwriter of Old School) where they discuss their favorite football team the Chicago Bears and do sports-themed comedy bits such as fake call-ins and in-character interviews. The podcast has also featured appearances by comedians such as Horatio Sanz, Ian Roberts, Joe Nunez, and Matt Price.
In 2010, Walsh had recurring roles on the NBC comedy series Outsourced and on the HBO comedy series Hung. In 2012, he began co-starring as Mike McLintock in the HBO series Veep, for which he was nominated for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series in 2016 and 2017. During that year, Walsh portrayed J. R. R. Tolkien in The Dead Authors Podcast.
Walsh directed his first feature film High Road, an indie-comedy he co-wrote with Josh Weiner. The film was released on March 6, 2012. Walsh co-wrote his second film, A Better You, with Brian Huskey, who also stars in the film.
In the movie Into the Storm, Walsh stars as Pete Moore, who is the driver of the Tornado Intercept Vehicle nicknamed "Titus."
He appeared in the MyCareer mode in the basketball simulation game NBA 2K17.
Filmography
Film + Year Title Role Notes 1998Tomorrow NightTalent Ted 1999Fatty Drives the BusMan in Baseball Uniform2000Road TripCrime Scene Photographer2002Martin & OrloffDr. Eric Orloff 2003Pushing TomCo-WorkerOld SchoolWalshThe TestJoeShort filmDeath of a DynastyFrat Boy No. 1ElfEye WitnessBrainwarpCaptain ManiacVideoBad SantaHerb 2004The Sensual Lover of BindaleleBudoShort film Starsky & HutchEddie Christmas with the KranksNeighbor #22006School for ScoundrelsWalsh 2007Wild Girls GoneSheriff Terry MoranDante's InfernoMussolini / Fox Reporter / Airport Security Pursuer (voice) 2008Lower LearningMr. ConroyBe Kind RewindOfficer JulianDrillbit TaylorNot for Pot DriverSemi-ProFather Pat Step BrothersDrunk Corporate GuyRole ModelsDavith of Glencracken 2009 Mystery TeamJimI Love You, ManImpatient GolferThe HangoverDr. ValshThe Goods: Live Hard, Sell HardCaptain OrtizMay the Best Man Win Fred Anderton 2010CyrusTimDue DateTSA AgentCherryProf. Van AukenBreast Picture Jack2011Freak DanceAdolf Hitler Jr. 2012High RoadManAlso co-writer and directorTedThomasFree SamplesMr. HightowerQueens of Country Cleveland NorvisThe Brass Teapot Antique Dealer 2013 Movie 43 Amanda's Dad Segment: "Middleschool Date" Coffee Town Police officer 2014 Hits Dave Into the Storm Pete Sex Ed Washout Jason Nash Is Married Randy Plymouth A Better You Patrick Also writer and director 2015Get HardBathroom Stall ManBad NightAri2016Other People Steve The Darkness Gary Carter The Do-Over SheckyGhostbusters RourkeWild OatsForbesKeeping up with the Joneses Dan Craverston Office Christmas Party Ezra 2017 Brigsby Bear Greg Pope 2018 A Futile and Stupid Gesture Matty Simmons Family Dan Life of the Party Daniel "Dan" Miles Under the Eiffel Tower Stuart Widows Ken 2019 The Perfect Date Charlie Rattigan 2020For Madmen Only: The Stories of Del Close Mike Gold 2022 Unplugging Dan Dewerson Also writer and producer Father of the Bride Dr. Gary Saeger Press Play Mr. Knott 2023 You People Don Wood Flamin' Hot Lonny Mason Jess Plus None Ranger The Good Half Darren Wheeland Bolt from the Blue Michael Not An Artist Charles 2024 Suncoast Mr. Ladd Drugstore June Crawford 2025 Novocaine Coltraine Little Lorraine Officer Douglas TBA Chicken Jeff Post-production
