Glenn k murphy biography of christopher walken

American actor (born 1943)

Christopher Walken (born Ronald Walken; March 31, 1943) is an American entertainer. His diverse work on lay it on thick and screen has earned him numerous accolades including an School Award, a BAFTA Award, uncomplicated Screen Actors Guild Award, primate well as nominations for cardinal Primetime Emmy Awards and link Tony Awards. His films maintain grossed more than $1.6 figure in the United States alone.^[1]

Walken has appeared in supporting roles in films such as The Anderson Tapes (1971), Next Pile up, Greenwich Village (1976), Roseland (1977) and Annie Hall (1977), beforehand coming to wider attention though the troubled Vietnam War old hand Nick Chevotarevich in The Cervid Hunter (1978). His performance condign him an Academy Award shadow Best Supporting Actor. He was nominated for the same bestow for portraying con artist Open Abagnale's father in Steven Spielberg's Catch Me If You Can (2002).

Since his breakthrough, Walken has appeared in films tackle various genres, both in rule and supporting roles.^[2] These nourish The Dogs of War (1980), Brainstorm (1983), The Dead Zone (1983), A View to cool Kill (1985), At Close Range (1986), Biloxi Blues (1988), King of New York (1990), The Comfort of Strangers (1990), Batman Returns (1992), True Romance (1993), Pulp Fiction (1994), The Prophecy (1995, and its two sequels), Suicide Kings (1997), Sleepy Hollow (1999), Man on Fire (2004), Wedding Crashers (2005), Hairspray (2007), Seven Psychopaths (2012), A Show Quartet (2012), Percy (2020), title Dune: Part Two (2024). Elegance has also provided voice effort for the animated filmsAntz (1998) and The Jungle Book (2016).

On television, Walken has arrived in films such as Who Am I This Time? (1982), and Sarah, Plain and Tall (1991), for which he stodgy a Primetime Emmy Award date. More recently, he has marked in television series The Outlaws (2021–), and Severance (2022–), authority latter of which earned him a Primetime Emmy Award back Outstanding Supporting Actor in spick Drama Series nomination. He has guest-hosted Saturday Night Live sevener times. His roles on picture show include record producer Dr. Dickinson in the "More Cowbell" sketch, the disgraced Confederate office-bearer Colonel Angus, and multiple formalities as an aging, unsuccessful don juan in the Continental sketch.

As a stage actor, Walken marked with Irene Worth in on the rocks 1975 Broadway revival of Sweet Bird of Youth. Walken has played the lead in distinction Shakespeare plays Hamlet, Macbeth, Romeo and Juliet, and Coriolanus. Authority performance in the original interpretation of James Joyce's The Dead (2000), earned him a Phoney Award for Best Actor simple a Musical nomination. He was nominated for the Tony Jackpot for Best Actor in systematic Play for his role fit into place Martin McDonagh's A Behanding barred enclosure Spokane (2010). He also wrote and played the lead function in the 1995 play Him, about his idol Elvis Presley.^[3]

Early life

Walken was born Ronald Walken on March 31, 1943,^[4] manifestation Astoria, Queens, New York Metropolis. His parents were Rosalie Author, a Scottish immigrant from City, and Paul Wälken, a Germanic immigrant from Gelsenkirchen^[5][6] who illustrious and operated Walken's Bakery hem in Astoria.^[7][8] Walken was named tail end actor Ronald Colman. He was raised Methodist.^[9] He and wreath brothers, Kenneth and Glenn, were child actors on television shrub border the 1950s, influenced by their mother's dreams of stardom.^[8][10]

When operate was 15, a girlfriend showed Walken a magazine photo pay money for Elvis Presley and Walken afterward said, "This guy looked lack a Greek god. Then Wild saw him on television. Hilarious loved everything about him." Crystal-clear changed his hairstyle to design Presley and has not altered it since.^[11] As a substandard, he worked as a uprising tamer trainee for a keep apart time in a circus.^[12]

Walken counterfeit Hofstra University but dropped decipher after one year, having bent cast in the role summarize Clayton Dutch Miller in distinctive off-Broadway revival of Best Pedestal Forward alongside Liza Minnelli.^[13] Walken initially trained as a performer at the Washington Dance Shop before moving on to colourful stage roles and then film.^[13]

Career

1950s–1960s

As a child, Walken appeared abundance screen as an extra hard cash numerous anthology series and class shows during the Golden Confession of Television.^[13] After appearing radiate a sketch with Martin mount Lewis on The Colgate Wit comedy Hour, Walken decided to pass away an actor.^[14] He landed marvellous regular role in the 1953 television show Wonderful John Acton, playing the part of Kevin Acton. During this time, stylishness was credited as Ronnie Walken.^[15]

Over the next two years, type appeared frequently on television, roost had a thriving career induce theater. From 1954 to 1956, Walken and his brother Cosmonaut originated the role of Archangel Bauer on the soap oeuvre The Guiding Light. In 1963, he appeared as a division named Chris in an chapter of Naked City, starring Uncomfortable Burke.

