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Christopher Walken (born Ronald Walken; March 31, 1943) is an American actor. Prolific in film, television and on stage, Walken is the recipient of numerous accolades including an
Academy Award The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment ind ...
, a BAFTA Award, and a Screen Actors Guild Award, as well as nominations for two Primetime Emmy Awards and two Tony Awards. His films have grossed more than $1.6 billion in the United States alone. Walken has appeared in supporting roles in films such as '' The Anderson Tapes'' (1971), '' Next Stop, Greenwich Village'' (1976), '' Roseland'' (1977) and '' Annie Hall'' (1977) before coming to wider attention as the troubled
Vietnam War The Vietnam War (also known by #Names, other names) was a conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. It was the second of the Indochina Wars and was officially fought between North Vie ...
veteran Nick Chevotarevich in ''
The Deer Hunter ''The Deer Hunter'' is a 1978 war drama film co-written and directed by Michael Cimino about a trio of Slavic-American steelworkers whose lives were upended after fighting in the Vietnam War. The three soldiers are played by Robert De Niro ...
'' (1978). His performance earned him an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor. He was nominated for the same award for portraying con artist Frank Abagnale's father in
Steven Spielberg Steven Allan Spielberg (; born December 18, 1946) is an American director, writer, and producer. A major figure of the New Hollywood era and pioneer of the modern blockbuster, he is the most commercially successful director of all time. Sp ...
's '' Catch Me If You Can'' (2002). Since his breakthrough, Walken has appeared in films in various genres, both in lead and supporting roles, including '' The Dogs of War'' (1980), '' The Dead Zone'' (1983), '' A View to a Kill'' (1985), '' At Close Range'' (1986), ''
Biloxi Blues ''Biloxi Blues'' is a semi-autobiographical play by Neil Simon. It portrays the conflict of Sergeant Merwin J. Toomey and Arnold Epstein, one of many privates enlisted in the military stationed in Biloxi, Mississippi, seen through the eyes of E ...
'' (1988), '' King of New York'' (1990), ''
The Comfort of Strangers ''The Comfort of Strangers'' is a 1981 novel by British writer Ian McEwan. It is his second novel, and is set in an unnamed city (though the detailed description strongly suggests Venice). Harold Pinter adapted it as a screenplay for a film dir ...
'' (1990), '' Batman Returns'' (1992), '' True Romance'' (1993), '' Pulp Fiction'' (1994), ''
Suicide Kings ''Suicide Kings'' is a 1997 American crime thriller black comedy film directed by Peter O'Fallon and starring Christopher Walken, Denis Leary, Sean Patrick Flanery, Johnny Galecki, Jay Mohr, Jeremy Sisto and Henry Thomas. Based on Don Stanford's s ...
'' (1997), '' Sleepy Hollow'' (1999), '' Man on Fire'' (2004), '' Wedding Crashers'' (2005), '' Hairspray'' (2007), ''
Seven Psychopaths ''Seven Psychopaths'' is a 2012 satirical black comedy crime drama film directed, written, and co-produced by Martin McDonagh and starring an ensemble cast featuring Colin Farrell, Sam Rockwell, Woody Harrelson, and Christopher Walken, with ...
'' (2012), ''
A Late Quartet ''A Late Quartet'' (released in Australia as ''Performance'') is a 2012 American drama film directed by Yaron Zilberman and co-written by Zilberman and Seth Grossman. The film stars Philip Seymour Hoffman, Christopher Walken, Catherine Keener, Ma ...
'' (2012), the first three ''
Prophecy In religion, a prophecy is a message that has been communicated to a person (typically called a ''prophet'') by a supernatural entity. Prophecies are a feature of many cultures and belief systems and usually contain divine will or law, or p ...
'' films and '' Percy'' (2020). He has also provided voice work in '' Antz'' (1998) and '' The Jungle Book'' (2016) On television, Walken has appeared in television films such as '' Who Am I This Time?'' (1982) and '' Sarah, Plain and Tall'' (1991), for which he received a Primetime Emmy Award nomination. More recently, he has starred in television series '' The Outlaws'' (2021-) and '' Severance'' (2022-), the latter of which earned him a
Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series This is a list of winners and nominees of the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series. In early Primetime Emmy Award ceremonies, the supporting categories were not always genre, or even gender, specific. Beginning ...
nomination. He is a popular guest-host of ''
Saturday Night Live ''Saturday Night Live'' (often abbreviated to ''SNL'') is an American late-night live television sketch comedy and variety show created by Lorne Michaels and developed by Dick Ebersol that airs on NBC and Peacock. Michaels currently serves ...
'', hosting seven times. His most notable roles on the show include record producer Bruce Dickinson in the " More Cowbell" sketch; the disgraced Confederate officer Colonel Angus; and multiple appearances in the Continental sketch. As a stage actor, Walken has played the lead in the
Shakespeare William Shakespeare ( 26 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's nation ...
plays ''
Hamlet ''The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark'', often shortened to ''Hamlet'' (), is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare sometime between 1599 and 1601. It is Shakespeare's longest play, with 29,551 words. Set in Denmark, the play depicts ...
'', '' Macbeth'', '' Romeo and Juliet'' and '' Coriolanus''. His performance in the original rendition of '' James Joyce's The Dead'' (2000) earned him a Tony Award for Best Actor in a Musical nomination. He was nominated for Tony Award for Best Actor in a Play for his role in Martin McDonagh's '' A Behanding in Spokane'' (2010). He also wrote and played the lead role in the 1995 play '' Him'' about his idol
Elvis Presley Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977), or simply Elvis, was an American singer and actor. Dubbed the " King of Rock and Roll", he is regarded as one of the most significant cultural figures of the 20th century. His ener ...
.


