Walter Sobchak

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Walter Sobchak was a deuteragonist from the 1998 film The Big Lebowski.

Sobchak was portrayed by John Goodman who also played James P. Sullivan, Ralph Jones, Pacha and Hound.

A veteran of the Vietnam War, Walter suffered from PTSD. Growing up Polish Catholic he converted to Judaism upon marrying Cynthia. The marriage did not last and the pair later divorced. Sobchak continued to be an observant Jew following the divorce, engaging in practices such as Shomer Shabbos - and not engaging in work, cooking, driving, or bowling on Saturdays. He owned a small security business.

In the year 1990, Walter was friends with Jeff "The Dude" Lebowski and Donny Kerabatsos - whom he would often tell to shut up. Sobchak was a member of The Dude's bowling team. Walter was very passonite about bowling, to the point that he would flash a piece out on the lanes if things were not going his way.

Walter tended to be very loud and obnoxious, yelling and swearing in places where such activity was frowned upon. He was hot tempered and quick to resort to violence.

When The Dude got mixed up with the other Jeffrey Lebowski and the disappearance of that Jeffrey's wife Bunny Lebowski, Walter tried to help his friend but generally screwed up in his attempts to help The Dude, making the situation worse.

Walter, Donny, and The Dude were confronted by German nihilists in the parking lot of the local bowling alley. Walter managed to defeat the German nihilists but Donny suffered a fatal heart attack in the process. Walter and The Dude gathered to remember Donny but he still screwed up the scattering of Donny's ashes. After apologizing to the Dude he said, "Fuck it, let's go bowling."

Quotes

• "What the fuck are you talking about? The Chinaman is the not the issue here, Dude!"

• "Also, Dude, Chinaman is not the preferred nomenclature. Asian-American, please."

• "Fucking dog has fucking papers. OVER THE LINE!"

• "Uh, excuse me? Mark it zero, next frame."

• "Smokey, this is not Nam. This is bowling, there are rules."

• "If you mark that frame an eight, you're entering a world of pain. A world of pain."
•  Has the whole world gone CRAZY?! AM I THE ONLY ONE AROUND HERE WHO GIVES A SHIT ABOUT THE RULES?! MARK IT ZERO!
• MARK IT ZERO!
• YOU THINK I'M FUCKING AROUND HERE?! MARK IT ZERO!

• "Pacifism is not... Look at our current situation with that camelfucker in Iraq. Pacifism is not something to hide behind."

• "Well, they can FUCKING UN-POST IT!!"

• "Saturday, Donny, is Shabbos, the Jewish day of rest. That means I don't work, I don't drive a car, I don't fucking ride in a car, I don't handle money, I don't turn on the oven, and I sure as shit DON'T FUCKING ROLL! SHOMER SHABBOS!! Shomer fucking shabbos!"

• "You see what happens, Larry?! You see what happens?! This is what happens when you fuck a stranger in the ass, Larry!"

• "This is what happens when you find a stranger in the Alps!/feed a stoner scrambled eggs!" - the edited for TV version.

• "Three thousand years of beautiful tradition from Moses to Sandy Koufax, you're GODDAMN RIGHT I'M LIVING IN THE FUCKING PAST!"

• "GODDAMN IT!!! Is there a Ralph's around here?"

• "Fuck it dude. Let's go bowling."

Trivia

• The character of Walter Sobchak was partially based on writer, director, and producer John Milius, who was a friend of the Coen Brothers.