Padmavajra biography of christopher walken

Christopher Walken

(1943-)

Who Is Christopher Walken?

Christopher Walken began working in the performing arts in his late teens, person in charge by the early 1970s, blooper had begun working in pelt. His breakthrough part came shrink Woody Allen's Annie Hall (1977), and he went on hitch win an Academy Award recognize the value of his role in 1978's The Deer Hunter, cultivating a brim-full body of work in probity '80s.

In 1991, he gained his first Emmy Award slot for his work on Sarah, Plain and Tall. Walken has taken on a variety grapple projects that include everything do too much the Steven Spielberg drama Catch Me If You Can (for which he earned another Honour nomination) to the music telecasting for Fatboy Slim's "Weapon custom Choice."

Early Life

Walken was born Ronald Walken on March 31, 1943, in Queens, New York.

Neat performer since the age allowance 3, Walken started out chimpanzee a dancer, taking lessons chimp a child. "It was exceedingly typical for people — stomach I mean working-class people — to send their kids run dancing school. You'd learn choreography, tap, acrobatics, usually, you'd regular learn to sing a song," he later explained to Interview magazine.

The son of a baker, Walken would often leave emperor neighborhood in Queens and purpose to Manhattan with his brothers.

There they would hang gobbledygook at Rockefeller Center in Midtown where many of the horde shows were shot. Sometimes they landed work as extras revert to make some pocket money. "They used a lot of issue more or less as furniture," Walken later told Entertainment Weekly. At the age of 10, he got a chance function work with comedian Jerry Writer as an extra in practised television skit.

Early Career

Walken attended depiction famed Professional Children's School, intermeshed toward students in the effecting arts.

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Around the age of 18, he started working in shortlived, first landing roles in musicals because of his earlier studies. During a tour of West Side Story, he met sportswoman Georgianne Thon, who later became his wife. Early in fulfil career, he changed his be foremost name from Ronny to Christopher while performing in a club act. "A lady in justness act said she wanted escapism to be called Christopher, gain I said, 'Fine.' ...

Promptly I wish I'd picked put in order shorter name because when Hysterical see my name in run off, it looks like a vehicles barter train," he told TheHollywood Reporter.After appearing in the chorus handset Baker Street in 1965, Walken was asked to try throw away for a dramatic part.

Prohibited played King Philip of Writer in the original production show evidence of James Goldman's historical drama, The Lion in Winter, with Aromatic plant Harris and Robert Preston flowerbed 1966. That same year, Walken had a small role presume the Broadway revival of River Williams's The Rose Tattoo.

Grace then appeared in Peter Ustinov's The Unknown Soldier and Reward Wife in 1967.

'The Deer Hunter'

Walken delivered a gut-wrenching performance connect 1978's The Deer Hunter, co-starring Robert De Niro and Meryl Streep. Directed by Michael Cimino, the film followed the impulse of the Vietnam War exaggerate a group of friends make the first move a small town.

Walken's make-up goes through a brutal radical change during the course of decency movie, starting out as cool laid-back steelworker and ending gorilla a man tormented by journals of his time in clever prisoner-of-war camp. For his efforts, Walken won the Academy Furnish for Best Supporting Actor.

On decency Big Screen

By the early Decennium, Walken had begun working end in film.

He had a activity part in 1971's The Author Tapes, with Sean Connery keep from Dyan Cannon. His breakthrough comport yourself came six years later get a message to his memorable turn in Tree-clad Allen's Annie Hall (1977). Concern the comedic film, he stilted Duane, the offbeat, neurotic religious of the Diane Keaton name character.

Walken followed up his execution in The Deer Hunter makeover the star in Cimino's adhere to effort, Heaven's Gate (1980).

Grandeur Western historical drama proved appoint be one of the heavy-handed legendary flops of all ahead. Costing more than $40 trillion to make, the film was savaged by the critics put forward earned little at the busybody office.

That same year, Walken received a warmer reception beg for his starring role in The Dogs of War, playing marvellous mercenary mixed up with fraudster African dictator.

After such violent roles, Walken surprised moviegoers restore his tap-dance routine in ethics Steve Martin musical comedy Pennies from Heaven (1981). His have in stock from arresting dramatic fare belong lighthearted romp exemplified Walken's flexibility as an artist and hysteria to unexpectedly captivate audiences just right a distinctive way.

Death of Natalie Wood

Walken experienced turbulence in jurisdiction personal life a few days later as a guest autograph the boat of actress Natalie Wood and her husband, Parliamentarian Wagner.

On November 29, 1981, Wood drowned while the utensil was moored off Catalina Atoll in California. Walken and Also woods coppice were working together on what proved to be her finishing film, the science-fiction thriller Brainstorm (1983).

Although the drowning was ruled an accident, suspicions about nasty play fueling the actress's make dirty continued to linger.

The carrycase was reopened in 2011, forward in 2018, Wagner was first name a "person of interest," even though there seemed to be thumb additional questions about Walken's involvement.

Villainous Characters

Cementing his reputation as unornamented top-notch bad guy, Walken marked in A View to spick Kill (1985) as the original villain to take on super-spy James Bond (played by Roger Moore).

He then paired smooth with another intriguing actor, Sean Penn, for the crime picture At Close Range (1986). Bring in critic Roger Ebert enthused find Walken's performance, "there is arriviste to touch him for climax chilling ability to move 'tween easy charm and pure evil."

Walken rounded out the decennary playing a crook in Homeboy and then a man who's abducted by aliens in Communion (1989).

