Christopher Walken facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Christopher Walken
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Walken in 2018
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| Born |
Ronald Walken
March 31, 1943 New York City, U.S.
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| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1952–present |
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Works
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Full list |
| Spouse(s) |
Georgianne Thon
(m. 1969) |
| Awards | Full list |
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Christopher Walken (born Ronald Walken on March 31, 1943) is a famous American actor. He is known for his unique voice and for playing a wide variety of characters in movies, television, and on stage. Over his long career, he has won many awards, including an Academy Award. His movies have been very successful, earning more than $1.6 billion in the United States alone.
Walken has appeared in many popular films. He won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his role as a troubled soldier in the 1978 movie The Deer Hunter. He was nominated for the same award for playing the father of a con artist in Catch Me If You Can (2002).
He has acted in all kinds of movies, from comedies to dramas. Some of his well-known films include the James Bond movie A View to a Kill (1985), Batman Returns (1992), Pulp Fiction (1994), Sleepy Hollow (1999), Wedding Crashers (2005), and Hairspray (2007). He also provided voices for the animated movies Antz (1998) and The Jungle Book (2016). More recently, he appeared in Dune: Part Two (2024).
Walken has also been a star on television. He has hosted the comedy show Saturday Night Live seven times, creating famous sketches like "More Cowbell". He also earned award nominations for his roles in the TV shows The Outlaws and Severance.
Contents
Early Life and First Steps in Acting
Christopher Walken was born Ronald Walken on March 31, 1943, in Queens, New York City. His father, Paul, was a baker from Germany, and his mother, Rosalie, was from Scotland. His mother dreamed of her sons becoming stars, so Christopher and his brothers, Kenneth and Glenn, became child actors in the 1950s.
When he was 15, he saw a photo of Elvis Presley and was so impressed that he copied Elvis's hairstyle. He has kept that same hairstyle ever since. For a short time as a teenager, he even had a job as a lion tamer's assistant in a circus.
Walken went to Hofstra University for a year but left to take a role in a play. He first trained as a dancer before becoming a famous actor in plays and movies.
Career Journey
Starting Out in the 1950s and 60s
As a child, Walken appeared in many TV shows during the Golden Age of Television. He decided to become an actor after being in a comedy sketch with the famous duo Martin and Lewis. He had a regular part in the 1953 TV show Wonderful John Acton. At the time, he was known as Ronnie Walken.
In 1964, a friend suggested he change his first name from Ronald to Christopher. She thought it suited him better. He has been known as Christopher Walken ever since, though he prefers to be called Chris.
During the 1960s, he acted in many plays. He played famous roles like King Philip of France in The Lion in Winter and Romeo in Romeo and Juliet.
Becoming a Movie Star in the 1970s
Walken's first big movie was The Anderson Tapes (1971) with Sean Connery. He gained more attention for his role in Woody Allen's movie Annie Hall (1977).
His career took a huge leap forward with the 1978 film The Deer Hunter. He played a steelworker whose life is changed by the Vietnam War. To look the part, Walken ate only bananas, water, and rice for a month. His powerful performance won him an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor.
Interestingly, George Lucas considered him for the role of Han Solo in Star Wars, but the part went to Harrison Ford.
Famous Roles of the 1980s
In the 1980s, Walken starred in many memorable films. He showed off his dancing skills in the musical Pennies from Heaven (1981). He played a man who develops psychic powers after an accident in The Dead Zone (1983), based on a Stephen King novel.
In 1985, he played the villain Max Zorin in the James Bond movie A View to a Kill. To play the part, he dyed his hair blond. He also played a memorable army sergeant in the comedy Biloxi Blues (1988).
Blockbusters and Comedies in the 1990s
The 1990s were a busy decade for Walken. He played the villain Max Shreck in Batman Returns (1992). He also had a small but famous role as Captain Koons in Quentin Tarantino's hit movie Pulp Fiction (1994).
He showed his funny side as a producer in Wayne's World 2 (1993) and starred in the romantic comedy A Business Affair (1994), where he got to show off his tango dancing. In 1999, he played the spooky Headless Horseman in Tim Burton's Sleepy Hollow.
In 1998, he voiced Colonel Cutter in the popular animated movie Antz.
Continuing Success in the 2000s
In 2001, Walken starred in the music video for Fatboy Slim's song "Weapon of Choice". In the video, he dances and flies through a hotel lobby. The video became very famous and won many awards.
He earned his second Academy Award nomination for playing Frank Abagnale Sr. in Catch Me If You Can (2002). He also played funny roles in comedies like Wedding Crashers (2005) and Click (2006). In 2007, he sang and danced with John Travolta in the musical movie Hairspray.
Recent Work in the 2010s and 2020s
Walken has continued to act in interesting projects. In 2012, he starred in the comedy Seven Psychopaths. In 2014, he played the famous pirate Captain Hook in NBC's live TV musical, Peter Pan Live!
In 2016, he voiced the giant ape King Louie in Disney's live-action version of The Jungle Book. He even sang the famous song "I Wan'na Be Like You" for the movie.
From 2021, he has starred in the British comedy series The Outlaws. In 2022, he joined the cast of the popular TV show Severance, which earned him an Emmy nomination. In 2024, he played the powerful Emperor Shaddam IV in the science fiction epic Dune: Part Two.
Legacy and Unique Style
Christopher Walken is known for his one-of-a-kind acting style and his special way of speaking. Many fans and other actors admire his work. Actors like Johnny Depp and Leonardo DiCaprio have said they are big fans.
He is famous for playing memorable villains and strange characters. The film critic Roger Ebert said that "when he is given the right role, there is nobody to touch him."
Walken rarely turns down a movie role because he sees every part as a chance to learn something new. His unique voice is said to come from growing up in a New York neighborhood where many immigrants spoke English with different accents.
Saturday Night Live Appearances
Walken has hosted the comedy show Saturday Night Live seven times and is famous for his funny sketches.
One of his most popular sketches is known as "More Cowbell". He played a music producer who kept interrupting a band's recording session to demand they add "more cowbell" to the song. The line became a famous catchphrase.
He also had a recurring sketch called "The Continental". In it, he played a suave man trying to charm his neighbor. The camera always showed the scene from the woman's point of view.
Personal Life
In 1969, Walken married Georgianne Thon, a casting director. They met in 1963 while on tour with the play West Side Story. The couple does not have any children. Walken has said this is one reason he has been able to have such a busy acting career.
Walken is known for not using modern technology. In a 2025 interview, he said, "I don't have a cell phone. I've never emailed or, what do you call it, Twittered."
Filmography
Awards and nominations
See also
In Spanish: Christopher Walken para niños
