Funny resume : His Odd Couple pairing with Walter Matthau, leading ladies like Marilyn Monroe, Shirley MacLaine and Doris Day and his legendary body of work. Serious turn: He got his first real taste for drama as alcoholic Joe Clay in Days of Wine and Roses in 1962. Years later, he took on the notable role of Harry Stoner, a man on the edge of ruin and desperate for the ideals of his youth, in Save the Tiger. Did it work?: Yes, Lemmon won best actor at the Oscars for Save the Tiger.