History Creator / ChristopherWalken

* ''Film/DunePartTwo'' (2023) - Emperor Shaddam Corrino IV

* ''Film/TheAndersonTapes'' (1971): His film debut.

* ''Film/BiloxiBlues'' (1988) - Sgt. Melvin J. Toomey

* ''Film/ThingsToDoInDenverWhenYoureDead'' (1995) - The Man With The Plan

* ''Film/JoeDirt'' (2001) - Clem
* ''Film/ScotlandPA'' (2001) - Lt. [=McDuff=]

* ''Film/RomanceAndCigarettes'' (2004) - [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sEH5zmAtLks A brief cameo]].
* ''Literature/TheStepfordWives'' (2004) - Mike

!!Tropes Include:

* BigApplesauce: He was born and raised in Queens.
* {{Cloudcuckoolander}}: He naturally comes across this way, and a lot of roles and media love to play this up.

* CoolOldGuy: When they aren't [[EvilOldFolks evil]], his characters in his later roles are definitely this and sometimes [[AffablyEvil even when they are]]. He's also very much this in real life.
* DoesNotLikeGuns: Despite using them in many films, he has admitted that he hates guns and dislikes even holding them.

* HappilyMarried: He's been married to Georgianne Thon since 1969.

* NamedAfterSomebodyFamous: His birth name was inspired by Creator/RonaldColman.

* ReclusiveArtist: While he has no issue doing promotional work, he is very private and has little interest in fame or being a celebrity, spending any time he isn't working at his home in Connecticut and he says the only people other than his wife that he usually sees when he isn't on set are the garbage men.
* RenaissanceMan: Outside of acting, he is also a professional dancer, a singer, a comedian, a very good chef, and even a former circus performer (he did a stint in a traveling circus as a lion tamer's "son" the summer he was 15).
* SupremeChef: He loves cooking and is very good at it, occasionally making meals for his co-stars. His father owned and operated a bakery in Queens.

* ''Dune: Part Two'' (2023) - Emperor Shaddam Corrino IV

* ProductionPosse: Walken is one of Creator/AbelFerrara's favorite actors, appearing no less than four films made by him.

Walken appeared as the ArchangelGabriel in the first three ''[[Film/TheProphecy Prophecy]]'' movies, as well as his frequent guest-host appearances on ''Series/SaturdayNightLive''[[note]](seven in all, though six of them [the ones from 1990 to 2003] have his recurring sketch "The Continental" and all six of them have monologues in which Walken sings and dances; the one from the UsefulNotes/TVStrikes-shortened 33rd season has neither of these)[[/note]], his most notable being ''[[SpellMyNameWithAThe The]]'' Bruce Dickinson ([[NamesTheSame not]] ''[[Music/IronMaiden that]]'' Music/BruceDickinson) in the "[[MemeticMutation More Cowbell]]" sketch and The Continental (based on an actual TV character from an obscure 1950s show, but [[ParodyDisplacement most people wouldn't know that]]). In the United States, films featuring Walken have grossed over $1.8 billion. He has also played the main role in the Shakespeare plays ''Theatre/{{Hamlet}}'', ''Theatre/{{Macbeth}}'', ''Theatre/RomeoAndJuliet'', and even ''Theatre/{{Coriolanus}}''. Famous film roles were Nikanor "Nick" Chevotarevich in ''The Deer Hunter'' (for which he won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor) and in ''Pulp Fiction'', as Captain Koons, a Vietnam War veteran, [[OneSceneWonder which has since become a pop culture icon]]. In fact, his prolific film appearances relate to his own policy of ''never'' turning down film roles unless he's too busy, finding that each and every role is a learning experience.

* ''Film/EddieTheEagel'' (2015) - Warren Sharp

* NamedAfterSomebodyFamous: His birth name was inspired by Creator/RonaldColeman.

* SupremeChef: He loves cooking and is very good at it, occasionally making meals for his co-stars.

Walken appeared as the ArchangelGabriel in the first three ''[[Film/TheProphecy Prophecy]]'' movies, as well as his frequent guest-host appearances on ''Series/SaturdayNightLive''[[note]](seven in all, though six of them [the ones from 1990 to 2003] have his recurring sketch "The Continental" and all six of them have monologues in which Walken sings and dances; the one from the UsefulNotes/TVStrikes-shortened 33rd season has neither of these)[[/note]], his most notable being ''[[SpellMyNameWithAThe The]]'' Bruce Dickinson ([[NamesTheSame not]] ''[[Music/IronMaiden that]]'' Music/BruceDickinson) in the "[[MemeticMutation More Cowbell]]" sketch and The Continental (based on an actual TV character from an obscure 1950s show, but [[ParodyDisplacement most people wouldn't know that]]). In the United States, films featuring Walken have grossed over $1.8 billion. He has also played the main role in the Shakespeare plays ''Hamlet'', ''Macbeth'', ''Romeo and Juliet'', and even ''Coriolanus''. Famous film roles were Nikanor "Nick" Chevotarevich in ''The Deer Hunter'' (for which he won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor) and in ''Film/PulpFiction'', as Captain Koons, a Vietnam War veteran, [[OneSceneWonder which has since become a pop culture icon]]. In fact, his prolific film appearances relate to his own policy of ''never'' turning down film roles unless he's too busy, finding that each and every role is a learning experience.