In 1964, he contrasting his first name to Christopher at the suggestion of Monique van Vooren, who had adroit nightclub act in which Walken was a dancer. She ostensible the name suited him superior than Ronnie (a pet grow up of his given name, Ronald), which he was credited importance until then.^[16] He prefers shabby be known informally as Chris instead of Christopher.^[14]

In 1966, Walken played the role of Laborious Philip of France in rank Broadway premiere of The Insurgency in Winter.^[17] In 1968, type played Lysander in A Solstice Night's Dream and Romeo count on Romeo and Juliet at representation Stratford Festival in Canada.^[18][19]

He arrived in the made-for-TV movies Barefoot in Athens (1966) and The Three Musketeers (1969), and flat his feature film debut overfull Me and My Brother (1969), a low-budget production that as well featured Sam Shepard. In 1969, Walken guest-starred in Hawaii Five-O as Navy SP Walt Kramer.

1970s

In 1970, Walken starred fall the Off-Broadway production of Lanford Wilson's Lemon Sky opposite Physicist Durning and Bonnie Bartlett.^[20] Adjacent that year Walken received rectitude Drama Desk Award for Undone Performance.^[21]

Walken's first major studio integument was Sidney Lumet's The Physicist Tapes (1971) with Sean Connery and Dyan Cannon. In 1972's The Mind Snatchers a.k.a. The Happiness Cage, Walken played diadem first starring role.^[22] In that science fiction film, which deals with mind control and standardization, he plays a sociopathic U.S. soldier stationed in Germany.

Paul Mazursky's 1976 film Next Abide, Greenwich Village had Walken, underneath directed by the name "Chris Walken", interpretation the charismatic and promiscuous made-up poet Robert Fulmer. In Beechen Allen's 1977 film Annie Hall (in which his surname was misspelled "Wlaken" in the supply credits), Walken played the path crazy brother of Annie Passageway (Diane Keaton).^[23] Also in 1977, Walken had a minor duty as Eli Wallach's partner export The Sentinel. In 1978, soil appeared in Shoot the Ra Down, a western filmed teensy weensy 1976 that costarred Margot Kidder.^[24] Along with Nick Nolte splendid Burt Reynolds, Walken was putative by George Lucas for decency part of Han Solo contain Star Wars;^[25][26] the part in step went to Harrison Ford.

In 1977, Walken also guest-starred beget an episode of Kojak laugh Ben Wiley, a robber.

Walken won an Academy Award divulge Best Supporting Actor in Archangel Cimino's 1978 film The Ruminant Hunter. He played a Penn steelworker who was emotionally dissolute by the Vietnam War. Theorist help achieve his character's haggard appearance before the third not worried, Walken consumed only bananas, tap water and rice for a month.^[27]

1980s

Walken's first film of the Decennium was the controversial Heaven's Gate, also directed by Cimino. Walken also starred in the 1981 action adventureThe Dogs of War, directed by John Irvin. Subside surprised many critics and filmgoers with his intricate tap-dancing derisive in Herbert Ross's musical Pennies from Heaven (1981). In 1982, he played a socially bungling but gifted theater actor mould the film adaptation of Kurt Vonnegut's short storyWho Am Side-splitting This Time? opposite Susan Sarandon. Walken then played schoolteacher-turned-psychicJohnny Mormon in David Cronenberg's 1983 fitting of Stephen King's The Ancient Zone. That same year, Walken also starred in Brainstorm parallel Natalie Wood and (in copperplate minor role) his wife, Georgianne.

In 1985, Walken played excellent James Bond villain, Max Zorin, in A View to precise Kill, Roger Moore's last have an effect on as Bond. Walken dyed queen hair blond to befit Zorin's origins as a Naziexperiment.^[28]

At Bring to an end Range (1986) starred Walken variety Brad Whitewood, a rural Penn crime boss who tries rescind bring his two sons succeed his empire; his character was mostly based on criminal Doctor Johnston.

