Talk:Christopher Walken

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[edit] Star Wars

Can someone cite a source on the Han Solo item? I thought that was just the premise for a Kevin Spacey bit on Saturday Night Live... 209.149.235.254 16:25, 21 Mar 2004 (UTC)

I noticed a contradiction, it says on the article for Billy Dee Williams that he was the second choice for Han Solo before be cast as Lando

Mr. Billion changed the link to the Guardian for the reference to the Star Wars casting info to a link to the Tim Burton collective. This raises the question of which is the more reliable source? I have reinserted the Guardian (one of the world's top newspapers) link and also left the Tim Burton collective article link there so that now this info is corroborated from two sources. --Panopticon 23:06, 12 Apr 2005 (UTC)

Yeah I kinda am wondering too. This may not be accurate information. As far as I know, Harrison was George's last resort, when no other actor was good enough or wanted the part. --SirParagon 02:16, 31 July 2005 (UTC)

I just wanted to point out that the whole Walken trying out for Han Solo is completely true. He was one of the fore-runners for the part until George Lucas just decided to hire Harrison who has been doing the read-throughs with other actors that auditioned for the parts of Luke and Princess Leia. I believe it also states something about this on the recent Star Wars Trilogy DVD release in one of the documentaries. --Lordhart 17:59, 23 August 2005 (UTC)
Well, I have the SW Trilogy DVD, and I think I've seen all the documentaries and such included in it. I can't remember a specific reference to Walken auditioning for the part. I did hear about this way before the SNL spoof, and my brother and I actually did the same sort of joking around, "you know how funny SW would be if Walken really WAS Han Solo?" That sort of thing. It does jive with what Lucas was trying to do: hire actors that hadn't established themselves in feature films yet, and I think Walken fits this requirement. On an aside, Kurt Russell auditioned for the role of Han Solo, too. It's a good thing he didn't get the part. It would've been terrible. JRath 12:01 PM, 16 September 2005, US Central time
Walken himself in interviews has referred a couple of times to his auditioning for the part and Kevin Spacey did the spoof on SNL after finding out that Walken actually did audition. Walken auditioned opposite Jodie Foster as Princess Leia - what a different film Star Wars would have been with that casting! Actually I think Walken would have been perfect as Luke Skywalker if he had been a bit younger. He would also have been great more recently as the evil Emperor although Ian McDiarmid (sp) did a great job--Panopticon 00:19, 17 September 2005 (UTC)
Lucas himself said "I wanted Chris Walken to play Han Solo" in the BBC "Omnibus" documentaries about Lucas' career broadcast in the late 1990s to coincide with the Special Editions and the Prequels. The first documentary was called "Flying Solo", and the second was "The Story Of Star Wars". That's just Lucas discussing who he wanted though, that doesn't necessarily mean Walken ever auditioned, and from what I recall Walken was unable to do Star Wars as he'd committed to other projects. —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 212.146.47.250 (talk) 17:22, 29 January 2007 (UTC).

[edit] Dead?

Why does this page say he died a few days ago? As far as I know he's still alive.

It was just reported on fox news

Sure it was. Happy April Fools... now quit it.Gateman1997 11:10, 1 April 2006 (UTC)

netcraft confirms it!

link? Gateman1997 11:12, 1 April 2006 (UTC)

Slap - barbobot

Of course, if you're gonna roll back to an unedited version atleast do it properly! -Dx

He was recently shopping in the grocery store I work at (sadly I wasn't around) so trust me, he's still alive and kicking. :: ehmjay 04:54, 11 June 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Heaven's Gate

"The film by no means deserves its reputation as a bad film and has only recently begun to receive attention as an epic and richly textured work of art." Removed this POV nonsense and substituted a more accurate sentence.


[edit] President 2008

Is Christopher Walken running for President in 2008?

"Our great country is in a terrible downward spiral. We're losing jobs, losing benefits, and losing lives. We need to focus on what's important-- paying attention to our children, our environment, our future. We need to think about improving our underbudget educational system, making better use of our resources, and helping to build a stable, safe, and tolerant global society. It's time to be smart about our politics. It's time to get America back on track."

