Christopher Walken is a legendary celebrity who was born on March 31st, 1943. Despite his age, he is still thriving in a variety of careers, including acting, producing, and screenwriting. He has also worked as a singer, dancer, and comedian. He is best known for his prolific acting career, and he has appeared in over 100 different films and TV shows. Some of the more famous films he has worked on include Pulp Fiction, Hairspray, and Catch Me If You Can. His role in the film Deer Hunter earned him an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor.
This amazing man’s distinctive acting style is part of why he has such an extensive filmography. However, he has a rather classical background, which helped solidify his talent. He got his start acting in Shakespeare plays, and he has played the leads of shows such as Corionanus, Hamlet, and Macbeth. His first appearances on screen began in the 1950s, when he was just a child. During the Golden Age of Television, he played an extra on the set of many films. While playing an extra didn’t exactly give him the chance to show off his amazing acting skills, it certainly helped him become familiar with the scene at a young age.
Christopher Walken Knows What He Wants
Even at such a young age, Christopher Walken knew exactly what he wanted to do with his life. It seems he was destined for the big screen! Thus began his long and winding career towards fame. This man of many talents didn’t just dabble in a variety of arts; he excelled in them. It seems as though every hobby he’s taken up has turned into a successful part of his career. Dancing, singing, directing, and, of course, acting… is there anything this man can’t do?
While his career began in the 1950s, Christopher Walken had to wait until the 1970s to become more well known. In 1972, he starred in the science fiction film The Happiness Cage, although it would still be a few more years before he would become a household name.
Many celebrities are very private about their personal lives, but Christopher Walken is one of those rare gems who isn’t afraid to open up to his fans. Over the years, we’ve learned many fascinating facts about this legendary actor. In today’s video, we’re going to look at some of the fascinating quirks and facts about Christopher Walken’s life. Aside from his career as a dancer, singer, and actor, he also dabbled in one shocking and surprising circus act! Make sure you stick around to hear what Christopher Walken got up to in the big tent!
His Fashion Style Comes from Movie Sets
Many celebrities will fork out thousands of dollars for expensive outfits and name-brand clothing items. Christopher Walken, however, has found a different way to stay impeccably dressed. Once, in 2010, he arrived at an interview dressed in the very same jacket that his character wore in the film The Comfort of Strangers, which had aired 20 years before the interview. The interviewer seized on the moment and asked about why he still had the jacket. Christopher Walken wasn’t afraid to admit that he had stolen it from the set, and he added even more surprising information. He said to his interviewer, “I never buy clothes. Whenever I do a movie, all my clothing is from that movie set. They don’t give me anything. I steal.”
He became so notorious for stealing costume items that the designers for the film Batman Returns cleared away all the items from his dressing room while he was busy filming the final scene.
He Doesn’t Feel Like Retiring Anytime Soon
Christopher Walken is hardly a spring chicken anymore. However, even at the old age of 77, he doesn’t seem to be slowing down at all. Many people are surprised that he hasn’t retired yet, but Walken admitted in an interview that he can’t imagine what he’d do in retirement. Acting is more than just a job for him; it’s a passion and a hobby. Most people are happy to retire so they can get a chance to enjoy life, but Walken seems to be enjoying life exactly how it is right now.
Furthermore, while many experienced actors go on to try their hand at directing, Christopher Walken doesn’t feel like that would work out for him, either. He confessed that he doesn’t have a good eye for camera angles and lighting, so he’s happy to leave that career unexplored.
He’s Not Ambitious
Acting is a cut-throat career, with a huge percent of prospective actors finding out they just aren’t good enough to make it to the big screen. Most A-list celebrities have to be incredibly ambitious in order to make it to the top. However, this isn’t at all the case for Christopher Walken. He’s more than happy to stroll through life at an easy pace, taking roles as they come. While some actors prepare for months to audition for a role, Walken admitted that he doesn’t prepare at all!
Walken also figures that the reason he is able to enjoy acting even at such an old age is because he doesn’t put too much pressure on himself. For many actors, the stress of their career is enough to drive them into an early retirement, but Christopher Walken’s leisurely style has ensured he still has the physical and emotional capacity to continue acting, even in his late seventies!
He Used to Work at a Circus
Christopher Walken has a bizarre and exciting past. As a teenager, he decided it would be fun to join the circus. Even more surprising is the role he selects is a lion tamer! He was only sixteen years old when he worked with a lion named Sheba. Christopher Walken is a devoted animal lover with a soft spot for cats. Most cat lovers, however, prefer their kitties to be a small and manageable size. Christopher Walken, on the other hand, has fond memories of his time with Sheba. Despite his time in the circus, however, Walken now believes that animals keeps from captivity, and he no longer believes that animals is in the circus.
Christopher Walken’s wholesome love of animals has certainly earned him a fuzzy reputation. However, one mysterious incident has left a dark spot on his image. Make sure you watch until the very end to learn about his involvement in the mysterious death of Natalie Wood! And if you’re enjoying the video so far, please take a moment to like this video and subscribe to our channel for more.
He Changed His Name
Many celebrities end up changing their name so it rolls off the tongue more freely, and others change it because they want their name to look good on movie marquees. While he works as a dancer in his younger years, Christopher Walken uses his birth name of Ronald, and he famous as “Ronnie.” However, a fellow dancer named Monique Van Vooren suggested he change his name to Christopher, and the new moniker stuck ever since. Professionally, he is known around the world as Christopher, although close friends and family still opt to call him Ronnie.
He Has a Surprising Amount of Fears
You’d think anyone brave enough to tame a lion at age 16 would be stoic about nearly everything. However, this simply isn’t the case for Christopher Walken. While he often plays tough, villainous characters, in real life, Christopher Walken has many fears. One of his major fears is horses. In his roles for films and shows like A View to a Kill and Sleepy Hollow, Christopher Walken had to ride mechanical horses instead.
Furthermore, having grown up in the countryside, he is scared of busy streets, and he has a tendency to stay indoors when he is visiting the city. Finally, Walken has a slight fear of driving, and he usually employs a chauffeur to get around.
He Refuses to Open Up About Natalie Wood’s Death
Christopher Walken is much more open about his personal life than most celebrities. However, there is one subject he simply refuses to talk about. In November of 1981, Walken joined his friend Robert Wagner, as well as Wagner’s wife, Natalie Wood, on a yacht trip near Catalina Island. On the morning of November 29th, 1981, the yacht captain sent out a distress signal. At eight in the morning, her body was recovered by authorities one mile away from where she had disappeared in the ocean. Both authorities and Walken stated the death to be an unfortunate accident, but a lot of mystery still encircles the incident. How did she end up in the water? We may never know, because when he was asked about it in an interview, Walken stated it was “a conversation I won’t have.”
Many people have speculated about Natalie Wood’s tragic death, but there are no clear answers. It could have very well been an unfortunate accident, but there might have been some foul play involved. Whatever the reason behind her death, that is a secret only Walken knows.
Do you think Christopher Walken was at all responsible for Natalie Wood’s death, or do you think it was an honest accident? Let us know in the comments below, and don’t forget to like this video and subscribe to Facts Verse for more!
