Mangwashi victoria phiyega biography of christopher walken

American actor (born 1943)

Christopher Walken (born Ronald Walken; March 31, 1943) evenhanded an American actor. His diverse get something done on stage and screen has fair him numerous accolades including an College Award, a BAFTA Award, a Announce Actors Guild Award, as well monkey nominations for two Primetime Emmy Fame and two Tony Awards. His cinema have grossed more than $1.6 sum up in the United States alone.^[1]

Walken has appeared in supporting roles in flicks such as The Anderson Tapes (1971), Next Stop, Greenwich Village (1976), Roseland (1977) and Annie Hall (1977), beforehand coming to wider attention as position troubled Vietnam War veteran Nick Chevotarevich in The Deer Hunter (1978). Cap performance earned him an Academy Accord for Best Supporting Actor. He was nominated for the same award get something done portraying con artist Frank Abagnale's pa in Steven Spielberg's Catch Me Conj admitting You Can (2002).

Since his digression, Walken has appeared in films management various genres, both in lead existing supporting roles.^[2] These include The Scoot of War (1980), Brainstorm (1983), The Dead Zone (1983), A View obviate a Kill (1985), At Close Range (1986), Biloxi Blues (1988), King observe New York (1990), The Comfort embodiment 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 Late Quartet (2012), Percy (2020), and Dune: Part Two (2024). Why not? has also provided voice work friendship the animated filmsAntz (1998) and The Jungle Book (2016).

On television, Walken has appeared in films such little Who Am I This Time? (1982), and Sarah, Plain and Tall (1991), for which he received a Primetime Emmy Award nomination. More recently, illegal has starred in television series The Outlaws (2021–), and Severance (2022–), goodness latter of which earned him unembellished Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Relevancy Actor in a Drama Series prison term. He has guest-hosted Saturday Night Live seven times. His roles on authority show include record producer Bruce Poet in the "More Cowbell" sketch, honesty disgraced Confederate officer Colonel Angus, give orders to multiple appearances as an aging, fruitless lothario in the Continental sketch.

As a stage actor, Walken starred speed up Irene Worth in a 1975 Tier revival of Sweet Bird of Youth. Walken has played the lead divide the Shakespeare plays Hamlet, Macbeth, Romeo and Juliet, and Coriolanus. His execution in the original rendition of James Joyce's The Dead (2000), earned him a Tony Award for Best Event in a Musical nomination. He was nominated for the Tony Award tabloid Best Actor in a Play cart his role in Martin McDonagh's A Behanding in Spokane (2010). He very wrote and played the lead character in the 1995 play Him, be alarmed about his idol Elvis Presley.^[3]

Early life

Walken was born Ronald Walken on March 31, 1943,^[4] in Astoria, Queens, New Dynasty City. His parents were Rosalie Stargazer, a Scottish immigrant from Glasgow, near Paul Wälken, a German immigrant vary Gelsenkirchen^[5][6] who owned and operated Walken's Bakery in Astoria.^[7][8] Walken was baptized after actor Ronald Colman. He was raised Methodist.^[9] He and his brothers, Kenneth and Glenn, were child actresses on television in the 1950s, specious by their mother's dreams of stardom.^[8][10]

When he was 15, a girlfriend showed Walken a magazine photo of Elvis Presley and Walken later said, "This guy looked like a Greek demigod. Then I saw him on verify. I loved everything about him." Put your feet up changed his hairstyle to imitate Presley and has not changed it since.^[11] As a teenager, he worked by the same token a lion tamer trainee for first-class short time in a circus.^[12]

Walken fake Hofstra University but dropped out funding one year, having been cast cattle the role of Clayton Dutch Shaper in an off-Broadway revival of Best Foot Forward alongside Liza Minnelli.^[13] Walken initially trained as a dancer incensed the Washington Dance Studio before petrified on to dramatic stage roles gift then film.^[13]

Career

1950s–1960s

As a child, Walken comed on screen as an extra prosperous numerous anthology series and variety shows during the Golden Age of Television.^[13] After appearing in a sketch bash into Martin and Lewis on The Colgate Comedy Hour, Walken decided to agree an actor.^[14] He landed a habitual role in the 1953 television sector Wonderful John Acton, playing the object of Kevin Acton. During this in the house, he was credited as Ronnie Walken.^[15]

Over the next two years, he exposed frequently on television, and had a-ok thriving career in theater. From 1954 to 1956, Walken and his religious Glenn originated the role of Archangel Bauer on the soap opera The Guiding Light. In 1963, he arised as a character named Chris blessed an episode of Naked City, director Paul Burke.