Television + Year Title Role Notes 1996Escape from It's a Wonderful LifeClarence / Various (voice) 1996–2000Saturday Night Live Angry Dad / Construction Worker / Hidden Camera Victim 3 episodes 1996–2004Late Night with Conan O'BrienVarious 1997Apartment 2FIron Stomach 2 episodes 1998–2000Upright Citizens BrigadeTrotter/Various Characters30 episodes 2000Strangers with Candy Banker / Doctor Robots Episode: "Yes You Can't" 2001Late Friday Old Man Episode: "#1.6"2001–2002The Daily ShowCorrespondent 2004Cheap Seats without Ron Parker Gordon Sumner Episode: "#Stanford-Cal: The 1982 Big Game"Arrested Development The D.A. Episode: "Let 'Em Eat Cake"O'Grady Kevin's Dad (voice) Episode: "The Fly"2004–2009Reno 911!Ranger Glen / Ian Meltzer 5 episodes2006Dog Bites ManKevin Beeken9 episodes2007–2008Human GiantVarious characters9 episodes 2008Worst Week Peacemon Episode: "The Monitor"The Sarah Silverman Program Tennis Player Episode: "Patriot Tact"Little Britain USA Senator's Press Rep / Businessman at Urinal 3 episodes 2009The LeagueMr. Freidman Episode: "The Draft"Aqua Teen Hunger ForceRay (voice) Episode: "Fry Legs" 2010PlayersBruce Fitzgerald10 episodesParty DownLarry Duckett Episode: "Cole Landry's Draft Day Party"Nick Swardson's Pretend TimePolice Chief Episode: "Relapse Into Refreshment"CommunityJoshua the Groundskeeper Episode: "Aerodynamics of Gender"Funny or Die PresentsProducer Episode: "#1.5"HungMatt Saline 6 episodes Childrens Hospital Cameraman / Dr. Trotter 2 episodes 2010; 2022 Hell's Kitchen Himself 2 episodes2010–2011 OutsourcedJerry Stern 8 episodes 2011Jon Benjamin Has a Van Dr. Nathan Kumerly / Rob Shutterman 2 episodes2011–2013NTSF:SD:SUV::President Grant / NASA Agent2 episodes 2012Animal PracticeAlan Waxman Episode: "Pilot"Happy EndingsDuckie Blenkinship Episode: "KickBall 2: The Kickening"MyMusicMr. Indie Episode: "Back in Black!"2012–2019VeepMike McLintock 65 episodes 2013Parks and RecreationLeonard Tchulm Episode: "Emergency Response"The Aquabats! Super Show!Santa Claus Episode: "Christmas with the Aquabats!"2013–2014Drunk History Joseph Pulitzer / KKK Member 2 episodes2013–2016Comedy Bang! Bang! L. Jefe Maninchargo 11 episodes 2014How I Met Your MotherCaptain Dearduff Episode: "Sunrise"Bob's Burgers Rick (voice) Episode: "The Kids Rob a Train"2014–2016 Brooklyn Nine-NineDetective Lohank 3 episodes 2015Rick and MortySleepy Gary (voice) Episode: "Total Rickall"Playing HousePhil Episode: "Employee of the Month"Hot in ClevelandArnie Episode: "Bad Girlfriends" 2016 Animals. Grey Horse (voice) Episode: "Rats" Last Week Tonight with John Oliver Jason Clark Episode: "Doping"2017 Teachers Harvey Episode: "Getting Drilled" Black-ish President Schock Episode: "Liberal Arts" Do You Want to See a Dead Body? Himself Episode: "A Body and a Train"2018 Crazy Ex-Girlfriend Frank Episode: "Oh, Nathaniel, It's On!" Another Period Father Episode: "Little Orphan Garfield" The Good Fight Judge Oliver Walenstadt Episode: "Day 443" Alex, Inc. Detective Phipps Episode: "The Grande Apologano" No Activity Larry Turnbull 3 episodes Champaign ILL Lester Noyce Episode: "Cherry Vintage Rascal" The Guest Book Dave Episode: "Someplace Other Than Here"2019 Weird City Tawny's Dad Episode: "A Family" Desus & Mero Dexter Homeland Episode: "Electric Lemonade"2020 American Dad! Agent (voice) Episode: "100 Years a Solid Fool" Star Trek: Lower Decks Lieutenant Commander Ron Docent (voice) Episode: "Cupid's Errant Arrow" 2021 Curb Your Enthusiasm Walt Kinney Episode: "The Mormon Advantage" 2022 The Conners Professor Glen 3 episodes The Conor Moore Show Various 2 episodes 2022–2025 Ghosts Elias Woodstone 5 episodes 2023 Dancing with the Stars Himself/Contestant Season 32 first to be eliminated Carol & the End of the World (voice) 2 episodes 2024 Manhunt Samuel Mudd Miniseries Not Dead Yet Frederick P. Moreau Episode: "Not You Yet" 2025 Beavis and Butt-Head President of Burger World and America / Priest / Public Defender (voice) 3 episodes 2026 VladimirDavid7 episodes Law & Order Joe Sirianni 1 episode Tires Claude 1 episode
References
External links
Audio interview on The Sound of Young America: MP3 Link on Improv Resource Center