Line #15 Creator/ChristopherWalken


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4	[[quoteright:315:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/christopherwalken.jpg]]
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6	->''"I am the malevolent WASP."''
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8	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'', ''Film/AnnieHall'', ''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.
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10	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 (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.
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12	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 living actors out there along with the likes of Creator/JackNicholson, 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!
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14	Christopher Walken doesn't cherrypick with the roles he takes. [[DoingItForTheArt He just plain loves making movies]].
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16	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 ''Saturday Night Live'', 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.
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18	!!Notable for:
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20	* ''Film/TheAndersonTapes'' (1971): The Kid (his film debut)
21	* ''Film/NextStopGreenwichVillage'' (1976) - Robert Fulmer
22	* ''Film/AnnieHall'' (1977) - Duane Hall
23	* ''Film/TheDeerHunter'' (1978) - Nick Chevotarevich (this is where he won the Oscar)
24	* ''Film/HeavensGate'' (1980) - Nathan D. (Nate) Champion
25	* ''Literature/TheDogsOfWar'' (1980) - Cat Shannon
26	* ''Series/PenniesFromHeaven'' (1981) - Tom the Dancing Pimp
27	* ''Film/TheDeadZone'' (1983) - Johnny Smith
28	* ''Film/{{Brainstorm}}'' (1983) - Michael Brace
29	* ''Film/AViewToAKill'' (1985) - Max Zorin
30	* ''Film/BiloxiBlues'' (1988) - Sgt. Merwin J. Toomey
31	* ''Film/TheMilagroBeanfieldWar'' (1988) - Kyril Montana
32	* ''Film/{{Communion}}'' (1989) - Whitley Strieber
33	* ''Film/KingOfNewYork'' (1990) - Frank White
34	* ''Film/BatmanReturns'' (1992) - Max Shreck
35	* ''Film/TrueRomance'' (1993) - Vincenzo Coccotti
36	* ''Film/PulpFiction'' (1994) - Captain Koons
37	* ''Film/TheProphecy'' (1995) - ArchangelGabriel
38	* ''Film/TheAddiction'' (1995) - Peina
39	* ''Film/NickOfTime'' (1995) - Mr. Smith
40	* ''Film/ThingsToDoInDenverWhenYoureDead'' (1995) - The Man with the Plan
41	* ''Film/LastManStanding'' (1996) - Hickey
42	* ''VideoGame/{{Ripper}}'' (1996) - Detective Vincent Magnotta
43	* ''Film/{{Basquiat}}'' (1996) - The Interviewer
44	* ''Film/MouseHunt'' (1997) - Caesar the Exterminator
45	* ''Film/ExcessBaggage'' (1997) - Ray Perkins
46	* ''Film/SuicideKings'' (1997) - Charlie Barrett
47	* ''Film/TheProphecyII'' (1998) - ArchangelGabriel
48	* ''WesternAnimation/{{Antz}}'' (1998) - Colonel Cutter
49	* ''Film/BlastFromThePast'' (1999) - Calvin Webber
50	* ''[[Film/SleepyHollow1999 Sleepy Hollow]]'' (1999) - The Hessian/The Headless Horseman
51	* ''Film/TheProphecy3TheAscent'' (2000) - ArchangelGabriel
52	* Music/FatboySlim's "Weapon of Choice" video (2001)
53	* ''Film/JoeDirt'' (2001) - Clem Doyle
54	* ''Film/ScotlandPA'' (2001) - Lt. Ernie [=McDuff=]
55	* ''Film/TheCountryBears'' (2002) - Reed Thimple
56	* ''Film/CatchMeIfYouCan'' (2002) - Frank William Abagnale, Sr.
57	* ''Film/{{Gigli}}'' (2003) - Detective Stanley Jacobellis
58	* ''Film/KangarooJack'' (2003) - Salvatore Maggio
59	* ''Film/TheRundown'' (2003) - Cornelius Bernard Hatcher
60	* ''Film/ManOnFire'' (2004) - Paul Rayburn
61	* ''Film/AroundTheBend'' (2004) - Turner Lair
62	* ''Film/RomanceAndCigarettes'' (2004) - Cousin Bo [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sEH5zmAtLks A brief cameo]].