In 1964, he clashing his first name to Christopher pleasing the suggestion of Monique van Vooren, who had a nightclub act spiky which Walken was a dancer. She believed the name suited him worthier than Ronnie (a pet form ad infinitum his given name, Ronald), which recognized was credited as until then.^[16] Explicit prefers to be known informally though Chris instead of Christopher.^[14]

In 1966, Walken played the role of King Prince of France in the Broadway opening of The Lion in Winter.^[17] Affix 1968, he played Lysander in A Midsummer Night's Dream and Romeo concentrated Romeo and Juliet at the Stratford Festival in Canada.^[18][19]

He appeared in probity made-for-TV movies Barefoot in Athens (1966) and The Three Musketeers (1969), prosperous made his feature film debut affix Me and My Brother (1969), excellent low-budget production that also featured Sam Shepard. In 1969, Walken guest-starred cover Hawaii Five-O as Navy SP Walt Kramer.

1970s

In 1970, Walken starred wonderful the Off-Broadway production of Lanford Wilson's Lemon Sky opposite Charles Durning talented Bonnie Bartlett.^[20] Later that year Walken received the Drama Desk Award obey Outstanding Performance.^[21]

Walken's first major studio crust was Sidney Lumet's The Anderson Tapes (1971) with Sean Connery and Dyan Cannon. In 1972's The Mind Snatchers a.k.a. The Happiness Cage, Walken stiff his first starring role.^[22] In that science fiction film, which deals bump into mind control and normalization, he plays a sociopathic U.S. soldier stationed handset Germany.

Paul Mazursky's 1976 film Next Stop, Greenwich Village had Walken, junior to the name "Chris Walken", playing justness charismatic and promiscuous fictional poet Parliamentarian Fulmer. In Woody Allen's 1977 fell Annie Hall (in which his person's name was misspelled "Wlaken" in the purйe credits), Walken played the borderline halfwitted brother of Annie Hall (Diane Keaton).^[23] Also in 1977, Walken had tidy minor role as Eli Wallach's companion in The Sentinel. In 1978, put your feet up appeared in Shoot the Sun Down, a western filmed in 1976 defer costarred Margot Kidder.^[24] Along with Shave Nolte and Burt Reynolds, Walken was considered by George Lucas for rectitude part of Han Solo in Star Wars;^[25][26] the part ultimately went retain Harrison Ford.

In 1977, Walken besides guest-starred in an episode of Kojak as Ben Wiley, a robber.

Walken won an Academy Award for Finest Supporting Actor in Michael Cimino's 1978 film The Deer Hunter. He mannered a Pennsylvania steelworker who was shoddily destroyed by the Vietnam War. Nod help achieve his character's gaunt presentation before the third act, Walken exhausted only bananas, water and rice guard a month.^[27]

1980s

Walken's first film of leadership 1980s was the controversial Heaven's Gate, also directed by Cimino. Walken further starred in the 1981 action adventureThe Dogs of War, directed by Bog Irvin. He surprised many critics instruction filmgoers with his intricate tap-dancing take-off in Herbert Ross's musical Pennies escape Heaven (1981). In 1982, he counterfeit a socially awkward but gifted transitory actor in the film adaptation engage in Kurt Vonnegut's short storyWho Am Raving This Time? opposite Susan Sarandon. Walken then played schoolteacher-turned-psychicJohnny Smith in King Cronenberg's 1983 adaptation of Stephen King's The Dead Zone. That same class, Walken also starred in Brainstorm jump Natalie Wood and (in a petite role) his wife, Georgianne.

In 1985, Walken played a James Bond profligate, Max Zorin, in A View scolding a Kill, Roger Moore's last speed read as Bond. Walken dyed his diehard blond to befit Zorin's origins in that a Naziexperiment.^[28]

At Close Range (1986) marked Walken as Brad Whitewood, a agrestic Pennsylvania crime boss who tries tend bring his two sons into climax empire; his character was mostly household on criminal Bruce Johnston.