The Official Homepage of the Walken 2008 Campaign http://www.walkenforpres.com

Viper--64.154.26.251 21:47, 12 August 2005 (UTC)


I cluelessly added the following while the hdg & previous relevant posts were under suppression by anon vandals:

== Presidential Campaign Hoax ==
I was guessing the pres campaign site to be an elaborate fraud. But who verifies the fact added at the end of the lead section by an anon IP? A lk to an authoritative denial would be valuable, at least temporarily until its plausibility subsides. --Jerzy·t 16:34, 2005 August 15 (UTC)

Unfortunately, a still more elaborate hoax denying a real campaign is not out of the question. How about statements by New York press corps who weren't invited to the press conference, or who were & double checked with the Waldorf before wasting their time? How about a statement verifiably originating with his verifiable manager or publicist, or at least with the studio making his most current project?
--Jerzy·t 17:22, 2005 August 15 (UTC)

I'm voting for him, regardless.

Here's a lk that purports to contribute to documenting there is a hoax: [Walken for President 2008 is a CONFIRMED Hoax, but the paradoxical end of the URL raises a question: is this a phony blog, intended to serve two purposes:

  1. encourage intentional or careless use of the URL, as on the article, so that those who read the URL "walken-for-president-2008-is-confirmed" rather than the site are misled, or
  2. offer evidence that phony sites are attacking the hoax, and make it appear that the only hoax is the effort to discredit the supposed "Walken Campaign"

Wheels within wheels?
--Jerzy·t 23:51, 2005 August 15 (UTC)

[edit] the first section

I love how the first section is a bunch of random paragraphs with orphan sentences. The writing quality rivals that of an 8 year old. [contrib by User:141.211.89.77 at 20:15, 2005 August 15, per page hist; noted by --Jerzy·t 23:51, 2005 August 15 (UTC).]

That contrib might be about the 2008 site, or the article, or may just be a maskirovaext lk 1 intended to obscure the vandalization of this page.
--Jerzy·t 23:51, 2005 August 15 (UTC)

[edit] Disambiguation

Why is there a disambiguation link on this page? Christopher Walken clearly does not collide namespaces with anything on the Walken disambiguation page. --ndc 02:16, 28 August 2005 (UTC)

I see that Walken redirects here. I rescind my question. --ndc 00:38, 31 December 2005 (UTC)

[edit] External Links

Somebody deleted all the external links except the IMDB - I have added some extras back in. The IMDB is okay but there are other useful websites out there for those who want to know more. --Panopticon 01:55, 3 September 2005 (UTC)

I would like to know why you deleted the 'I Tell You' link, because you seem to assume it was a hoax. What makes you think it is a hoax? It's the real deal. --Boycottthecaf 23:59, 4 September 2005 (UTC)
These are completely made up quotes - if you want to read what the real Walken has to say try http://www.ojai.net/swanson/articles.htm --Panopticon 23:37, 5 September 2005 (UTC)

[edit] James Bond Villain

"Was the first Oscar winner (Best Supporting Actor, 1978, The Deer Hunter) to play a James Bond villain"

So what? This seems too trivial. He probably was the only oscar winner at that time to play in a bond movie. (not counting Sean Connery who got his oscar later. Garion96 23:52, 5 October 2005 (UTC)

So you don't think an Oscar winner doing a Bond film is noteworthy? I suppose you don't think a Bond girl doing Playboy is, either. Excuse me if I disagree. Trekphiler 09:20, 6 January 2006 (UTC)

[edit] New York Times

Hi:

Sometime in 2005, Walken was in the New York Times Sunday magazine and two things stuck out. He maintains his mane of hair by spending five minutes each day pulling at his hair to stimulate blood flow to the roots. (Why not. It's a theory as good as any other?)

Secondly, he says he enjoys listening to people who don't speak English as their mother tongue because they place the emphasis in sentences in places where native speakers might not.

One more thing, I think the article discussed his mugging and his marrying his high-school sweet-heart.

For a links to Walken interviews see http://www.ojai.net/swanson/thescoop.htm BTW, he didn't marry his high school sweet heart. Noether did he go to a normal high school - it was a special one for children who worked in the performance arts. He met his wife when they were both performing a touring version of West Side Story in the early 60s.--Panopticon 00:50, 19 January 2006 (UTC)


[edit] real name

walken's name is ronald christopher walken not just ronald walken. he stated in a interview that he used his middle name in acting because it was his late father's name.