A former professional dancer, which he got to show off in the 1981 film version of ''Series/PenniesFromHeaven'' (where he played a dancing pimp), his opening monologue from one of his hosting stints on ''Series/SaturdayNightLive'', the 2007 rendition of ''Film/{{Hairspray|2007}}'', as well as [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HEyY6LEUWUw the aforementioned Fatboy Slim video]], which consists solely of him dancing in an empty hotel.

Christopher Walken (born Ronald Paul Walken; March 31, 1943 in Astoria, New York) is an UsefulNotes/AcademyAward-winning American actor of stage and screen, in a career spanning more than 60 years. A prolific actor, he has appeared in over 100 movie and television roles, notably including ''Film/AViewToAKill'', ''At Close Range'', ''Film/TheDeerHunter'', Creator/DavidCronenberg's ''Film/TheDeadZone'', ''Film/KingOfNewYork'', ''Film/BatmanReturns'', ''Film/TrueRomance'', ''Film/CatchMeIfYouCan'' and ''Film/PulpFiction'', as well as music videos by recording artists such as Music/{{Madonna}} and Music/FatboySlim.

His distinctive style of speaking, including random pauses, wild enunciation and a tendency to change voice pitch at random, have made clips from his movies subject to a great deal of MemeticMutation, and he's one of the most imitated actors out there along with the likes of Creator/SeanConnery, Creator/ArnoldSchwarzenegger, Creator/JeffGoldblum, and Creator/WilliamShatner. He doesn't actually sound much like most of his impersonators. You're still... imagining!... this article...in his...''illustrious'' voice!

* ''Dune: Part Two'' (TBA) - Emperor Shaddam Corrino IV

* ''Series/{{Severance}}'' (2022) - Burt

* HappilyMarried: He's been married to Georgianne Thorn since 1969.

* ReclusiveArtist: While he has no issue doing promotional work, he is very private and has little interest in fame or being a celebrity, spending any time he isn't working at his home in Connecticut and he says the only people other than his wife that he usually sees when he isn't on set are the garbage man.

A former professional dancer, which he got to show off in the 1981 film version of ''Series/PenniesFromHeaven'' (where he played a dancing pimp), his opening monologue from one of his hosting stints on ''Series/SaturdayNightLive'', the 2007 rendition of ''Film/{{Hairspray}}'', as well as [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HEyY6LEUWUw the aforementioned Fatboy Slim video]], which consists solely of him dancing in an empty hotel.

* ''Film/{{Hairspray}}'' (2007) - Wilbur Turnblad

* ''Film/TheJungleBook2016''- [[SerkisFolk King Louie]]

Walken appeared as the ArchangelGabriel in the first three ''[[Film/TheProphecy Prophecy]]'' movies, as well as his frequent guest-host appearances on ''Series/SaturdayNightLive''[[note]](seven in all, though six of them [the ones from 1990 to 2003] have his recurring sketch "The Continental" and all six of them have monologues in which Walken sings and dances; the one from the UsefulNotes/TVStrikes-shortened 33rd season has neither of these)[[/note]], his most notable being ''[[SpellMyNameWithAThe The]]'' Bruce Dickinson ([[NamesTheSame not]] ''[[Music/IronMaiden that]]'' Music/BruceDickinson) in the "[[MemeticMutation More Cowbell]]" sketch and The Continental ([[WeirdAlEffect based on an actual TV character from an obscure 1950s show; but most people wouldn't know that]]). In the United States, films featuring Walken have grossed over $1.8 billion. He has also played the main role in the Shakespeare plays ''Hamlet'', ''Macbeth'', ''Romeo and Juliet'', and even ''Coriolanus''. Famous film roles were Nikanor "Nick" Chevotarevich in ''The Deer Hunter'' (for which he won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor) and in ''Film/PulpFiction'', as Captain Koons, a Vietnam War veteran, [[OneSceneWonder which has since become a pop culture icon]]. In fact, his prolific film appearances relate to his own policy of ''never'' turning down film roles unless he's too busy, finding that each and every role is a learning experience.

* RenaissanceMan: Outside of acting, he is also a professional dancer, a singer, a comedian, a very good chef, and even a former circus performer (he did a stint in a travelling circus as a lion tamer's "son" the summer he was 15).

----

As pointed out by the top quote, Christopher Walken doesn't cherrypick with the roles he takes. [[DoingItForTheArt He just plain loves making movies]].

* RenaissanceMan: Outside of acting, he is also a professional dancer, singer, comedian, and even a former circus performer (he did a stint in a travelling circus as a lion tamer's "son" the summer he was 15).

* ProductionPosse: Walken has appeared in four films with Creator/AbelFerrara.