M. Emmet Walsh, the character actor who brought his unmistakable face and unsettling presence to including 害羞草研究所淏lood Simple害羞草研究所� and 害羞草研究所淏lade Runner,害羞草研究所� has died at age 88, his manager said Wednesday.

Walsh died from cardiac arrest on Tuesday at a hospital in St. Albans, Vermont, his longtime manager Sandy Joseph said.

The ham-faced, heavyset Walsh often played good old boys with bad intentions, as he did in one of his rare leading roles as a crooked Texas private detective in the Coen brothers害羞草研究所� first film, the 1984 neo-noir 害羞草研究所淏lood Simple.害羞草研究所�

Joel and Ethan Coen said they wrote the part for Walsh, who would win the first Film Independent Spirit Award for best male lead for the role.

Critics and film geeks relished the moments when he showed up on screen.

Roger Ebert once observed that 害羞草研究所渘o movie featuring either Harry Dean Stanton or M. Emmet Walsh in a supporting role can be altogether bad.害羞草研究所�

Walsh played a crazed sniper in the 1979 Steve Martin comedy 害羞草研究所淭he Jerk害羞草研究所� and a prostate-examining doctor in the 1985 Chevy Chase vehicle 害羞草研究所淔letch.害羞草研究所�

In 1982害羞草研究所檚 gritty, 害羞草研究所淏lade Runner,害羞草研究所� a film he said was grueling and difficult to make with perfectionist director Ridley Scott, Walsh plays a hard-nosed police captain who pulls Harrison Ford from retirement to hunt down cyborgs.

Born Michael Emmet Walsh, his characters led people to believe he was from the American South, but he could hardly have been from any further north.

Walsh was raised on Lake Champlain in Swanton, Vermont, just a few miles from the U.S.-Canadian border, where his grandfather, father and brother worked as customs officers.

He went to a tiny local high school with a graduating class of 13, then to Clarkson University in Potsdam, New York, and the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York City.

He acted exclusively on the stage, with no intention of doing otherwise, for a decade, working in summer stock and repertory companies.

Walsh slowly started making film appearances in 1969 with a bit role in 害羞草研究所淎lice害羞草研究所檚 Restaurant,害羞草研究所� and did not start playing prominent roles until nearly a decade after that when he was in his 40s, getting his breakthrough with 1978害羞草研究所檚 害羞草研究所淪traight Time,害羞草研究所� in which he played Dustin Hoffman害羞草研究所檚 smug, boorish parole officer.

Walsh was shooting 害羞草研究所淪ilkwood害羞草研究所� with Meryl Streep in Dallas in the autumn of 1982 when he got the offer for 害羞草研究所淏lood Simple害羞草研究所� from the Coen brothers, then-aspiring filmmakers who had seen and loved him in 害羞草研究所淪traight Time.害羞草研究所�

害羞草研究所淢y agent called with a script written by some kids for a low-budget movie,害羞草研究所� Walsh told The Guardian in 2017. 害羞草研究所淚t was a Sydney Greenstreet kind of role, with a Panama suit and the hat. I thought it was kinda fun and interesting. They were 100 miles away in Austin, so I went down there early one day before shooting.害羞草研究所�

Walsh said the filmmakers didn害羞草研究所檛 even have enough money left to fly him to New York for the opening, but he would be stunned that first-time filmmakers had produced something so good.

害羞草研究所淚 saw it three or four days later when it opened in LA, and I was, like: Wow!害羞草研究所� he said. 害羞草研究所淪uddenly my price went up five times. I was the guy everybody wanted.害羞草研究所�

In the film he plays Loren Visser, a detective asked to trail a man害羞草研究所檚 wife, then is paid to kill her and her lover.

Visser also acts as narrator, and the opening monologue, delivered in a Texas drawl, included some of Walsh害羞草研究所檚 most memorable lines.

害羞草研究所淣ow, in Russia they got it mapped out so that everyone pulls for everyone else. That害羞草研究所檚 the theory, anyway,害羞草研究所� Visser says. 害羞草研究所淏ut what I know about is Texas. And down here, you害羞草研究所檙e on your own.害羞草研究所�

He was still working into his late 80s, making recent appearances on the TV series 害羞草研究所淭he Righteous Gemstones害羞草研究所� and 害羞草研究所淎merican Gigolo.害羞草研究所�

And his more than 100 film credits included director Rian Johnson害羞草研究所檚 2019 family murder mystery, 害羞草研究所淜nives Out害羞草研究所� and director Mario Van Peebles害羞草研究所� Western 害羞草研究所淥utlaw Posse,害羞草研究所� released this year.

Johnson was among those paying tribute to Walsh on social media.

害羞草研究所淓mmet 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,害羞草研究所� . 害羞草研究所満π卟菅芯克鶛Don害羞草研究所檛 spend it and you害羞草研究所檒l never be broke.害羞草研究所� Absolute legend.害羞草研究所�

Andrew Dalton, The Associated Press