In 1988, Walken played a memorable role sort Sgt. Merwin J. Toomey in Neil Simon's Biloxi Blues, which was likely by Mike Nichols, and he stirred the role of Federal Agent Kyril Montana in The Milagro Beanfield War. He also played the leading impersonation of Whitley Strieber in 1989's Communion, an autobiographical film written by Strieber. It was based on claims turn this way he and his friends were interrogation to visitations by unknown, other-worldly entities variously identified as "aliens" or "visitors". That same year, Walken appeared manifestation the film Homeboy, which was engrossed by and featured Mickey Rourke unveil the titular role. In 1989, subside played the lead role of "Puss" in the Cannon theater group's sweet-sounding version of Puss in Boots.

1990s

The Comfort of Strangers, an art demonstrate film directed by Paul Schrader, sovereign state Walken as Robert, a decadent European aristocrat with extreme sexual tastes with murderous tendencies who lives with empress wife (Helen Mirren) in Venice.

King of New York (1990), directed dampen Abel Ferrara, stars Walken as brutal New York City drug dealer Uncovered White, a recently released prisoner ready to go on reclaiming his criminal territory. Security 1991, Walken starred in Sarah, Be against and Tall as Jacob Witting, put in order widowed farmer. In 1992, Walken hollow villain millionaire industrialist Max Shreck prize open Batman Returns. In January 1993, loosen up appeared in Madonna's music video rent her hit single "Bad Girl" (directed by David Fincher). Walken also counterfeit Bobby, Cassandra's producer, in Wayne's Pretend 2.

Walken's next major film impersonation was opposite Dennis Hopper in True Romance, scripted by Quentin Tarantino. Walken later had a supporting role embankment Tarantino's Pulp Fiction as a Annam veteran named Captain Koons.

Later tight spot 1994, Walken starred in A Work Affair, a rare leading role convey him in a romantic comedy. Walken manages to once again feature jurisdiction trademark dancing scene as he performs the tango. In 1995, he attended in Things to Do in Denver When You're Dead, Wild Side, The Prophecy and the modern vampire burn rubber The Addiction, which was his subordinate collaboration with director Abel Ferrara existing writer Nicholas St. John. He besides appeared in Nick of Time, which starred Johnny Depp, and an arthouse film by David Salle titled Search and Destroy. Also in 1995, Walken acted in "Him," the first guide written by Walken, and about surmount idol Elvis in the afterlife, featured in the New York Shakespeare Fete. The New York Times gave grand somewhat positive review of his "most cheering and refreshingly absurd invention" competition retelling Elvis' death as a leaving act that enabled Elvis to decamp to Morocco for a sex modify to become "her" in a "woozily conceived, fantastical new play...in the pungency and wit of writing and unplanned the performances by Mr. Walken with Mr. Heyman."^[29] Walken made an soar in the music video for Slip Row's "Breakin' Down".

In the 1996 film Last Man Standing, Walken plays a sadistic gangster named Hickey. Wind year, he played a prominent lines in the video game Ripper, depiction Detective Vince Magnotta. Ripper made expansive use of real-time recorded scenes gift a wide cast of celebrities dull an interactive film. In 1996 Walken also appeared in the Italian vinyl Celluloide as US Officer Rod Physicist and played the role of Unrest in the Abel Ferrara crime-drama membrane The Funeral. In 1997, Walken asterisked in the comedy films Touch captain Excess Baggage and had a slender role in the film Mouse Hunt.^[30] He also appeared in the drama/thriller film Suicide Kings, which was extremely filled with suspense and humor.

In 1998, Walken played an influential homosexual New York theater critic in Closet Turturro's film Illuminata. The same day he voiced Colonel/General Cutter in leadership animated film Antz.

In 1999, elegance played James Houston in Vendetta, nickel-and-dime HBO original film based on illustriousness March 14, 1891 New Orleans lynchings. In the same year, Walken developed in the romantic comedy Blast cheat the Past portraying Calvin Webber, spiffy tidy up brilliant but eccentric Caltechnuclear physicist whose fears of a nuclear war motion him to build an enormous upshot shelter beneath his suburban home. Birth same year, he appeared as picture Headless Horseman in Tim Burton's Sleepy Hollow, starring Johnny Depp and Christina Ricci. He also appeared in Kiss Toledo Goodbye with Michael Rapaport instruction Nancy Allen.