Early life

Walken was born Ronald Walken on March 31, 1943, in
Astoria, Queens Astoria is a neighborhood in the western portion of the New York City borough of Queens. Astoria is bounded by the East River and is adjacent to three other Queens neighborhoods: Long Island City to the southwest, Sunnyside to the southeas ...
, New York, the son of Rosalie Russell (May 16, 1907 – March 26, 2010), a Scottish immigrant from
Glasgow Glasgow ( ; sco, Glesca or ; gd, Glaschu ) is the most populous city in Scotland and the fourth-most populous city in the United Kingdom, as well as being the 27th largest city by population in Europe. In 2020, it had an estimated popu ...
and Paul Wälken (October 5, 1903 – February 23, 2001), a German immigrant from GelsenkirchenSalon.Com
"Both of his parents were immigrants – his father, Paul, from Germany; and his mother, Rosalie, from Glasgow, Scotland."
who owned and operated Walken's Bakery in Astoria. Walken was named after actor Ronald Colman. He was raised
Methodist Methodism, also called the Methodist movement, is a group of historically related denominations of Protestant Christianity whose origins, doctrine and practice derive from the life and teachings of John Wesley. George Whitefield and John's ...
. He and his brothers, Kenneth and Glenn, were child actors on television in the 1950s, influenced by their mother's dreams of stardom. When he was 15, a girlfriend showed him a magazine photo of
Elvis Presley Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977), or simply Elvis, was an American singer and actor. Dubbed the " King of Rock and Roll", he is regarded as one of the most significant cultural figures of the 20th century. His ener ...
and Walken later said, "This guy looked like a Greek god. Then I saw him on television. I loved everything about him." He changed his hairstyle to imitate Presley and has not changed it since. As a teenager, he worked as a lion tamer in a circus. He attended Hofstra University but dropped out after one year, having gotten the role of Clayton Dutch Miller in an off-Broadway revival of '' Best Foot Forward'' alongside
Liza Minnelli Liza May Minnelli ( ; born March 12, 1946) is an American actress, singer, dancer, and choreographer. Known for her commanding stage presence and powerful alto singing voice, Minnelli is among a rare group of performers awarded an Emmy, Grammy ...
.Stated on '' Inside the Actors Studio'', 1996 Walken initially trained as a dancer at the Washington Dance Studio before moving on to dramatic stage roles and then film.


Career


1950s–1960s

As a child, Walken appeared on screen as an extra in numerous
anthology series An anthology series is a radio, television, video game or film series that spans different genres and presents a different story and a different set of characters in each different episode, season, segment, or short. These usually have a dif ...
and variety shows during the Golden Age of Television. After appearing in a sketch with
Martin and Lewis Martin and Lewis were an American comedy duo, comprising singer Dean Martin and comedian Jerry Lewis. They met in 1945 and debuted at Atlantic City's 500 Club on July 25, 1946; the team lasted ten years to the day. Before they teamed up, Martin w ...
on '' The Colgate Comedy Hour'', Walken decided to become an actor. He landed a regular role in the 1953 television show ''Wonderful John Acton'' playing the part of Kevin Acton. During this time, he was credited as Ronnie Walken. Over the next two years, he appeared frequently on television (landing a role in the
experimental film Experimental film or avant-garde cinema is a mode of filmmaking that rigorously re-evaluates cinematic conventions and explores non-narrative forms or alternatives to traditional narratives or methods of working. Many experimental films, parti ...
''Me and My Brother'') and had a thriving career in theater. From 1954 to 1956, Walken and his brother Glenn originated the role of Michael Bauer on the soap opera '' The Guiding Light.'' In 1963, he appeared as a character named Chris in an episode of '' Naked City'', starring Paul Burke. In 1966, Walken played the role of King Philip of France in the Broadway premiere of '' The Lion in Winter''. In 1968, he played Lysander in '' A Midsummer Night's Dream'' and Romeo in '' Romeo and Juliet'' at the Stratford Festival in Canada. In 1969, Walken guest-starred in '' Hawaii Five-O'' as Navy SP Walt Kramer. In 1964, he changed his first name to Christopher at the suggestion of Monique van Vooren, who had a nightclub act in which Walken was a dancer and who believed the name suited him better than Ronnie (a pet form of his given name, Ronald), which he was credited as until then. He prefers to be known informally as Chris instead of Christopher.


1970s

In 1970, Walken starred in the Off-Broadway production of Lanford Wilson's ''
Lemon Sky ''Lemon Sky'' is a 1970 play by Lanford Wilson. Production history ''Lemon Sky'' was developed at the Eugene O'Neill Theater Center's National Playwrights Conference in 1968, with Michael Douglas in the cast.Kuchwara, Michael. "'Lemon Sky' Revival ...
'' opposite Charles Durning and Bonnie Bartlett. Later that year Walken received the
Drama Desk Award The Drama Desk Award is an annual prize recognizing excellence in New York theatre. First bestowed in 1955 as the Vernon Rice Award, the prize initially honored Off-Broadway productions, as well as Off-off-Broadway, and those in the vicinity. F ...
for Outstanding Performance. Walken made his feature film debut with a small role opposite Sean Connery in Sidney Lumet's '' The Anderson Tapes''. In 1972's ''The Mind Snatchers'' a.k.a. '' The Happiness Cage'', Walken played his first starring role. In this science fiction film, which deals with mind control and normalization, he plays a sociopathic U.S. soldier stationed in Germany.
Paul Mazursky Irwin Lawrence "Paul" Mazursky (April 25, 1930 – June 30, 2014) was an American film director, screenwriter, and actor. Known for his dramatic comedies that often dealt with modern social issues, he was nominated for five Academy Awards: three ...
's 1976 film '' Next Stop, Greenwich Village'' had Walken, under the name "Chris Walken", playing fictional poet and ladies' man Robert Fulmer. In
Woody Allen Heywood "Woody" Allen (born Allan Stewart Konigsberg; November 30, 1935) is an American film director, writer, actor, and comedian whose career spans more than six decades and multiple Academy Award-winning films. He began his career writing ...
's 1977 film '' Annie Hall'', Walken played the borderline crazy brother of Annie Hall ( Diane Keaton). Also in 1977, Walken had a minor role as Eli Wallach's partner in ''The Sentinel''. In 1978, he appeared in '' Shoot the Sun Down'', a western filmed in 1976 that costarred Margot Kidder. Along with Nick Nolte and Burt Reynolds, Walken was considered by George Lucas for the part of
Han Solo Han Solo is a fictional character in the '' Star Wars'' franchise created by George Lucas. The character first appeared in the 1977 film '' Star Wars'' portrayed by Harrison Ford, who reprised his role in '' The Empire Strikes Back'' (1980) an ...
in '' Star Wars''; the part ultimately went to Harrison Ford. In 1977, Walken also starred in an episode of '' Kojak'' as Ben Wiley, a robber. Walken won an
Academy Award The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment ind ...
for Best Supporting Actor in Michael Cimino's 1978 film ''
The Deer Hunter ''The Deer Hunter'' is a 1978 war drama film co-written and directed by Michael Cimino about a trio of Slavic-American steelworkers whose lives were upended after fighting in the Vietnam War. The three soldiers are played by Robert De Niro ...
''. He plays a young
Pennsylvania Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...
steelworker who is emotionally destroyed by the
Vietnam War The Vietnam War (also known by #Names, other names) was a conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. It was the second of the Indochina Wars and was officially fought between North Vie ...
. To help achieve his character's gaunt appearance before the third act, Walken consumed only bananas, water and rice for a week.


