"Every actor looks all his life for a part that will combine his talents with his personality... 'The Odd Couple' was mine. That was the plutonium I needed. It all started happening after that"

Walter Matthau was an American star who was understood for his comical roles. In this quote, he is referring to his function in the 1968 film, The Odd Couple. He is saying that he had actually been searching for a function that would enable him to combine his skills with his personality, which The Odd Couple was the best function for him. He is saying that this function was the "plutonium" he required, as it was the role that released his career. After The Odd Couple, Matthau went on to have a successful profession in movie and tv, appearing in many renowned movies such as The Taking of Pelham One Two Three, Grumpy Old Men, and The Sunshine Boys. He was chosen for 2 Academy Awards and won one for his efficiency in The Fortune Cookie. Matthau's career was a testimony to the power of finding the ideal function, and how it can be the driver for an effective career.