Dear Anon, please check your sources properly. Walken's father was named Paul and it was actress Monique Van Vooren who gave Ronald Walken the idea of adopting Christopher as a stage name. For further information and direct quotations from relevant interviews see http://www.ojai.net/swanson/biography.htm --Panopticon 14:09, 7 April 2006 (UTC)

[edit] lobbyist?

The box on the right describes Walken as a lobbyist. I couldn't find this in any of the sources. Tell me if i over looked something. Thanks. -(Cytocon 12:54, 8 April 2006 (UTC))

I removed it. I also removed the whole infobox. Feel free to revert that btw, I just don't like that infobox. Garion96 (talk) 14:36, 8 April 2006 (UTC)
Thanks for doing this - I didn't like that info box either but it would be good to get the nice box around the table of contents back! --Panopticon 05:32, 10 April 2006 (UTC)
What nice box do you mean? The table of contents box is the same as it was before. At least for me it is. Garion96 (talk) 12:31, 10 April 2006 (UTC)
It looks as though it may have been a browser problem at this end as today it is back to its usual appearance. Sorry about the false alarm! --Panopticon 11:20, 11 April 2006 (UTC)
No problem, glad it's solved. Garion96 (talk) 12:02, 11 April 2006 (UTC)

[edit] The Lion in Winter

Imdb does not have any indication he was in that film, let alone won an award for it.—The preceding unsigned comment was added by 58.169.29.96 (talk • contribs) . 07:20, 30 April 2006

IMDB is just for films. Lion in winter was a broadway theatre production. See also [1] Garion96 (talk) 10:09, 30 April 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Distinctive voice?

I wonder if there's a good way of describing his speech, which seems to be a defining characteristic of his acting and perhaps why other actors enjoy doing impersonations of him? Шизомби 00:22, 10 May 2006 (UTC)

I was wondering that myself. The article gives just a small blurb about it. I would say he accents the wrong syllables and pauses off key, but I'm only going on his impersonations which seem to be a great subject of satire. Dukemeiser 04:13, 15 October 2006 (UTC)
On Inside the Actors Studio, he said that he "speaks without punctuation" and ignores stage directions. Maybe that can be added to describe his speaking pattern or acting style. MrBlondNYC 02:31, 21 October 2006 (UTC)
I see the pictures, But I just got a comment about his voice and wanted to hear it again. Has anyone ever considered adding a short peace for voices of people?

[edit] Definition of notable performances?

Can one really include films such as The Rundown and The Wedding Crashers as amongst Walken's notable performances? These are recent blockbuster films without much longevity and Walken only appears in small fairly insignificant roles of limited interest in these films. He has done small roles in other films but these have been significant performances - eg Pulp Fiction and True Romance. I'd be interested to see some discussion on this. --Panopticon 05:06, 22 May 2006 (UTC)

I would like to dispute the validity of that whole section. Is it really necessary? At least, it needs some heavy duty trimming.Lordz 13:55, 27 May 2006 (UTC)

I like the section - after all Christopher Walken is known for his films - so it makes sense that one should describe his work so that people have a practical idea of what he has actually done. Some of the other entries on actors just provide a list of films - which is fairly useless as one can find such lists on the imdb. What one wants to know is what they actually did in these films. Perhaps we could start some discussion of which films should go in and which should not?


http://cda.morris.umn.edu/~webbrl/WalkenStratford.html —Preceding unsigned comment added by 70.48.253.169 (talk) 05:58, 27 December 2007 (UTC)





I have added a definition of notable performances directly under the heading on the main page. I would like to remove the following films from the list, unless anybody has any objection.
Blast from the Past
Scotland PA
The Rundown
Man on Fire
Wedding Crashers
Panopticon 21:56, 27 May 2006 (UTC)
No objection here. But even with those gone I think the remaining list is way too big. Garion96 (talk) 21:57, 27 May 2006 (UTC)