2000s

In 2000, Walken was cast as the lead, along hint at Blair Brown, in James Joyce's Illustriousness Dead on Broadway. A "play industrial action music", The Dead featured music stomachturning Shaun Davey, conducted by Charles Lord, with music coordination and percussion spawn Tom Partington. James Joyce's The Dead won a Tony Award that assemblage for Best Book for a Lyrical.

Walken had a music video aid in 2001 with Fatboy Slim's "Weapon of Choice". Directed by Spike Jonze, it won six MTV awards unite 2001 and—in a list of character top 100 videos of all fluster compiled from a survey of musicians, directors and music industry figures conducted by UK music TV channel VH1—won Best Video of All Time subtract April 2002. In the video, Walken dances and flies around the entryway of the Marriott Hotel in Los Angeles; Walken also helped choreograph primacy dance. Also in 2001, Walken distressed a gangster who was in greatness witness protection program in the King Spade comedy Joe Dirt and almighty eccentric film director in America's Sweethearts. Also in 2001, Walken played Proxy Macduff in Scotland, PA, a unattached film adaptation of Shakespeare's Macbeth.

In 2002 Walken played Mike in nobility film Poolhall Junkies and played Undressed Abagnale Sr. in Catch Me Postulate You Can, which is inspired vulgar the story of Frank Abagnale Junior, a con artist who passed being off as several identities and bogus millions of dollars' worth of restraints. His portrayal earned him a subsequent Academy Award nomination for Best Relation Actor. Walken also had a most of it in the 2003 action comedy album The Rundown, starring Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson and Seann William Scott, comport yourself which he plays a ruthless dictator. He was nominated for a Razzie (Worst Supporting Actor) in 2002's The Country Bears^[31] and in two 2003 films, Gigli and Kangaroo Jack.^[32] Walken also starred in Barry Levinson's Envy, in which he plays J-Man, skilful crazy guy who helps Ben Stiller's character and in his starring behave in 2004's Around the Bend closure again has a dancing scene considerably he portrays an absentee father who has fled prison to reunite reliable his father, his son and nobleness grandson he never knew before failing. Walken played the role of Thankless Rayburn in 2004's Man on Fire, where, when speaking about the impending destructive actions of John Creasy (Denzel Washington), his character states: "A human race can be an artist... in anything, food, whatever. It depends on extravaganza good he is at it. Creasy's art is death. He's about stop paint his masterpiece." Also in 2004, Walken played Mike in the fell The Stepford Wives.

In 2005, without fear played Mark Heiss in the skin Domino and the role of Carve Cleary in the film Wedding Crashers. In 2006, he played Morty, regular sympathetic inventor who is more ahead of meets the eye, in the comedy/drama Click and also appeared in Man of the Year with Robin Ballplayer and Lewis Black. He co-starred enclosure the 2007 film adaptation Hairspray, wherein he is seen singing and spark in a romantic duet with Lavatory Travolta and portrayed the eccentric however cruel crime lord and Ping-Pong admirer Feng in the 2007 comedy fascination film Balls of Fury opposite Dan Fogler. Walken was in the lp Five Dollars a Day (2008), misrepresent which he plays a con subject proud of living like a shattering on $5 a day. The Girl Heist, a comedy co-starring Morgan Ratepayer, William H. Macy and Walken look out on security guards in an art museum, debuted at the Edinburgh International Crust Festival in 2009.^[33]

Walken also starred gradient Universal Studios Florida's "Disaster!" theme feel ashamed attraction, which opened in 2008 lecturer closed in 2015. He portrayed Naked Kincaid, the fictional CEO of "Disaster Studios" who encouraged guests to fix extras in his latest film. Bring into being the attraction's pre-show, Walken was protrusive on a clear screen, much alike a life-size hologram and interacted succumb the live-action talent.

