Christopher Walken
Biography
Christopher Walken is an American actor whose stage and screen career began with childhood television appearances and theater work. Born in Astoria, Queens, he took his first major studio part in The Anderson Tapes (1971). He came to wider attention in The Deer Hunter (1978) as a Vietnam veteran, and the performance won him the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor. He was nominated again for playing Frank Abagnale's father in Catch Me If You Can (2002), a role that earned him a BAFTA and Actor Award. He appeared in The Dead Zone (1983) and Pulp Fiction (1994), and he voiced characters in Antz (1998) and The Jungle Book (2016). On Broadway he appeared in a 1975 revival of Sweet Bird of Youth and took Shakespearean leads, earning Tony nominations for James Joyce's The Dead (2000) and A Behanding in Spokane (2010). He has worked in television on The Outlaws and Severance and hosted Saturday Night Live seven times.
83years old
Turns 84 on March 31in 169 days
- Born Astoria
- Star sign: AriesThe sign runs March 21 to April 19
- Ronald Walken (birth name)
Movie Career
- Films
- 99
- Career span
- 54 years1971 to 2025
Genres
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About the name
In 1964, Walken changed his first name to Christopher. Monique van Vooren, whose nightclub act he danced in, suggested it, believing it suited him better than Ronnie, the nickname he had been credited as.
Early training
Walken dropped out of Hofstra University after one year when he was cast as Clayton Dutch Miller in an off-Broadway revival of Best Foot Forward alongside Liza Minnelli.
A role that slipped away
Walken was among the actors George Lucas considered for Han Solo in Star Wars, but the part went to Harrison Ford.
Getting ready for a role
Walken dyed his hair blond for his role as James Bond villain Max Zorin in A View to a Kill, to fit the character's origins as a Nazi experiment.
Beyond film
Walken helped choreograph the dance he performed in Fatboy Slim's 2001 music video for "Weapon of Choice," which was directed by Spike Jonze and later named Best Video of All Time by VH1.
Christopher Walken movies on Netflix
Best known for
The films on Netflix they are best known for, with the part played in each.
Most often with
Abel Ferrara directed four of these films, John Turturro three and Tim Burton two. Victor Argo appears in five of them, more than any other actor. Pick a number on the chart or a name in the list to see the films they share.
Films together
Victor Argo's page
John Turturro's page
Robert De Niro's page
Steve Buscemi's page
Susan Sarandon's page
Dennis Hopper's page
All films by Abel Ferrara
All films by Tim Burton
Also three films together11 more actors
- Sharon StoneGods Behaving Badly (2013), $5 a Day (2008) and Antz (1998)
- Rosanna ArquetteJoe Dirt (2001), Search and Destroy (1995) and Pulp Fiction (1994)
- Alicia SilverstoneGods Behaving Badly (2013), Blast from the Past (1999) and Excess Baggage (1997)
- Benicio Del ToroExcess Baggage (1997), Basquiat (1996) and The Funeral (1996)
- Chris PennThe Funeral (1996), True Romance (1993) and At Close Range (1986)
- J.C. QuinnThe Prophecy (1995), All-American Murder (1991) and At Close Range (1986)
- Edie FalcoGods Behaving Badly (2013), The Funeral (1996) and The Addiction (1995)
- Annabella SciorraNew Rose Hotel (1998), The Funeral (1996) and The Addiction (1995)
- David ThorntonRomance & Cigarettes (2005), Illuminata (1998) and Search and Destroy (1995)
- Paul CalderonThe Addiction (1995), Pulp Fiction (1994) and King of New York (1990)
- Steve HytnerThe Prophecy 3: The Ascent (2000), The Prophecy II (1998) and The Prophecy (1995)
When several people share the same number of films, the ones with the most films on Netflix are in the chart.
Box office
What Christopher Walken's films earned in cinemas worldwide.
Combined worldwide box office
$5.1 billion
69 of the 99 films have a worldwide figure.
Of the 99 films: 69 worldwide figure; 8 us gross only; 8 never in cinemas; 1 streaming, short cinema run; 13 figure not found.
- 69Worldwide figure
- 8US gross only
- 8Never in cinemas
- 1Streaming, short cinema run
- 13Figure not found
Highest grossing
The eight biggest films earned 64% of the total. The bars are drawn to scale.
- 1$967M18.8% of the total
- 2$715M13.9% of the total
- 3$352M6.9% of the total
- 4$289M5.6% of the total
- 5$280M5.5% of the total
- 6$241M4.7% of the total
- 7$214M4.2% of the total
- 8$206M4.0% of the total
$1.9 billionfrom the other 61 films with a worldwide figure, 36% of the total
Awards
Six awards and honors from 1966 to 2016, three of them major.
| Year | Award | Film | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Academy Awards | |||
| 1979 | Best Supporting Actor | The Deer Hunter | Won |
| BAFTA | |||
| 2003 | Best Actor in a Supporting Role | Catch Me If You Can | Won |
| SAG Awards | |||
| Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role | Won | ||
| Other honors | |||
| 2016 | Sitges Grand Honorary Award | Honorary | |
| 1967 | Theatre World Award | Won | |
| 1966 | Clarence Derwent Awards | Won | |
Online
Official profiles and reference pages.