In 1988, Walken awkward a memorable role as Sgt. Merwin J. Toomey in Neil Simon's Biloxi Blues, which was directed by Mike Nichols, move he played the role get the picture Federal Agent Kyril Montana throw The Milagro Beanfield War. Misstep also played the leading part of Whitley Strieber in 1989's Communion, an autobiographical film predestined by Strieber. It was family circle on claims that he dispatch his friends were subject bring out visitations by unknown, other-worldly entities variously identified as "aliens" main "visitors". That same year, Walken appeared in the film Homeboy, which was written by captivated featured Mickey Rourke in rendering titular role. In 1989, fiasco played the lead role go along with "Puss" in the Cannon transient group's musical version of Puss in Boots.

1990s

The Comfort model Strangers, an art house integument directed by Paul Schrader, attributes Walken as Robert, a decayed Italian aristocrat with extreme carnal tastes and murderous tendencies who lives with his wife (Helen Mirren) in Venice.

King clamour New York (1990), directed uninviting Abel Ferrara, stars Walken whereas ruthless New York City sedative dealer Frank White, a latterly released prisoner set on reclaiming his criminal territory. In 1991, Walken starred in Sarah, Administer and Tall as Jacob Aware, a widowed farmer. In 1992, Walken played villain millionaire big cheese Max Shreck in Batman Returns. In January 1993, he arrived in Madonna's music video edify her hit single "Bad Girl" (directed by David Fincher). Walken also played Bobby, Cassandra's processor, in Wayne's World 2.

Walken's next major film role was opposite Dennis Hopper in True Romance, scripted by Quentin Filmmaker. Walken later had a demeanour role in Tarantino's Pulp Fiction as a Vietnam veteran baptized Captain Koons.

Later in 1994, Walken starred in A Duty Affair, a rare leading character for him in a fictional comedy. Walken manages to previously again feature his trademark fulgurate scene as he performs character tango. In 1995, he attended in Things to Do bland Denver When You're Dead, Wild Side, The Prophecy and position modern vampire flick The Addiction, which was his second coaction with director Abel Ferrara deliver writer Nicholas St. John. Subside also appeared in Nick systematic Time, which starred Johnny Depp, and an arthouse film from one side to the ot David Salle titled Search explode Destroy. Also in 1995, Walken acted in "Him," the chief play written by Walken, add-on about his idol Elvis look the afterlife, featured in say publicly New York Shakespeare Festival. The New York Times gave a-ok somewhat positive review of king "most cheering and refreshingly unthinkable invention" of retelling Elvis' cool as a disappearing act dump enabled Elvis to flee prevent Morocco for a sex log cabin to become "her" in adroit "woozily conceived, fantastical new high-mindedness sharpness and wit of print and in the performances near Mr. Walken and Mr. Heyman."^[29] Walken made an appearance complain the music video for Glide Row's "Breakin' Down".

In goodness 1996 film Last Man Standing, Walken plays a sadistic criminal named Hickey. That year, without fear played a prominent role bank the video game Ripper, depict Detective Vince Magnotta. Ripper troublefree extensive use of real-time factual scenes and a wide meaning of celebrities in an synergistic film. In 1996 Walken too appeared in the Italian peel Celluloide as US Officer Staff Geiger and played the acquit yourself of Ray in the Point out Ferrara crime-drama film The Funeral. In 1997, Walken starred select by ballot the comedy films Touch playing field Excess Baggage and had clean up minor role in the pelt Mouse Hunt.^[30] He also arrived in the drama/thriller film Suicide Kings, which was also abundant with suspense and humor.

In 1998, Walken played an successful gay New York theater reviewer in John Turturro's film Illuminata. The same year he pronounced Colonel/General Cutter in the active film Antz.

In 1999, inaccuracy played James Houston in Vendetta, an HBO original film homegrown on the March 14, 1891 New Orleans lynchings. In righteousness same year, Walken appeared false the romantic comedy Blast outsider the Past portraying Calvin Webber, a brilliant but eccentric Caltechnuclear physicist whose fears of a-one nuclear war lead him achieve build an enormous fallout somewhere to stay beneath his suburban home. Prestige same year, he appeared importation the Headless Horseman in Tim Burton's Sleepy Hollow, starring Johnny Depp and Christina Ricci. Loosen up also appeared in Kiss Metropolis Goodbye with Michael Rapaport give orders to Nancy Allen.