I have no problem with the list being long. After all, Walken has had a long and eventful career and I think there are still films which need to be added to this list. What is at issue, however, is whether what is included in the list qualifies as noteworthy in terms of a reader looking for an overview of the highlights of Walken's career. To add to my list of what could be culled
Dogs of War
Biloxi Blues
I like both these films and there are noteworthy things about them, but perhaps not sufficiently so for non-specialist readers. I would also like to cull the second paragraph of the True Romance entry. Panopticon 00:07, 28 May 2006 (UTC)

I guess I just don't like lists. If it would be incorperated in the article I would like it much better. Like for instance the Diane Keaton article. Garion96 (talk) 00:32, 28 May 2006 (UTC)

Garion, that's a very nice entry on Diane Keaton. Could be quite a useful model for the Walken one. That kind of format would mean that one could mention all sorts of things - eg Walken's guest villain role in an episode of Kojak. When I get a bit of time I will see what I can do! --Panopticon 07:21, 29 May 2006 (UTC)

I find the Notable Performances section to be full of borderline POV fluff and weasel words, and could use a bit of a rewrite. "a solid and watcheable performance", "a couple of fine comic reactions", "put to good effect here", "has received much critical acclaim", "demonstrate his range and his experimental abilities", etc etc. --duncan 22:15, 27 June 2006 (UTC)

The whole thing needs to be redone. The notable performances concept is too limiting. Also it looks as though the PR department for the film Click has added that entry. When I have some time... --Panopticon 05:32, 28 June 2006 (UTC)
Slof thanks so much for going ahead and doing this. I look forward now to the page exapnding now with some useful stuff --Panopticon 06:24, 25 July 2006 (UTC)
I think notable performances should the ones that if you were unfamiliar with an actor, those should be the ones you watch to gain a good idea of their style and range. I think the ones listed currently are perfect. MrBlondNYC 02:35, 21 October 2006 (UTC)

[edit] The Simpsons

There was a great perormance of Walken on The Simpsons where he was reading a story to a group of children - not sure if it was him or an impersonation but it was good Lumberjack Steve 12:19, 3 July 2006 (UTC) Just checked it out - it was Jay Mohr impersonating - still its a reference to him that was good Lumberjack Steve 12:25, 3 July 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Methodist American?

I've heard absolutely no evidence of that anywhere, including from people I know who are neighbors of his. Given the circumstances of his life and background, this categorization seems somewhat suspect. Sources would be appreciated.

--Nick

I just deleted it. If anyone can present any sort of justification for this category, feel free to restore it.

--Nick

Check the September 21,1997 Parade magazine Walken interview, here, here (eight question) and maybe elsewhere. Slof 03:04, 30 July 2006 (UTC)

I'm still somewhat skeptical; this isn't an interview where Walken actually states that he is Methodist; an anonymous source just throws it out there. Besides that, even if Walken really was raised Methodist, at no point does he actually indicate that he still is, admitting only to being "spiritual."

--Nick

[edit] Tense

The Career overview section jumps disconcertingly between past and present tense too much - it needs to be edited somewhat to remove the forced present tense present in some paragraphs. Lemorgoth 21:53, 18 August 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Criticisms

Has anyone else heard about his crazy acting approach? Supposedly he won't read the entire script he's working on, only his own lines. He refuses to read the "book" version of a script if it was a work prior to being written. I've heard other kind of strange comments about his approach to acting but I've never read anything, does anyone know anything about this? He did ruin the Dubliner's play in New York, but what can ya do?

[edit] Natalie Wood death

As it states in Robert Wagner's wiki "On November 29, 1981, Natalie Wood drowned after falling off their yacht "Splendour" while sailing near Catalina Island with Wagner and Christopher Walken."

(Wagner was Wood's husband at the time)

This is an odd fact and I think it is noteworthy enough to add.

64.26.95.178 08:30, 8 September 2006 (UTC)

[edit] filmography

I feel somewhat ambivalent about the utility of a filmography on this page. If one wants a really complete filmography one would do better to go to the imdb --Panopticon 10:56, 14 October 2006 (UTC)

I cleaned up some of the extraneous and irresponsibly "spoilerific" info. Boonjava 23:18, 2 May 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Me and my brother

The link for this movie takes you to the Ying-yang twins album of the same name, and there is no actual article for the movie.