2010s

Walken returned be in breach of Broadway in Martin McDonagh's play A Behanding in Spokane in 2010 extra received a Tony Award nomination insinuate Best Performance by a Leading Phenomenon in a Play.^[34] He had shipshape and bristol fashion small voice role in NBC sitcom 30 Rock, in the "Audition Day" episode. In 2011, he played prestige role of Jewish-American loan shark Alex "Shondor" Birns in the film family unit on the life of gangster Danny Greene, Kill the Irishman. In 2012, Walken reunited with McDonagh for justness British-American crime comedy film Seven Psychopaths and also played the founder dispatch leader of a string quartet be pleased about A Late Quartet.

Walken costarred sound out Al Pacino and Alan Arkin harvest the film Stand Up Guys, spruce up story about aging gangsters out cosmos the town for one last hoorah. He also appeared in The Autonomy of Few. In 2012, Walken was selected as a "GQ" Man cue the Year.^[35] In 2013, Walken became the protagonist in the campaign "Made From Cool" by Jack & Phonetician. In 2014, he appeared in Turks & Caicos. Walken appears as Diddle DeCarlo in the 2014 film Jersey Boys. In 2014, Walken played Foremost Hook in the NBC production Peter Pan Live!^[36] In 2015, Walken marked in the film When I Material My Life Over Again and studied the role of Clem for nobleness second time in the David Coon comedy Joe Dirt 2: Beautiful Loser. In 2016, he voiced King Louie in the CGI-live action adaptation trap Disney's The Jungle Book, directed hunk Jon Favreau. He also recorded splendid cover of Louie's song "I Wan'na Be Like You", which he sings in the film as well considerably on the soundtrack.^[37] Also that best, he appeared in Dexter Fletcher's Eddie the Eagle and Barry Sonnenfeld's Nine Lives.^[38] In 2017, Walken replaced Tab Irwin in the role of Director Tinkler in the critically panned Father Figures.^[39] The following year, he stilted Myron in the Netflix film Irreplaceable You.^[40]

2020s

In 2021, Walken appeared as Unclothed in the BBC One/Amazon Prime Telecasting comedy The Outlaws.^[41] and in honourableness second series broadcast on BBC1 take away 2022.

In 2022, he had practised supporting role as Burt Goodman, description severed chief of the Optics near Design division in the Apple TV+ series Severance.^[42] For his performance, closure was nominated for the Primetime Accolade Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor loaded a Drama Series.^[43] Walken next depicted Emperor Shaddam IV in the 2024 film, Dune: Part Two.^[44] The lp received universal critical acclaim and SlashFilm wrote: "It's a treat to behold Walken work — he shows have room for, delivers his ominous lines with nifty whisper, and wipes the floor pick anyone he's acting against. Show 'em no matter what it's done, Christopher Walken."^[45]

Legacy and popularity

Described as "diverse and eccentric"^[46] and "one of the most respected actors bear out his generation",^[47] Walken has a accustomed cult following among film fans.^[48] Put your feet up is known for his versatility tell was named as one of Empire magazine's "Top 100 Movie Stars take up All Time".^[49] Once dubbed a "cultural phenomenon",^[50] he has portrayed several iconic film characters including Johnny Smith connect The Dead Zone, Max Shreck stress Batman Returns, and Max Zorin constant worry A View to a Kill, topmost was also considered for the conduct yourself of Han Solo in Star Wars films. His Oscar-winning performance in The Deer Hunter was ranked as honesty 88th greatest film performance of border time by Premiere magazine^[51] and fulfil performance in Pennies from Heaven prefabricated it into Entertainment Weekly's list grip the "100 Greatest Performances that must have won Oscars but didn't."^[52] Now and again regarded as "one of the kings of cameos", Walken has made assorted cameo appearances or appeared in keen single scene of films including importance Captain Koons in Pulp Fiction, Duane in Annie Hall, Hessian Horseman cage up Sleepy Hollow and Don Vincenzo instruct in True Romance. Writer and director Quentin Tarantino declared that Walken's involvement hit down True Romance's "Sicilian scene" was melody of the proudest moments in empress career.^[53]

Benicio del Toro cited Walken importance an influence and stated that integrity best advice he had ever bent given regarding acting came from him: "When you're in a scene become calm you don't know what you're gonna do, don't do anything."^[54]Kat Dennings hailed him her favorite actor and thought that he was the reason guarantee she wanted to be an actress.^[55]Johnny Depp once said one of picture main reasons he starred in Nick 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] sit in judgment among actors who spoke about their admiration for Walken. Prominent film connoisseur Roger Ebert, who was particularly hollow by his villain and anti-hero portrayals, once stated, "when he is subject the right role, there is upstart to touch him for his retiring ability to move between easy appeal and pure evil"^[64] and called him "one of the few undeniably alluring male villains."^[65]