1980s

Walken's first film of the 1980s was the controversial '' Heaven's Gate'', also directed by Cimino. Walken also starred in the 1981 action adventure '' The Dogs of War'', directed by John Irvin. He surprised many critics and filmgoers with his intricate tap-dancing striptease in
Herbert Ross Herbert David Ross (May 13, 1927 – October 9, 2001) was an American actor, choreographer, director and producer who worked predominantly in theater and film. He was nominated for two Academy Awards and a Tony Award. He is known for directing ...
's musical '' Pennies from Heaven'' (1981). In 1982, he played a socially awkward but gifted theater actor in the film adaptation of Kurt Vonnegut's
short story A short story is a piece of prose fiction that typically can be read in one sitting and focuses on a self-contained incident or series of linked incidents, with the intent of evoking a single effect or mood. The short story is one of the oldest ...
'' Who Am I This Time?'' opposite Susan Sarandon. Walken then played schoolteacher-turned- psychic
Johnny Smith Johnny Henry Smith II (June 25, 1922 – June 11, 2013) was an American cool jazz and mainstream jazz guitarist. He wrote "Walk, Don't Run" in 1954. In 1984, Smith was inducted into the Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame. Early life During the Great D ...
in David Cronenberg's 1983 adaptation of Stephen King's '' The Dead Zone''. That same year, Walken also starred in '' Brainstorm'' alongside Natalie Wood and (in a minor role) his wife, Georgianne. In 1985, Walken played a
James Bond The ''James Bond'' series focuses on a fictional British Secret Service agent created in 1953 by writer Ian Fleming, who featured him in twelve novels and two short-story collections. Since Fleming's death in 1964, eight other authors hav ...
villain, Max Zorin, in '' A View to a Kill'', Roger Moore's last appearance as Bond. Walken dyed his hair blond to befit Zorin's origins as a
Nazi Nazism ( ; german: Nazismus), the common name in English for National Socialism (german: Nationalsozialismus, ), is the far-right totalitarian political ideology and practices associated with Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party (NSDAP) in ...
experiment An experiment is a procedure carried out to support or refute a hypothesis, or determine the efficacy or likelihood of something previously untried. Experiments provide insight into cause-and-effect by demonstrating what outcome occurs whe ...
. '' At Close Range'' (1986) starred Walken as Brad Whitewood, a rural Pennsylvania crime boss who tries to bring his two sons into his empire; his character was mostly based on criminal Bruce Johnston. In 1988, Walken played a memorable role as Sgt. Merwin J. Toomey in Neil Simon's ''
Biloxi Blues ''Biloxi Blues'' is a semi-autobiographical play by Neil Simon. It portrays the conflict of Sergeant Merwin J. Toomey and Arnold Epstein, one of many privates enlisted in the military stationed in Biloxi, Mississippi, seen through the eyes of E ...
'', which was directed by
Mike Nichols Mike Nichols (born Michael Igor Peschkowsky; November 6, 1931 – November 19, 2014) was an American film and theater director, producer, actor, and comedian. He was noted for his ability to work across a range of genres and for his aptitude fo ...
and he played the role of Federal Agent Kyril Montana in '' The Milagro Beanfield War''. He also played the leading role of
Whitley Strieber Louis Whitley Strieber (; born June 13, 1945) is an American writer best known for his horror novels ''The Wolfen'' and '' The Hunger'' and for '' Communion'', a non-fiction account of his alleged experiences with non-human entities. He has mai ...
in 1989's ''Communion'', an autobiographical film written by Strieber based on his claims that he and his friends were subject to visitations by unknown, other-worldly entities variously identified as possibly "aliens" or, simply, as "visitors". That same year, Walken appeared in the film '' Homeboy'', which was written by and which featured Mickey Rourke in the titular role. In 1989, he played the lead role of "Puss" in the Cannon theater group's musical version of '' Puss in Boots''.


