Blade Runner star M Emmet Walsh dies aged 88

Blade Runner star M Emmet Walsh has died aged 88.

The US actor — who portrayed Captain Bryant in the 1982 sci-fi movie — died from a cardiac arrest on Tuesday (March 19) at Kerbs Memorial Hospital in St Albans, Vermont, his manager has confirmed.

Emmet portrayed numerous roles over a six-decade career, including underhanded police veteran Bryant in Blade Runner, alongside Harrison Ford, and he starred as an elderly security guard in Rian Johnson's 2019 murder-mystery movie Knives Out.

Rian took to X to pay tribute to the late star, describing him as an "absolute legend".

He wrote: "Emmet came to set with two 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. 'Don't spend it and you'll never be broke.' Absolute legend. (sic)"

Emmet also starred in the Coen Brothers' first film, 1984 movie Blood Simple.

He portrayed private detective Loren Visser in the motion picture and went on to win the Independent Spirit Award for Best Male Lead.

The actor starred opposite Steve Martin in 1979 movie The Jerk, and he appeared alongside Tim Allen and Jamie Lee Curtis in 2004 festive film Christmas with the Kranks.

Rob Schneider, who directed and starred alongside Emmet in 2007 film Big Stan, recalled the actor being "generous" with his "wisdom".

[embed]https://twitter.com/RobSchneider/status/1770583103226151411[/embed]

He wrote on X: "One of the finest actors and human beings I have ever known, M Emmet Walsh has passed. I remember all his wonderful stories and how generous he was with the wisdom and acting knowledge he had accumulated in his 119 movies he made in his career.

God bless you, my friend."

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