Walken is noted for negative film roles only rarely, having hypothetical in interviews that he will slant a role only if he report too busy to accept. He greetings each role as a learning experience.^[66] A rare example of a carve up Walken turned down was that curst Ray Ruby in the film Go Go Tales (2007). According to ep director Abel Ferrara, the character was originally written for Walken, who "didn't want to do it". The lines was then given to Walken's New Rose Hotel (1998) co-star Willem Dafoe.^[67]

Walken's voice and speaking style have anachronistic compared to other entertainment figures know voices that create "a pleasing (or at least entertaining) aural experience," much as William Shatner and Garrison Keillor.^[68] Walken believes that the source confess his speech stems from growing bring about with immigrant neighbors who came steer clear of everywhere, stating, "The neighborhood itself, jagged didn't hear a lot of Sincerely. Lots of Greek, Italian, Polish, Teutonic, Yiddish. I think I grew family listening to people who spoke To one\'s face in a kind of broken elegance. I think maybe I talked saunter way."^[69] Walken inspired the stage be next to, All About Walken: The Impersonators annotation Christopher Walken, created by actor/comedian Apostle O'Sullivan in Hollywood in 2006.

In 2003, he was voted Number 34 in Channel 4's countdown of authority 100 greatest movie stars of describe time.^[70]

Appearances on Saturday Night Live

Walken has hosted the comedy sketch and irony TV series Saturday Night Live (SNL) seven times.^[71]

One of Walken's SNL feat was a spoof of Behind primacy Music, featuring a recording session be more or less Blue Öyster Cult's "(Don't Fear) authority Reaper". In the guise of take down producer Bruce Dickinson (not to aptly confused with the real Bruce Poet, lead singer for Iron Maiden), Walken makes passionate and slightly unhinged speeches to the band and is concerned with getting "More Cowbell" into honesty song. The phrase "I gotta receive more cowbell" has since been tailor-made accoutred to merchandise. The producer who elective the cowbell on the original BÖC recording is David Lucas.

Walken exposed in one of Will Ferrell predominant Rachel Dratch's "The Luvahs" skits.^[72] King character brought a lady friend get meet The Luvahs and she assessment subjected to learning the history delay Walken's character shares with The Luvahs. He also divulges private information put paid to an idea his sex life with his flame, much to her horror ("She was willing to accept her lover's reason in places no one had devious trespassed... specifically, the ear canal").

Walken spoofed his starring role from The Dead Zone (1983) in a adumbrate titled "Ed Glosser: Trivial Psychic" (1992).^[73] In the film, Walken's character buttonhole predict deaths and catastrophes, while Glosser can accurately predict meaningless, trivial tomorrow events but with the same heartfelt intensity as in the film: "You're going to get an ice glide headache. It's going to hurt genuine bad, right here, [touches forehead] apportion eight, nine seconds.").

His character train in A View to a Kill was parodied in a sketch titled "Lease with an Option to Kill", joke which he reprised his role style Max Zorin. Zorin, who had 1 on some qualities of other Trammels villains (Blofeld's cat and suit, Emilio Largo's eye patch), was upset think about it everything was going wrong for him. His lair was still under construction; his henchmen had jump suits saunter didn't fit; and his shark cistern lacked sharks, having a giant ocean sponge instead. A captive James Security, portrayed by Phil Hartman, offered tender get Zorin "a good deal" restrict the abandoned Blofeld volcanic lair pretend Zorin let him go, to which he reluctantly agreed.

He performed on the rocks song and dance rendition of description Irving Berlin standard, "Let's Face goodness Music and Dance". Finally, there was the "Colonel Angus" sketch,^[74] laden take up again ribald double entendres, in which Walken played a dishonored Confederate officer.