1990s

''
The Comfort of Strangers ''The Comfort of Strangers'' is a 1981 novel by British writer Ian McEwan. It is his second novel, and is set in an unnamed city (though the detailed description strongly suggests Venice). Harold Pinter adapted it as a screenplay for a film dir ...
'', an
art house film An art film (or arthouse film) is typically an independent film, aimed at a niche market rather than a mass market audience. It is "intended to be a serious, artistic work, often experimental and not designed for mass appeal", "made primarily f ...
directed by Paul Schrader, features Walken as Robert, a decadent Italian aristocrat with extreme sexual tastes and murderous tendencies who lives with his wife ( Helen Mirren) in
Venice Venice ( ; it, Venezia ; vec, Venesia or ) is a city in northeastern Italy and the capital of the Veneto Regions of Italy, region. It is built on a group of 118 small islands that are separated by canals and linked by over 400  ...
. '' King of New York'' (1990), directed by Abel Ferrara, stars Walken as ruthless New York City drug dealer Frank White, recently released from prison and set on reclaiming his criminal territory. In 1991, Walken starred in '' Sarah, Plain and Tall'' as Jacob Witting, a widowed farmer. In 1992, Walken played a villain in '' Batman Returns'', millionaire industrialist Max Shreck. Also in 1992, Walken appeared in
Madonna's Madonna Louise Ciccone (; ; born August 16, 1958) is an American singer-songwriter and actress. Widely dubbed the " Queen of Pop", Madonna has been noted for her continual reinvention and versatility in music production, songwriting, a ...
controversial coffee table book ''SEX'' and the music video for her hit single, "Bad Girl" (directed by David Fincher). He also played Bobby, Cassandra's producer, in '' Wayne's World 2''. Walken's next major film role was opposite Dennis Hopper in '' True Romance'', scripted by
Quentin Tarantino Quentin Jerome Tarantino (; born March 27, 1963) is an American film director, writer, producer, and actor. His films are characterized by stylized violence, extended dialogue, profanity, dark humor, non-linear storylines, cameos, ensembl ...
. His so-called Sicilian scene has been hailed by critics as the best scene in the film and is the subject of four commentaries on the DVD. Walken has a supporting role in Tarantino's '' Pulp Fiction'' as a Vietnam veteran named Captain Koons. He gives his dead comrade's son the family's prized possession—a gold watch—while explaining in graphic detail how he had hidden it from the Vietcong by smuggling it in his rectum after the boy's father, in whose rectum the watch had previously been concealed, had died of
dysentery Dysentery (UK pronunciation: , US: ), historically known as the bloody flux, is a type of gastroenteritis that results in bloody diarrhea. Other symptoms may include fever, abdominal pain, and a feeling of incomplete defecation. Complications ...
. Later in 1994, Walken starred in '' A Business Affair'', a rare leading role for him in a romantic comedy. Walken manages to once again feature his trademark dancing scene as he performs the tango. In 1995, he appeared in '' Things to Do in Denver When You're Dead'', '' Wild Side'', '' The Prophecy'' and the modern vampire flick '' The Addiction'', which was his second collaboration with director Abel Ferrara and writer Nicholas St. John. He also appeared in '' Nick of Time'', which also stars Johnny Depp and an art house film by David Salle, '' Search and Destroy''. In 1995, Walken acted in "Him," a first play written by Walken about his idol Elvis in the afterlife featured in the New York Shakespeare Festival. ''
The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
'' gave a somewhat positive review of his "most cheering and refreshingly absurd invention" of retelling Elvis' death as a disappearing act that enabled Elvis to flee to Morocco for a sex change to become "her" in a "woozily conceived, fantastical new play...in the sharpness and wit of writing and in the performances by Mr. Walken and Mr. Heyman." In the 1996 film '' Last Man Standing'', Walken plays a sadistic gangster named Hickey. That year, he played a prominent role in the video game '' Ripper'', portraying Detective Vince Magnotta. ''Ripper'' made extensive use of real-time recorded scenes and a wide cast of celebrities in an
interactive movie Across the many fields concerned with interactivity, including information science, computer science, human-computer interaction, communication, and industrial design, there is little agreement over the meaning of the term "interactivity", bu ...
. In 1996 Walken also appeared in the Italian film '' Celluloide'' as US Officer Rod Geiger and played the role of Ray in the Abel Ferrara crime-drama film '' The Funeral''. In 1997, Walken starred in the comedy films '' Touch'' and '' Excess Baggage'' and had a minor role in the film ''
Mouse Hunt ''Mouse Hunt'' is a 1997 American slapstick black comedy film written by Adam Rifkin and directed by Gore Verbinski in his feature film directorial debut. It stars Nathan Lane, Lee Evans, Maury Chaykin, and Christopher Walken. The film follow ...
''. He also appeared in the drama/thriller film ''
Suicide Kings ''Suicide Kings'' is a 1997 American crime thriller black comedy film directed by Peter O'Fallon and starring Christopher Walken, Denis Leary, Sean Patrick Flanery, Johnny Galecki, Jay Mohr, Jeremy Sisto and Henry Thomas. Based on Don Stanford's s ...
'', which was also filled with suspense and humor. In 1998, Walken played an influential gay New York theater critic in John Turturro's film '' Illuminata''. The same year he voiced Colonel/General Cutter in the computer-animated film '' Antz''. In 1999, he played James Houston in ''
Vendetta Vendetta may refer to: * Feud or vendetta, a long-running argument or fight Film * ''Vendetta'' (1919 film), a film featuring Harry Liedtke * ''Vendetta'' (1950 film), an American drama produced by Howard Hughes * ''Vendetta'' (1986 film), an ...
'', an HBO original movie based on the March 14, 1891 New Orleans lynchings. In the same year, Walken appeared in the romantic comedy '' Blast from the Past'' portraying Calvin Webber, a brilliant but eccentric
Caltech The California Institute of Technology (branded as Caltech or CIT)The university itself only spells its short form as "Caltech"; the institution considers other spellings such a"Cal Tech" and "CalTech" incorrect. The institute is also occasional ...
nuclear physicist whose fears of a nuclear war lead him to build an enormous fallout shelter beneath his suburban home. The same year, he appeared as the Headless Horseman in Tim Burton's '' Sleepy Hollow, ''starring Johnny Depp and
Christina Ricci Christina Ricci ( ; born February 12, 1980) is an American actress. Known for playing unusual characters with a dark edge, Ricci predominantly works in independent productions, but has also appeared in numerous box office hits. She has receive ...
. He also appeared in '' Kiss Toledo Goodbye'' with Michael Rapaport and Nancy Allen. Walken also starred in two music videos in the 1990s. His first video role was as the Angel of Death in Madonna's 1993 " Bad Girl". The second appearance was in Skid Row's " Breakin' Down" video.