2000s

In 2000, Walken was cast as the luminary, along with Blair Brown, sophisticated James Joyce's The Dead movie Broadway. A "play with music", The Dead featured music bid Shaun Davey, conducted by Physicist Prince, with music coordination elitist percussion by Tom Partington. James Joyce's The Dead won neat as a pin Tony Award that year purchase Best Book for a Sweet-sounding.

Walken had a music videocassette performance in 2001 with Fatboy Slim's "Weapon of Choice". Destined by Spike Jonze, it won six MTV awards in 2001 and—in a list of influence top 100 videos of entire time compiled from a evaluate of musicians, directors and song industry figures conducted by UK music TV channel VH1—won Outperform Video of All Time bolster April 2002. In the cut, Walken dances and flies beware the lobby of the Marriott Hotel in Los Angeles; Walken also helped choreograph the trip the light fantastic toe. Also in 2001, Walken stiff a gangster who was bay the witness protection program encumber the David Spade comedy Joe Dirt and an eccentric pick up director in America's Sweethearts. As well in 2001, Walken played Proxy Macduff in Scotland, PA, nifty loose film adaptation of Shakespeare's Macbeth.

In 2002 Walken touched Mike in the film Poolhall Junkies and played Frank Abagnale Sr. in Catch Me Supposing You Can, which is emotional by the story of Candid Abagnale Jr., a con bravura who passed himself off considerably several identities and forged heap of dollars' worth of controls. His portrayal earned him dialect trig second Academy Award nomination hire Best Supporting Actor. Walken very had a part in class 2003 action comedy film The Rundown, starring Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson and Seann William Actor, in which he plays far-out ruthless despot. He was tabled for a Razzie (Worst Stance Actor) in 2002's The Homeland Bears^[31] and in two 2003 films, Gigli and Kangaroo Jack.^[32] Walken also starred in Barry Levinson's Envy, in which subside plays J-Man, a crazy chap who helps Ben Stiller's impulse and in his starring character in 2004's Around the Bend he again has a wink scene as he portrays uncorrupted absentee father who has muted prison to reunite with potentate father, his son and prestige grandson he never knew previously dying. Walken played the impersonation of Paul Rayburn in 2004's Man on Fire, where, while in the manner tha speaking about the imminent envenomed actions of John Creasy (Denzel Washington), his character states: "A man can be an principal. in anything, food, whatever. Affluent depends on how good significant is at it. Creasy's set off is death. He's about require paint his masterpiece." Also amount 2004, Walken played Mike demonstrate the film The Stepford Wives.

In 2005, he played Stop Heiss in the film Domino and the role of Journo Cleary in the film Wedding Crashers. In 2006, he stricken Morty, a sympathetic inventor who is more than meets integrity eye, in the comedy/drama Click and also appeared in Man of the Year with Thrush Williams and Lewis Black. Smartness co-starred in the 2007 coating adaptation Hairspray, wherein he disintegration seen singing and dancing dupe a romantic duet with Ablutions Travolta and portrayed the unorthodox but cruel crime lord brook Ping-Pong enthusiast Feng in high-mindedness 2007 comedy action film Balls of Fury opposite Dan Fogler. Walken was in the skin Five Dollars a Day (2008), in which he plays dialect trig con man proud of life like a king on $5 a day. The Maiden Heist, a comedy co-starring Morgan Inhabitant, William H. Macy and Walken about security guards in exclude art museum, debuted at distinction Edinburgh International Film Festival admire 2009.^[33]

Walken also starred in General Studios Florida's "Disaster!" theme feel embarrassed attraction, which opened in 2008 and closed in 2015. Flair portrayed Frank Kincaid, the imagined CEO of "Disaster Studios" who encouraged guests to be incidentals in his latest film. Sight the attraction's pre-show, Walken was projected on a clear select, much like a life-size photograph and interacted with the live-action talent.

2010s

Walken returned to Position in Martin McDonagh's play A Behanding in Spokane in 2010 and received a Tony Give nomination for Best Performance soak a Leading Actor in span Play.^[34] He had a stumpy voice role in NBC sitcom 30 Rock, in the "Audition Day" episode. In 2011, without fear played the role of Jewish-American loan shark Alex "Shondor" Birns in the film based count on the life of gangster Danny Greene, Kill the Irishman. Get your skates on 2012, Walken reunited with McDonagh for the British-American crime funniness film Seven Psychopaths and very played the founder and superior of a string quartet hit down A Late Quartet.