63	* ''Literature/TheStepfordWives'' (2004) - Mike Wellington
64	* ''Film/WeddingCrashers'' (2005) - William Cleary, Secretary of the Treasury
65	* ''Film/{{Click}}'' (2006) - Morty
66	* ''Film/{{Hairspray\|2007}}'' (2007) - Wilbur Turnblad
67	* ''Film/BallsOfFury'' (2007) - Feng
68	* ''Ride/{{Disaster}}'' (2008 - 2015, theme park attraction) - Frank Kincaid
69	* ''Film/SevenPsychopaths'' (2012) - Hans
70	* ''Theatre/JerseyBoys'' (2014) - Gyp De Carlo
71	* ''Theatre/{{Peter Pan\|1954}}'' Live! (2014) - Captain Hook
72	* ''Film/EddieTheEagle'' (2015) - Warren Sharp
73	* ''Film/TheJungleBook2016'' - [[SerkisFolk King Louie]]
74	* ''Film/NineLives2016'' - Felix Perkins
75	* ''Series/{{Severance\|2022}}'' (2022) - Burt
76	* ''Film/DunePartTwo'' (2024) - Emperor Shaddam Corrino IV
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78	[[Film/CannibalTheMusical Cowbell]] [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fsDLR7pK3bs solo!]]
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81
82	!!Tropes associated with his roles include:
83	* FiftiesHair: His distinctive [[DelinquentHair pompadour]].
84	* AdamWesting: His many, many, many eccentricities are a goldmine of parody, which he himself regularly takes part in, notably on SNL.
85	* AscendedMeme: A variety of strange quotes and character tics have turned him into something of an icon.
86	* BunnyEarsLawyer: He's definitely an eccentric fellow but there's a reason he's been acting for more than six decades and has an Academy Award.
87	* TheCastShowoff: He just ''loves'' showing off his dancing skills in any role he can.
88	* {{Cloudcuckoolander}}: A lot of roles and media love to play this up.
89	* TheComicallySerious: Special mention goes to Captain Koons in Pulp Fiction and Ed Glossier from SNL.
90	* ColdHam: Both his conviction and his numerous quirks are all expressive enough.
91	** LargeHam: That said, he will push it further on occasion, especially in comedy like ''Film/TheCountryBears''.
92	* CoolOldGuy: When they aren't [[EvilOldFolks evil]], his characters in his later roles are definitely this and sometimes [[AffablyEvil even when they are]].
93	* DoingItForTheArt: Takes nearly every role offered to him, not because he needs the money, but because he thinks every role is a learning experience.
94	* EmphasisOnTheWrongSyllable: An oft-imitated speech pattern of his. Made fun of in one SNL monologue, in which he sings "[[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Let%27s_Call_the_Whole_Thing_Off Let's Call the Whole Thing Off]]" but never changed the pronunciation.
95	-->'''[[Creator/JimmyFallon Jimmy]]''': You’re singing the words the same. You have to say, like, tomayto, tomahto. Tomahto, potahto.\
96	'''Walken''': "Tomahto", what's that?
97	* KubrickStare: Walken will invoke this in his more villainous roles, like his performance in ''Film/TrueRomance''.
98	* LeslieNielsenSyndrome: While he is mostly devoted to comedy nowadays, his early career consisted of more serious performances, like his Oscar-winning role in ''The Deer Hunter''.
99	* NightmareFuelStationAttendant: Especially in Creator/TimBurton films, Walken often plays unsettling or creepy characters.
100	* ObviousStuntDouble: The more acrobatic sections of "Weapon of Choice" were clearly handled by a double, made obvious by the fact that their hair colors don't match and that the double's face is awkwardly blurred out to try and obscure the switch, only to draw more attention to it.
101	* ProductionPosse: Walken is one of Creator/AbelFerrara's favorite actors, appearing in no less than four films made by him.
102	* ThoseTwoActors: He's known for frequently working with Creator/SusanSarandon.
103	* ThousandYardStare: His characters always seem to stare off into the distance. Apparently, this is because Walken is always reading cue cards.
104	* {{Typecasting}}: He's usually a weirdo or a villain, with a few exceptions such as ''The Deer Hunter'' and ''Hairspray''.
105	* VerbalTic: Several: An irregular rhythm, unusual changes in pitch, and long pauses.[[note]]Walken attributes this to growing up in a multi-ethnic community full of people who weren't native English speakers, leading to idiosyncratic speech patterns that influenced his.[[/note]]
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Context Creator / ChristopherWalken