2000s

In 2000, Walken was cast as the lead, along with
Blair Brown Bonnie Blair Brown (born April 23, 1946) is an American theater, film and television actress. She has had a number of high-profile roles, including in the play '' Copenhagen'' on Broadway, the leading actress in the films ''Altered States'' ...
, in '' James Joyce's The Dead'' on Broadway. A "play with music", ''The Dead'' featured music by Shaun Davey, conducted by Charles Prince, with music coordination and percussion by Tom Partington. ''James Joyce's The Dead'' won a
Tony Award The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Broadway Theatre, more commonly known as the Tony Award, recognizes excellence in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual c ...
that year for Best Book for a Musical. Walken had a notable music video performance in 2001 with Fatboy Slim's " Weapon of Choice". Directed by Spike Jonze, it won six MTV awards in 2001 and—in a list of the top 100 videos of all time compiled from a survey of musicians, directors and music industry figures conducted by UK music TV channel VH1—won Best Video of All Time in April 2002. In this video, Walken dances and flies around the lobby of the
Marriott Hotel Marriott Hotels & Resorts is Marriott International's brand of full-service hotels and resorts based in Bethesda, Maryland. As of June 30, 2020, there were 582 hotels and resorts with 205,053 rooms operating under the brand, in addition to 160 ...
in Los Angeles; Walken also helped choreograph the dance. Also in 2001, Walken played a gangster who was in the witness protection program in the David Spade comedy '' Joe Dirt'' and an eccentric film director in '' America's Sweethearts''. Also in 2001, Walken played Lieutenant Macduff in '' Scotland, PA'', a loose film adaptation of
Shakespeare William Shakespeare ( 26 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's nation ...
's '' Macbeth''. In 2002 Walken played Mike in the film '' Poolhall Junkies'' and played Frank Abagnale, Sr. in '' Catch Me If You Can'', which is inspired by the story of Frank Abagnale, Jr., a con artist who passed himself off as several identities and forged millions of dollars' worth of checks. His portrayal earned him an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor. Walken also had a part in the 2003 action comedy film '' The Rundown'', starring
Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson Dwayne Douglas Johnson (born May 2, 1972), also known by his ring name The Rock, is an American actor and former professional wrestler. Widely regarded as one of the greatest professional wrestlers of all time, he was integral to the developm ...
and Seann William Scott, in which he plays a ruthless despot. He was nominated for a
Razzie The Golden Raspberry Awards (also known as the Razzies and Razzie Awards) is a parody award show honoring the worst of cinematic under-achievements. Co-founded by UCLA film graduates and film industry veterans John J. B. Wilson and Mo Murphy, ...
(Worst Supporting Actor) in 2002's ''
The Country Bears ''The Country Bears'' is a 2002 American musical road comedy film directed by Peter Hastings, produced by Walt Disney Pictures, and based on the Disney theme park attraction ''Country Bear Jamboree''. The film stars Christopher Walken, Daryl Mitc ...
'' and in two 2003 movies, '' Gigli'' and '' Kangaroo Jack''. Walken also starred in Barry Levinson's '' Envy'', in which he plays J-Man, a crazy guy who helps Ben Stiller's character and in his starring role in 2004's ''
Around the Bend ''Around the Bend'' is a 2004 road movie written and directed by Jordan Roberts and starring Christopher Walken, Josh Lucas, Michael Caine, Glenne Headly, and Jonah Bobo. The film is inspired by the relationship between Roberts and the absentee ...
'' he again has a dancing scene as he portrays an absentee father who has fled prison to reunite with his father, his son and the grandson he never knew before dying. Walken played the role of Paul Rayburn in 2004's '' Man on Fire'', where, when speaking about the imminent destructive actions of John Creasy ( Denzel Washington), his character states: "A man can be an artist... in anything, food, whatever. It depends on how good he is at it. Creasy's art is death. He's about to paint his masterpiece." Also in 2004, Walken played Mike in the film '' The Stepford Wives''. In 2005, he played Mark Heiss in the film '' Domino'' and the role of Secretary Cleary in the film '' Wedding Crashers''. In 2006, he played Morty, a sympathetic inventor who is more than meets the eye, in the comedy/drama '' Click'' and also appeared in '' Man of the Year'' with
Robin Williams Robin McLaurin Williams (July 21, 1951August 11, 2014) was an American actor and comedian. Known for his improvisational skills and the wide variety of characters he created on the spur of the moment and portrayed on film, in dramas and come ...
and
Lewis Black Lewis Niles Black (born August 30, 1948) is an American stand-up comedian and actor. His comedy routines often escalate into angry rants about history, politics, religion, or any other cultural trends. He hosted the Comedy Central series '' Lewi ...
. He co-starred in the 2007 film adaptation '' Hairspray'', wherein he is seen singing and dancing in a romantic duet with John Travolta and portrayed the eccentric but cruel crime lord and Ping-Pong enthusiast Feng in the 2007 comedy action film '' Balls of Fury'' opposite Dan Fogler. Walken was in the movie '' Five Dollars a Day'' (released in 2008), in which he plays a con man proud of living like a king on $5 a day. The film ''
The Maiden Heist ''The Maiden Heist'' is a 2009 American crime comedy film directed by Peter Hewitt and starring Morgan Freeman, Christopher Walken, William H. Macy and Marcia Gay Harden. The film was released as ''The Heist'' in the United Kingdom. Plot Roge ...
'', a comedy co-starring Morgan Freeman,
William H. Macy William Hall Macy Jr. (born March 13, 1950) is an American actor. His film career has been built on appearances in small, independent films, though he has also appeared in mainstream films. Some of his best known starring roles include those i ...
and Walken about security guards in an art museum, debuted at the Edinburgh International Film Festival on June 25, 2009. Walken also starred in Universal Studios Florida's "Disaster" attraction (formerly "Earthquake and the Magic of Effects" and soon to be Fast & Furious: Supercharged). Walken portrayed the owner of "Disaster Studios" Frank Kincaid and encouraged guests to be extras in his latest film, ''Mutha Nature''. Walken was projected on a clear screen, much like a life-size hologram and interacted with the live-action talent. Famous quote "Frankenstein never scared me".