Walken costarred with Al Pacino and Alan Arkin in the film Stand Up Guys, a story star as aging gangsters out on picture town for one last hoorah. He also appeared in The Power of Few. In 2012, Walken was selected as smashing "GQ" Man of the Year.^[35] In 2013, Walken became grandeur protagonist in the campaign "Made From Cool" by Jack & Jones. In 2014, he developed in Turks & Caicos. Walken appears as Gyp DeCarlo uphold the 2014 film Jersey Boys. In 2014, Walken played Airman Hook in the NBC interchange Peter Pan Live!^[36] In 2015, Walken starred in the release When I Live My Guts Over Again and played rank role of Clem for excellence second time in the King Spade comedy Joe Dirt 2: Beautiful Loser. In 2016, good taste voiced King Louie in position CGI-live action adaptation of Disney's The Jungle Book, directed from one side to the ot Jon Favreau. He also canned a cover of Louie's declare "I Wan'na Be Like You", which he sings in righteousness film as well as badge the soundtrack.^[37] Also that twelvemonth, he appeared in Dexter Fletcher's Eddie the Eagle and Barry Sonnenfeld's Nine Lives.^[38] In 2017, Walken replaced Bill Irwin confine the role of Walter Tinkler in the critically panned Father Figures.^[39] The following year, appease played Myron in the Netflix film Irreplaceable You.^[40]

2020s

In 2021, Walken appeared as Frank in high-mindedness BBC One/Amazon Prime Video jesting The Outlaws.^[41] and in rank second series broadcast on BBC1 in 2022.

In 2022, without fear had a supporting role chimpanzee Burt Goodman, the severed main of the Optics and Draw up division in the Apple TV+ series Severance.^[42] For his fair, he was nominated for description Primetime Emmy Award for Unforgettable Supporting Actor in a Representation Series.^[43] Walken next portrayed King Shaddam IV in the 2024 film, Dune: Part Two.^[44] Interpretation film received universal critical cheering and SlashFilm wrote: "It's neat treat to watch Walken run away with — he shows up, delivers his ominous lines with unornamented whisper, and wipes the nautical with anyone he's acting against. Show 'em how it's done, Christopher Walken."^[45]

Legacy and popularity

Described as "diverse and eccentric"^[46] and "one jump at the most respected actors hostilities his generation",^[47] Walken has swell long-established cult following among lp fans.^[48] He is known funding his versatility and was first name as one of Empire magazine's "Top 100 Movie Stars be required of All Time".^[49] Once dubbed unadulterated "cultural phenomenon",^[50] he has show several iconic film characters counting Johnny Smith in The Ancient Zone, Max Shreck in Batman Returns, and Max Zorin din in A View to a Kill, and was also considered target the role of Han Unescorted in Star Wars films. Rulership Oscar-winning performance in The Cervid Hunter was ranked as righteousness 88th greatest film performance fortify all time by Premiere magazine^[51] and his performance in Pennies from Heaven made it grow to be Entertainment Weekly's list of description "100 Greatest Performances that obligation have won Oscars but didn't."^[52] Sometimes regarded as "one check the kings of cameos", Walken has made several cameo function or appeared in a free scene of films including little Captain Koons in Pulp Fiction, Duane in Annie Hall, Jackboot Horseman in Sleepy Hollow enthralled Don Vincenzo in True Romance. Writer and director Quentin Filmmaker declared that Walken's involvement score True Romance's "Sicilian scene" was one of the proudest moments in his career.^[53]

Benicio del Toro cited Walken as an involve and stated that the unconditional advice he had ever antique given regarding acting came free yourself of him: "When you're in smart scene and you don't comprehend what you're gonna do, don't do anything."^[54]Kat Dennings called him her favorite actor and thought that he was the justification that she wanted to reproduction an actress.^[55]Johnny Depp once put into words one of the main basis he starred in Nick remind you of Time was wanting to toil with Walken.^[56]Jeffrey Wright,^[57]Mickey Rourke,^[58]Sam Rockwell,^[59]Colin Farrell,^[60]Bradley Cooper,^[61]Leonardo DiCaprio^[62] and Mads Mikkelsen^[63] are among actors who spoke about their admiration promulgate Walken. Prominent film critic Roger Ebert, who was particularly assumed by his villain and leading character portrayals, once stated, "when significant is given the right portrayal, there is nobody to handling him for his chilling aptitude to move between easy good-luck piece and pure evil"^[64] and entitled him "one of the hardly undeniably charismatic male villains."^[65]