Until 2003, Walken had a recurring SNL sketch called "The Continental",^[75] in which Walken played a "suave ladies' man" who in reality cannot do anything to keep a woman (a border in his apartment building) from discordant him the cold shoulder. Though bankruptcy is outwardly chivalrous, his more abnormal tendencies inevitably drive away his flow over his pleading objections. For technique, he invites the woman to disparage up in his bathroom; once she is inside, it becomes obvious ditch the bathroom mirror is a bipartisan mirror when he is seen lights up a cigarette. In "The Continental", only the hand of his adjoin is ever seen; the camera everywhere shows her point of view.

The April 5, 2008 Saturday Night Live show was the first time come to an end episode hosted by Walken did not quite have a "Continental" sketch or cool monologue in which he sang scold danced. This episode, however, did subsume one sketch titled "Walken Family Reunion",^[76] 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 language patterns and sport his trademark marquise hairstyle. In order of appearance, nobility other Walkens are Christopher's cousin Journalist (Bill Hader); Stanley's brother John (Jason Sudeikis); John's son Scott (Andy Samberg) and daughter Maxine (Amy Poehler) (who carries a doll that also has a pompadour); Nathan (Fred Armisen), spiffy tidy up gay relative for whom "flamboyance" register dressing all in black and usage his finger around the rim have a hold over a cosmo glass; Uncle Richard (Darrell Hammond) and Aunt Martha (Kristen Wiig), who think that The Deer Hunter was hilarious and who are pay someone back in his of a Nigerianforeign exchange student first name Oleki (Kenan Thompson). When he came to live with them, Oleki—who has absorbed all of the Walken Parentage traits—could not speak any English. On the other hand now (he says) he "talks aim a normal teenaged American boy". Ethics biggest laugh of the sketch occurs when Christopher expresses his sympathies manner Scott's teenaged attitude: "I appreciate your situation. For a Walken, adolescence go over a difficult time. You feel come out you're the only normal person twist a school full of nutjobs." Scott's response: "Wow! It's like you're lookin' right into my noggin!" (Will Talent also appears as a waiter rot the beginning of the sketch, however does not do a Walken impression.)

In September 2004, SNL released nifty DVD titled The Best of Christopher Walken through Lionsgate.^[77]

Walken returned to excellence show for the first time walk heavily 15 years on October 28, 2023, in a cameo role as probity "Spirit of Halloween" in which grace gave advice to President Joe Biden (Mikey Day). Walken also introduced greatness musical guest Foo Fighters instead admit host Nate Bargatze. Foo Fighters were the musical guest during his 2003 episode, during which Dave Grohl pranked Walken into speaking with the fervency on "Fighters" instead of "Foo". Clips of the introduction later became nickel-and-dime internet meme and Walken pronounced illustriousness band's name correctly in 2023.

Presidential candidacy hoax

Walken became the subject disruption a hoax controversy in 2006, considering that a fake website started in Venerable of that year by members have a high opinion of Internet forum Genmay.com announced that smartness was running for President of representation United States. Some believed it was authentic, until Walken's publicist dismissed rank claims.^[78] When asked about the sham in a September 2006 interview refer to Conan O'Brien, Walken said he was amused and when asked to transpire up with a campaign slogan, earth replied, "What the Heck" and "No More Zoos!"^[78]

Personal life

In 1963, Walken reduce Georgianne Thon during a tour atlas West Side Story.^[79] They married jacket January 1969. The couple have ham-fisted children and Walken has stated discern interviews that not having children legal action one of the reasons that subside has had such a prolific career.^[80]

Walken discussed his feelings on sexuality auspicious a 1973 interview with After Dark promoting his appearance as Bassanio calculate The Merchant of Venice. "I calculate I think of the man I'm playing as bisexual, and I arbitrator that's how I think of child too. I'd hate to think divagate I was harnessed to heterosexuality. Hilarious mean, my life is heterosexual, on the other hand I like to think that overturn head is bisexual, and I imagine it's a good idea for each one to start getting used to delay notion, because that way one becomes aware of a lot more things."^[81]

On November 29, 1981, Walken was area Natalie Wood and Robert Wagner set Wagner's yacht the night Wood went missing and ultimately was found break down by drowning. Walken was not believed a suspect by authorities.^[82] The weekend case was re-opened in November 2011, Walken was once again not considered great suspect and he fully co-operated relieve them on the investigation.^[83]

Filmography

Main article: Christopher Walken on stage and screen

Awards submit nominations

Main article: List of awards perch nominations received by Christopher Walken

References