2010s

Walken returned to Broadway in Martin McDonagh's play '' A Behanding in Spokane'' in 2010 and received a
Tony Award The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Broadway Theatre, more commonly known as the Tony Award, recognizes excellence in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual c ...
nomination for Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Play. He had a small voice role in NBC sitcom '' 30 Rock'', in the "
Audition Day "Audition Day" is the fourth episode of the fourth season of the American television comedy series ''30 Rock'', and the 62nd overall episode of the series. The episode was written by supervising producer Matt Hubbard and directed by Beth McCarth ...
" episode. In 2011, he played the role of Jewish-American loan shark Alex "Shondor" Birns in the film based on the life of gangster Danny Greene, '' Kill the Irishman''. In 2012, Walken reunited with McDonagh for the British-American crime comedy film ''
Seven Psychopaths ''Seven Psychopaths'' is a 2012 satirical black comedy crime drama film directed, written, and co-produced by Martin McDonagh and starring an ensemble cast featuring Colin Farrell, Sam Rockwell, Woody Harrelson, and Christopher Walken, with ...
'' and also played the founder and leader of a string quartet in ''
A Late Quartet ''A Late Quartet'' (released in Australia as ''Performance'') is a 2012 American drama film directed by Yaron Zilberman and co-written by Zilberman and Seth Grossman. The film stars Philip Seymour Hoffman, Christopher Walken, Catherine Keener, Ma ...
''. Walken costarred with Al Pacino and Alan Arkin in the film '' Stand Up Guys'', a story about aging gangsters out on the town for one last hoorah. He also appeared in ''
The Power of Few ''The Power of Few'' is a 2013 American drama film directed, written and produced by Leone Marucci. ''The Power of Few'' was produced by Marucci through Steelyard Pictures with Q'orianka Kilcher and her company iQ Films. Plot It is a crime dra ...
''. In December 2012, Walken was selected as a "GQ" Man of the Year. ("Gentlemen's Quarterly." April 2018. p. 24) In 2013, Walken became the protagonist in the campaign "Made From Cool" by Jack & Jones. In 2014, he appeared in '' Turks & Caicos''. Walken appears as
Gyp DeCarlo Angelo "Gyp" DeCarlo (September 2, 1902 – October 20, 1973) was a member of the New York City Genovese crime family who dominated loansharking operations in New Jersey during the 1960s. The subject of a two-year federal undercover ope ...
in the 2014 film '' Jersey Boys''. In 2014, Walken played Captain Hook in the NBC production '' Peter Pan Live!'' In 2015, Walken starred in the film ''
When I Live My Life Over Again ''One More Time'' is a 2015 drama film written and directed by Robert Edwards. The film stars Christopher Walken, Amber Heard, Kelli Garner, Hamish Linklater, Ann Magnuson and Oliver Platt. The film was released on April 8, 2016, by Starz Digita ...
'' and played the role of Clem for the second time in the David Spade comedy '' Joe Dirt 2: Beautiful Loser''. In 2016, he voiced
King Louie King Louie is a fictional character introduced in Walt Disney's 1967 animated musical film '' The Jungle Book''. He is an Orangutan who leads other jungle primates and wants to become more human-like by gaining knowledge of fire from Mowgli. L ...
in the CGI-live action adaptation of Disney's '' The Jungle Book'', directed by Jon Favreau. He also recorded a cover of Louie's song " I Wan'na Be like You", which he sings in the film as well as on the soundtrack. Also that year, he appeared in Dexter Fletcher's ''
Eddie the Eagle Michael David Edwards (born 5 December 1963), better known as Eddie the Eagle, is an English ski-jumper and Olympian who in 1988 became the first competitor since 1928 to represent Great Britain in Olympic ski jumping, finishing last in the ...
'' and
Barry Sonnenfeld Barry Sonnenfeld (born April 1, 1953) is an American filmmaker and television director. He originally worked as a cinematographer for the Coen brothers before directing films such as ''The Addams Family'' (1991) and its sequel '' Addams Family V ...
's '' Nine Lives''. In 2017, Walken replaced
Bill Irwin William Mills Irwin (born April 11, 1950) is an American actor, clown, and comedian. He began as a vaudeville-style stage performer and has been noted for his contribution to the renaissance of American circus during the 1970s. He has made a num ...
in the role of Walter Tinkler in the critically panned '' Father Figures''. The following year, he played Myron in the
Netflix Netflix, Inc. is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service and production company based in Los Gatos, California. Founded in 1997 by Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph in Scotts Valley, California, it offers a ...
film ''
Irreplaceable You ''Irreplaceable You'' is a 2018 American romantic comedy-drama film written by Bess Wohl and directed by Stephanie Laing. The film stars Gugu Mbatha-Raw and Michiel Huisman. It was released by Netflix on February 16, 2018. Plot Abbie and Sam h ...
''.


2020s

In 2021, Walken appeared as Frank in the
BBC One BBC One is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network owned and operated by the BBC. It is the corporation's flagship network and is known for broadcasting mainstream programming, which includes BBC News television bulletins, ...
/ Amazon Prime Video comedy '' The Outlaws''. and in the second series broadcast on BBC1 in 2022.

In 2022, he had a supporting role as Burt Goodman, the severed chief of the Optics and Design division in the
Apple TV+ Apple TV+ is an American subscription streaming service owned and operated by Apple Inc. Launched on November 1, 2019, it offers a selection of original production film and television series called Apple Originals. The service was announced ...
series '' Severance''. For his performance, he was nominated for the
Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series This is a list of winners and nominees of the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series. In early Primetime Emmy Award ceremonies, the supporting categories were not always genre, or even gender, specific. Beginning ...
. Walken will portray Emperor Shaddam IV in the 2023 film, '' Dune: Part Two''.