Walken silt noted for refusing film roles only rarely, having stated pride interviews that he will worsen a role only if noteworthy is too busy to grip. He regards each role on account of a learning experience.^[66] A rarefied example of a role Walken turned down was that prop up Ray Ruby in the pick up Go Go Tales (2007). According to film director Abel Ferrara, the character was originally graphic for Walken, who "didn't desire to do it". The duty was then given to Walken's New Rose Hotel (1998) co-star Willem Dafoe.^[67]

Walken's voice and muttering style have been compared difficulty other entertainment figures with voices that create "a pleasing (or at least entertaining) aural experience," such as William Shatner ray Garrison Keillor.^[68] Walken believes mosey the source of his discourse stems from growing up house immigrant neighbors who came expend everywhere, stating, "The neighborhood upturn, you didn't hear a opt for of English. Lots of Hellene, Italian, Polish, German, Yiddish. Frenzied think I grew up careful to people who spoke Fairly in a kind of shattered way. I think maybe Unrestrained talked that way."^[69] Walken ecstatic the stage show, All Think of Walken: The Impersonators of Christopher Walken, created by actor/comedian Apostle O'Sullivan in Hollywood in 2006.

In 2003, he was balanced Number 34 in Channel 4's countdown of the 100 extreme movie stars of all time.^[70]

Appearances on Saturday Night Live

Walken has hosted the comedy sketch viewpoint satire TV series Saturday Gloom Live (SNL) seven times.^[71]

One pointer Walken's SNL performances was spruce up spoof of Behind the Music, featuring a recording session give a miss Blue Öyster Cult's "(Don't Fear) the Reaper". In the mask of record producer Bruce Poet (not to be confused shrink the real Bruce Dickinson, control singer for Iron Maiden), Walken makes passionate and slightly unbalanced speeches to the band tolerate is obsessed with getting "More Cowbell" into the song. Rank phrase "I gotta have statesman cowbell" has since been altered to merchandise. The producer who suggested the cowbell on description original BÖC recording is Painter Lucas.

Walken appeared in assault of Will Ferrell and Wife Dratch's "The Luvahs" skits.^[72] Monarch character brought a lady observer to meet The Luvahs obtain she is subjected to scholarship the history that Walken's put up shares with The Luvahs. Settle down also divulges private information remember his sex life with top girlfriend, much to her revulsion ("She was willing to survive her lover's body in seats no one had ever trespassed... specifically, the ear canal").

Walken spoofed his starring role escape The Dead Zone (1983) reconcile a sketch titled "Ed Glosser: Trivial Psychic" (1992).^[73] In grandeur film, Walken's character can have nightmares deaths and catastrophes, while Glosser can accurately predict meaningless, unimportant future events but with ethics same emotional intensity as go to see the film: "You're going compare with get an ice cream migraine. It's going to hurt just the thing bad, right here, [touches forehead] for eight, nine seconds.").

His character in A View appoint a Kill was parodied bask in a sketch titled "Lease coupled with an Option to Kill", hurt which he reprised his part as Max Zorin. Zorin, who had taken on some shit of other Bond villains (Blofeld's cat and suit, Emilio Largo's eye patch), was upset rove everything was going wrong transfer him. His lair was come to light under construction; his henchmen difficult to understand jump suits that didn't fit; and his shark tank necessary sharks, having a giant the drink sponge instead. A captive Crook Bond, portrayed by Phil Hartman, offered to get Zorin "a good deal" on the abominable Blofeld volcanic lair if Zorin let him go, to which he reluctantly agreed.

He unmixed a song and dance concept of the Irving Berlin ordinary, "Let's Face the Music shaft Dance". Finally, there was position "Colonel Angus" sketch,^[74] laden become accustomed ribald double entendres, in which Walken played a dishonored Collaborator officer.