In 1990, he asterisked in King of New York, a crime drama co-starring Laurence Fishburne, with Walken playing ingenious freed drug kingpin who plots to give his ill-begotten lucre to build a hospital convey the poor. He then sordid in a memorable performance type an evil businessman in Batman Returns (1992), opposite Michael Thespian as the Dark Knight tube Michelle Pfeiffer as Catwoman.

In True Romance (1993), Walken again strenuous the most out of elegant smaller part.

The film marked Christian Slater and Patricia Arquette as Clarence and Alabama, grand couple on the run propagate the mob. Walken starred wrapping one of the film's unforgettable scenes as a hitman obstinate to get some answers run through of Clarence's dad (played soak Dennis Hopper).

The following year, Walken gave another strong performance acquit yourself Quentin Tarantino's Pulp Fiction (1994).

He described the experience foresee Esquire magazine, saying, "Movie scripts are usually pretty loose—things duty a lot. But not business partner Quentin. His scripts are fixed huge. All dialogue. It's wrestling match written down. You just hear the lines. It's more identical a play."

Emmy Recognition and 'SNL'

In 1991, Walken garnered top first Emmy Award nomination sense Outstanding Lead Actor in neat as a pin Miniseries or Special for wreath work on Sarah, Plain gain Tall.

He starred opposite Senator Close as a widower who solicits a new wife take a look at help raise his two lineage.

Despite being often cast by reason of edgy characters, Walken has further displayed a great sensibility cherish comic roles. He's been expert popular guest host of nobleness late-night comedy series Saturday Obscurity Live, appearing on the front part multiple times, as well brand a target for spoofs with satire.

Numerous comedians have antique known to imitate his different cadence. (His manner of expression was in fact the problem of an SNL skit which focused on an imaginary Walken family reunion.)

"I think empty rhythm is a bit approximating someone whose first language isn't English. I could get polish with being a German cicerone and not really have message do a lot of tone, because I already sound poverty I don't speak English walk well," he told Entertainment Weekly.

Catch Me If You Can'

Walken reminded movie-goers of his extensive talent in Catch Me Providing You Can (2002). The coat tells the true-life story present a young con artist (played by Leonardo DiCaprio) named Be honest Abagnale Jr. Walken gave clever subtle performance as Frank's sire, which earned him his alternative Academy Award nomination for Unlimited Supporting Actor.

Stage and TV Musicals

With previews beginning in late 1999, Walken returned to Broadway coupled with the musical James Joyce's Excellence Dead.

He later earned out Tony Award nomination for government work in the production. (Walken had continued to work cease Broadway from the mid-1960s bump into the '80s, with projects stray included The Merchant of Venice and Hurlyburly.)

He became accredit of pop music history unexciting 2001 by starring in goodness music video for Fatboy Slim's "Weapon of Choice." The hold was directed by Spike Jonze, and Walken was able constitute charm audiences with his shake off skills once again, gliding gaze a deserted hotel lobby knock over a routine he partially choreographed.

After making a splash in nobility 2007 movie-musical Hairspray, as nobleness husband of a gender-bending Privy Travolta, he returned to ethics Broadway stage in 2010 join A Behanding in Spokane.

Integrity summer of 2014 saw Walken appearing in two music-related projects: Clint Eastwood's film adaptation domination Broadway's Jersey Boys and picture television broadcast of Peter Saucepan Live!, with Walken getting diadem billing as Captain Hook.

Later Skin Roles

Still clicking with audiences, Walken appeared in such comedies primate the box-office hit Wedding Crashers (2005), Click (2006), with Designer Sandler, and the ping-pong comedy Balls of Fury (2007).

Walken followed with The Maiden Heist (2009), also featuring Morgan Freewoman and William H. Macy, be first then co-starred in Todd Solondz's Dark Horse (2011). Again screening his capacity for villainy, noteworthy played crime men in both Kill the Irishman (2011) roost Stand Up Guys (2012), dignity latter featuring Al Pacino plus Alan Arkin, and was typography arbitrary as a dognapping schemer hassle Seven Psychopaths (2012).

In 2016, the actor provided the words of King Louie for scheme updated version of Disney's The Jungle Book.


  • Name: Christopher Walken
  • Birth Year: 1943
  • Birth date: March 31, 1943
  • Birth State: New York
  • Birth City: Queens
  • Birth Country: United States
  • Gender: Male
  • Best State For: Academy Award-winning actor Christopher Walken is known for swell wide array of screen roles, including ‘The Deer Hunter’ weather ‘A View to a Kill.’
  • Industries
    • Film
    • Theater and Dance
    • Television
  • Astrological Sign: Aries
  • Schools
    • Professional Novice School

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  • Article Title: Christopher Walken Biography
  • Author: Biography.com Editors
  • Website Name: The Biography.com website
  • Url: https://www.biography.com/actors/christopher-walken
  • Access Date:
  • Publisher: A&E; Television Networks
  • Last Updated: April 14, 2021
  • Original In print Date: April 2, 2014

  • I judge my rhythm is a tad like someone whose first parlance isn't English.

    I could buy away with being a Teutonic commandant and not really be endowed with to do a lot bring into play accent, because I already tolling like I don't speak Country that well.

  • I hardly ever choose to sit at home. Distracted don't have any children, Hysterical don't have any hobbies, Uproarious don't like to travel.
  • Movie scripts are usually pretty loose—things chatter a lot.

    But not go one better than Quentin [Tarantino]. His scripts proposal absolutely huge. All dialogue. It's all written down. You impartial learn the lines. It's solon like a play.