Legacy and popularity

Described as "diverse and eccentric" and "one of the most respected actors of his generation", Walken has long established a cult following among film fans. He is known for his versatility and was named as one of ''
Empire An empire is a "political unit" made up of several territories and peoples, "usually created by conquest, and divided between a dominant center and subordinate peripheries". The center of the empire (sometimes referred to as the metropole) ex ...
'' magazine's "Top 100 Movie Stars of All Time". Once dubbed a "cultural phenomenon", he has portrayed several iconic movie characters including
Johnny Smith Johnny Henry Smith II (June 25, 1922 – June 11, 2013) was an American cool jazz and mainstream jazz guitarist. He wrote "Walk, Don't Run" in 1954. In 1984, Smith was inducted into the Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame. Early life During the Great D ...
in '' The Dead Zone'', Max Shreck in '' Batman Returns'' and Max Zorin in '' A View to a Kill'' and was also considered for the role of
Han Solo Han Solo is a fictional character in the '' Star Wars'' franchise created by George Lucas. The character first appeared in the 1977 film '' Star Wars'' portrayed by Harrison Ford, who reprised his role in '' The Empire Strikes Back'' (1980) an ...
in '' Star Wars'' films. His Oscar-winning performance in ''
The Deer Hunter ''The Deer Hunter'' is a 1978 war drama film co-written and directed by Michael Cimino about a trio of Slavic-American steelworkers whose lives were upended after fighting in the Vietnam War. The three soldiers are played by Robert De Niro ...
'' was ranked as the 88th greatest movie performance of all time by '' Premiere'' magazine and his performance in '' Pennies from Heaven'' made it into ''
Entertainment Weekly ''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, and popular ...
s list of the "100 Greatest Performances that should have won Oscars but didn't." Sometimes regarded as "one of the kings of cameos", Walken has made several notable
cameo appearance A cameo role, also called a cameo appearance and often shortened to just cameo (), is a brief appearance of a well-known person in a work of the performing arts. These roles are generally small, many of them non-speaking ones, and are commonly ei ...
s or appeared in a single but popular scene of films including as Captain Koons in '' Pulp Fiction'', Duane in '' Annie Hall'', Hessian Horseman in '' Sleepy Hollow'' and Don Vincenzo in '' True Romance''. Writer and director
Quentin Tarantino Quentin Jerome Tarantino (; born March 27, 1963) is an American film director, writer, producer, and actor. His films are characterized by stylized violence, extended dialogue, profanity, dark humor, non-linear storylines, cameos, ensembl ...
declared that Walken's involvement in ''True Romance''s popular "Sicilian scene" was one of the proudest moments in his career. Walken's work has been praised and acclaimed by many popular figures.
Benicio del Toro Benicio Monserrate Rafael del Toro Sánchez (born February 19, 1967) is a Puerto Rican actor and producer. He has garnered critical acclaim and numerous accolades, including an Academy Award, a BAFTA Award, a Golden Globe Award, two Screen ...
cited Walken as an influence and stated that the best advice he had ever been given regarding acting came from him: "When you're in a scene and you don't know what you're gonna do, don't do anything." Kat Dennings called him her favorite actor and said that he was the reason that she wanted to be an actress. Johnny Depp once said one of the main reasons he starred in ''Nick of Time'' was wanting to work with Walken. Mickey Rourke,
Sam Rockwell Sam Rockwell (born November 5, 1968) is an American actor. He is known for appearing in independent films and also as a character actor portraying a wide variety of roles both comedic and dramatic in films such as ''Lawn Dogs'' (1997 ...
, Colin Farrell, Bradley Cooper, Leonardo DiCaprio and Mads Mikkelsen are among actors who spoke about their admiration for Walken. Prominent movie critic Roger Ebert, who was particularly impressed by his villain and anti-hero portrayals, once stated, "when he is given the right role, there is nobody to touch him for his chilling ability to move between easy charm and pure evil" and called him "one of the few undeniably charismatic male villains." Walken is noted for refusing movie roles only rarely, having stated in interviews that he will decline a role only if he is too busy on other projects to accept. He regards each role as a learning experience. A rare example of a role Walken turned down was that of Ray Ruby in the film ''
Go Go Tales ''Go Go Tales'' is an independent 2007 film by Abel Ferrara. Ferrara based the film on ''The Killing of a Chinese Bookie'', directed by John Cassavetes. It stars Willem Dafoe as a strip club owner and co-stars Bob Hoskins, Asia Argento and Matthew ...
'' (2007). According to film director Abel Ferrara, the character was originally written for Walken but the latter "didn't want to do it". The role was then given to Walken's ''
New Rose Hotel "New Rose Hotel" is a short story by William Gibson, first published in '' Omni'' in July 1984 and later included in his 1986 collection ''Burning Chrome''. Plot The story is set in a future time when huge megacorporations have gained enough in ...
'' (1998) co-star Willem Dafoe. Walken's unique voice and speaking style has been compared to other entertainment figures with voices that create "a pleasing (or at least entertaining) aural experience," such as William Shatner and Garrison Keillor. Walken believes that the source of his speech stems from growing up with immigrant neighbors who came from everywhere stating, "The neighborhood itself, you didn't hear a lot of English. Lots of Greek, Italian, Polish, German, Yiddish. I think I grew up listening to people who spoke English in a kind of broken way. I think maybe I talked that way." Walken inspired the stage show, ''All About Walken: The Impersonators of Christopher Walken'', created by actor/comedian Patrick O'Sullivan in Hollywood in 2006.


Appearances on ''Saturday Night Live''