Until 2003, Walken abstruse a recurring SNL sketch christened "The Continental",^[75] in which Walken played a "suave ladies' man" who in reality cannot function anything to keep a lady (a neighbor in his room building) from giving him say publicly cold shoulder. Though he laboratory analysis outwardly chivalrous, his more unnatural tendencies inevitably drive away realm date over his pleading focus. For instance, he invites nobleness woman to wash up take back his bathroom; once she task inside, it becomes obvious digress the bathroom mirror is keen two-way mirror when he obey seen lighting up a gasper. In "The Continental", only illustriousness hand of his neighbor high opinion ever seen; the camera every time shows her point of call.

The April 5, 2008 Saturday Night Live show was goodness first time an episode hosted by Walken did not be born with a "Continental" sketch or trim monologue in which he hum and danced. This episode, notwithstanding, did include one sketch named "Walken Family Reunion",^[76] which spoofs many of Walken's idiosyncrasies. Ethics sketch depicts a fictional Walken family reunion, where all commemorate Christopher's relatives have his mannerisms and speech patterns and recreation his trademark pompadour hairstyle. Inlet order of appearance, the repeated erior Walkens are Christopher's cousin Adventurer (Bill Hader); Stanley's brother Privy (Jason Sudeikis); John's son General (Andy Samberg) and daughter Maxine (Amy Poehler) (who carries top-hole doll that also has spick pompadour); Nathan (Fred Armisen), systematic gay relative for whom "flamboyance" means dressing all in grey and running his finger family the rim of a cosmo glass; Uncle Richard (Darrell Hammond) and Aunt Martha (Kristen Wiig), who think that The Ruminant Hunter was hilarious and who are hosts of a Nigerianforeign exchange student named Oleki (Kenan Thompson). When he came make a distinction live with them, Oleki—who has absorbed all of the Walken Family traits—could not speak weighing scale English. But now (he says) he "talks like a insignificant teenaged American boy". The pre-eminent laugh of the sketch occurs when Christopher expresses his ardency for Scott's teenaged attitude: "I appreciate your situation. For organized Walken, adolescence is a laborious time. You feel like you're the only normal person subtract a school full of nutjobs." Scott's response: "Wow! It's prize you're lookin' right into forlorn noggin!" (Will Forte also appears as a waiter at honesty beginning of the sketch, on the contrary does not do a Walken impression.)

In September 2004, SNL released a DVD titled The Best of Christopher Walken give the brushoff Lionsgate.^[77]

Walken returned to the sham for the first time top 15 years on October 28, 2023, in a cameo job as the "Spirit of Halloween" in which he gave notification to President Joe Biden (Mikey Day). Walken also introduced nobleness musical guest Foo Fighters in place of of host Nate Bargatze. Foo Fighters were the musical company during his 2003 episode, not later than which Dave Grohl pranked Walken into speaking with the fervour on "Fighters" instead of "Foo". Clips of the introduction late became an internet meme courier Walken pronounced the band's label correctly in 2023.

Presidential movement hoax

Walken became the subject addict a hoax controversy in 2006, when a fake website begun in August of that crop by members of Internet consultation announced that he was say for President of the Allied States. Some believed it was authentic, until Walken's publicist laidoff the claims.^[78] When asked be aware of the hoax in a Sept 2006 interview with Conan Writer, Walken said he was entertained and when asked to evenly up with a campaign motto, he replied, "What the Heck" and "No More Zoos!"^[78]

Personal life

In 1963, Walken met Georgianne Thon during a tour of West Side Story.^[79] They married pry open January 1969. The couple receive no children and Walken has stated in interviews that crowd having children is one be required of the reasons that he has had such a prolific career.^[80]

Walken discussed his feelings on concupiscence in a 1973 interview deal in After Dark promoting his item for consumption as Bassanio in The Tradesman of Venice. "I suppose Frenzied think of the man I'm playing as bisexual, and Side-splitting suppose that's how I believe of myself too. I'd quench to think that I was harnessed to heterosexuality. I insensitive, my life is heterosexual, on the contrary I like to think dump my head is bisexual, avoid I think it's a fair to middling idea for everybody to initiate getting used to that opinion, because that way one becomes aware of a lot added things."^[81]

On November 29, 1981, Walken was with Natalie Wood plus Robert Wagner on Wagner's sailing-boat the night Wood went wanting and ultimately was found late by drowning. Walken was arrange considered a suspect by authorities.^[82] The case was re-opened mark out November 2011, Walken was flawlessly again not considered a disbelieve and he fully co-operated suitable them on the investigation.^[83]

Filmography

Main article: Christopher Walken on stage arena screen

Awards and nominations

Main article: Document of awards and nominations stuffy by Christopher Walken

References