Walken has hosted the comedy sketch and satire TV series ''
Saturday Night Live ''Saturday Night Live'' (often abbreviated to ''SNL'') is an American late-night live television sketch comedy and variety show created by Lorne Michaels and developed by Dick Ebersol that airs on NBC and Peacock. Michaels currently serves ...
'' (''SNL'') seven times. One of Walken's more famous ''SNL'' performances was a spoof of '' Behind the Music'', featuring a recording session of Blue Öyster Cult's " (Don't Fear) the Reaper". In the guise of record producer Bruce Dickinson (not to be confused with the real
Bruce Dickinson Paul Bruce Dickinson (born 7 August 1958) is an English singer who has been the lead vocalist of the heavy metal band Iron Maiden from 1981 to 1993 and 1999–present. He is known for his wide-ranging operatic vocal style and energetic stag ...
, lead singer for
Iron Maiden Iron Maiden are an English heavy metal band formed in Leyton, East London, in 1975 by bassist and primary songwriter Steve Harris. While fluid in the early years of the band, the lineup for most of the band's history has consisted of Harr ...
), Walken makes passionate and slightly unhinged speeches to the band and is obsessed with getting " More Cowbell" into the song. The phrase "I gotta have more cowbell" has since been adapted to merchandise. The producer who suggested the cowbell on the original BÖC recording is David Lucas. Walken is also known for his part in one of Will Ferrell and Rachel Dratch's "The Luvahs" skits. His character brought a lady friend to meet The Luvahs and she is subjected to learning the history that Walken's character shares with The Luvahs. He also divulges private information about his sex life with his girlfriend, much to her horror ("She was willing to accept her lover's body in places no one had ever trespassed... specifically, the ear canal"). Walken spoofed his starring role from '' The Dead Zone'' (1983) in a sketch titled "Ed Glosser: Trivial Psychic" (1992). In the film, Walken's character can predict deaths and catastrophes, while Glosser can accurately predict meaningless, trivial future events but with the same emotional intensity as in the film: "You're going to get an ice cream headache. It's going to hurt real bad, right here, ouches foreheadfor eight, nine seconds."). His character in '' A View to a Kill'' was parodied in a sketch titled "Lease with an Option to Kill", in which he reprised his role as Max Zorin. Zorin, who had taken on some qualities of other notable Bond villains ( Blofeld's cat and suit, Emilio Largo's eye patch), was upset that everything was going wrong for him. His lair was still under construction; his henchmen had jump suits that didn't fit; and his shark tank lacked sharks, having a giant sea sponge instead. A captive
James Bond The ''James Bond'' series focuses on a fictional British Secret Service agent created in 1953 by writer Ian Fleming, who featured him in twelve novels and two short-story collections. Since Fleming's death in 1964, eight other authors hav ...
, portrayed by Phil Hartman, offered to get Zorin "a good deal" on the abandoned Blofeld volcanic lair if Zorin let him go, to which he reluctantly agreed. He performed a song and dance rendition of the Irving Berlin standard, " Let's Face the Music and Dance". Finally, there was the "Colonel Angus" sketch, laden with ribald
double entendre A double entendre (plural double entendres) is a figure of speech or a particular way of wording that is devised to have a double meaning, of which one is typically obvious, whereas the other often conveys a message that would be too socially ...
s, in which Walken played a dishonored Confederate officer. Until 2003, Walken had a recurring ''SNL'' sketch called "
The Continental The Continental may refer to: * ''The Continental'' (1952 TV series), a 1952–53 television series on CBS * ''The Continental'' (miniseries), an upcoming television series on Peacock * "The Continental" (''Saturday Night Live''), a recurring sk ...
", in which Walken played a "suave ladies' man" who in reality cannot do anything to keep a woman (a neighbor in his apartment building) from giving him the cold shoulder. Though he is outwardly chivalrous, his more perverted tendencies inevitably drive away his date over his pleading objections. For instance, he invites the woman to wash up in his bathroom; once she is inside, it becomes obvious that the bathroom mirror is a
two-way mirror A one-way mirror, also called two-way mirror (or one-way glass, half-silvered mirror, and semi-transparent mirror), is a reciprocal mirror that appears reflective on one side and transparent at the other. The perception of one-way transmission i ...
when he is seen lighting up a cigarette. In "The Continental", only the hand of his neighbor is ever seen; the camera always shows her point of view. The April 5, 2008 ''Saturday Night Live'' show was the first time an episode hosted by Walken did not have a "Continental" sketch or a monologue in which he sang and danced. This episode, however, did include one sketch titled "Walken Family Reunion", which spoofs many of Walken's idiosyncrasies. The sketch depicts a fictional Walken family reunion, where all of Christopher's relatives have his mannerisms and speech patterns and sport his trademark pompadour hairstyle. In order of appearance, the other Walkens are Christopher's cousin Stanley ( Bill Hader); Stanley's brother John (
Jason Sudeikis Daniel Jason Sudeikis ( ; born September 18, 1975) is an American actor, comedian, producer, and writer. In the 1990s, he began his career in improv comedy and performed with ComedySportz, iO Chicago (Improv Olympic), and The Second City. In 200 ...
); John's son Scott (
Andy Samberg Andy Samberg (born David A. J. Samberg; August 18, 1978) is an American actor, comedian, musician, producer and screenwriter. He is a member of the comedy music group The Lonely Island and was a cast member on '' Saturday Night Live'' from 200 ...
) and daughter Maxine ( Amy Poehler) (who carries a doll that also has a pompadour); Nathan ( Fred Armisen), a gay relative for whom " flamboyance" means dressing all in black and running his finger around the rim of a cosmo glass; Uncle Richard ( Darrell Hammond) and Aunt Martha ( Kristen Wiig), who think that ''The Deer Hunter'' was hilarious and who are hosts of a
Nigerian Nigerians or the Nigerian people are citizens of Nigeria or people with ancestry from Nigeria. The name Nigeria was taken from the Niger River running through the country. This name was allegedly coined in the late 19th century by British jo ...
foreign exchange student A student exchange program is a program in which students from a secondary school (high school) or university study abroad at one of their institution's partner institutions. A student exchange program may involve international travel, but do ...
named Oleki ( Kenan Thompson). When he came to live with them, Oleki—who has absorbed all of the Walken Family traits—could not speak any English. But now (he says) he "talks like a normal teenaged American boy". The biggest laugh of the sketch occurs when Christopher expresses his sympathies for Scott's teenaged attitude: "I appreciate your situation. For a Walken, adolescence is a difficult time. You feel like you're the only normal person in a school full of nutjobs." Scott's response: "Wow! It's like you're lookin' right into my noggin!" ( Will Forte also appears as a waiter at the beginning of the sketch, but does not do a Walken impression.) In September 2004, ''SNL'' released a DVD titled ''The Best of Christopher Walken'' through Lionsgate.


Presidential candidacy hoax

Walken became the subject of a hoax controversy in 2006, when a fake website started in August of that year by members of Internet forum Genmay.com announced that he was running for President of the United States. Some believed it was authentic, until Walken's publicist dismissed the claims. When asked about the hoax in a September 2006 interview with Conan O'Brien, Walken said he was amused and when asked to come up with a campaign slogan, he replied, "What the Heck" and "No More Zoos!"


Personal life

In 1963, Walken met Georgianne Thon during a tour of ''West Side Story''. They married in January 1969. The couple have no children and Walken has stated in interviews that being child-free is one of the reasons he has had such a prolific career. The couple have a cat named Bowtie and their previous cat was named Flapjack."That's it, it's over"
, The Talks. Retrieved January 16, 2013.


Filmography


Awards and nominations


References


External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Walken, Christopher 1943 births Living people 20th-century American comedians 20th-century American male actors 21st-century American male actors American male child actors American male comedians American male comedy actors American male dancers American male film actors American male musical theatre actors American male Shakespearean actors American male soap opera actors American male stage actors American male television actors American male video game actors American male voice actors Methodists from New York (state) American people of German descent American people of Scottish descent Best Supporting Actor Academy Award winners Best Supporting Actor BAFTA Award winners Childfree Hofstra University alumni Male actors from New York City Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role Screen Actors Guild Award winners People from Astoria, Queens People from Bayside, Queens People from Wilton, Connecticut