Fixed, thanks for metioning it. Garion96 (talk) 23:31, 13 February 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Video-game work?

David Hasan is most definitely one of the more memorable video game characters in my early junior high gaming career; which Mr. Walken played marvelously in Privateer 2: The Darkening. Anybody else knows about his video game works? Or whether or not he has done any other video game related roles? --Lemi4 17:02, 17 April 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Notable Roles

Are all of the roles really necessary??? They can't all be Notable! CJMylentz 04:47, 29 June 2007 (UTC)

A downside of using an infobox. People keep adding their favourite films in it. I removed some. Garion96 (talk) 13:53, 29 June 2007 (UTC)



[edit] Walken's Eyes

It said at List of people with heterochromia that Walken was odd-eyed. But what color are his eyes, though?

[edit] Citation about not turning down a role

I don't recall the date of the issue off the top of my head, but he said in an interview in the New York Times magazine (the supplement that comes on Saturday) that he never turns down a role unless he's too busy.

[edit] Natalie Wood thing is poorly phrased

removed comment per WP:BLP Could a wiki-elite please fix this?

It has already been reverted. Garion96 (talk) 19:59, 19 July 2007 (UTC)

[edit] His hair

To me any my buddies, his strange hairstyles has always been part of his cult status. I'm not an expert on his films so I wouldn't want to add anything to that section unless other people agreed with me.

Jumbles1971 23:17, 25 July 2007 (UTC)

unless you're a reliable source, who cares who agrees with you? Got a WP:RS reporting in Walken's hair? Great, put it in the artice. Otherwise, you and your friend's personal opinions aren't appropriate. Piperdown 00:03, 29 July 2007 (UTC)
Sorry, It never occurred to me that cult status would require citations and the opinions of me and my friends were never intended that way anyway. I was merely asking if other people thought mentioning his hair as part of his cult status (possibly in the sentence "It may also stem from his odd appearance, quirky mannerisms, and ability to exude menace.") was acceptable. You obviously don't. I vaguely remembered reading an interview a while ago so looked it up on Google and found an interview in FHM. I admit I probably should have looked it up before my original post.
http://www.fhmonline.com/articles-2224.asp
I'd edit the article myself but I only know how to do very basic edits and I'm not too sure on how the formatting system works - I wouldn't want to break anything.
Jumbles1971 17:28, 30 July 2007 (UTC)
While googling his wife (oh that sounds naughty), I found an interview with Walken (forget where now) where the subtitle for the article was something like "Walken talks about his hair and food, but not his new movie" to paraphrase. Try googling Walken and terms like hair, etc, and add article material into his biography if it's from notable publications. His eyes and his hair (moreso since he started playing bad guys in the 80's) are surely notable features of Walken, as they're constantly referenced in reliable source articles. Do some googling, his interviews are very interesting. Piperdown 22:49, 30 July 2007 (UTC)
Found that article with his hair in the title "Bend it like Walken: Actor has more to say about food and hair than acting", Dixie Reid, The Sacramento Bee, Oct 24, 2004 Piperdown 01:34, 31 July 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Georgianne Walken

Cowbellians, I've taken the liberty of creating an article for Walken's wife Georgianne Walken, who should qualify as "notable" in her own right as an award winning casting director. Feel free to add to the new article as it's new and all too slim so far. I suppose that would make it a slim, virgin article, if I may put a wiki-topical pun on today's events. Piperdown 00:47, 29 July 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Natalie Wood's death

This didn't occur during Chris's "early life", it happened in the early 1980s. Moved to its own section. While I see no problem with the text as it concurs with what is historically known about the incident, it needs a citation as this is pretty serious stuff. Could whoever inserted it originally cite the sources, I'm in a hurry right now ;-) Piperdown 23:35, 31 July 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Unsourced content

This was added to the filmography section, it didn't appear to fit there. Not sure if it's factual or not - no sources...

  • Walken also voiced the characters of George, a police officer and friend of protagonist Nick Kang in the videogame True Crime: Streets of LA, and as Gabriel Whitting, an FBI agent, in True Crime: New York City.
  • In early 2007, CBS considered Walken as a replacement for aging Bob Barker as the host of popular gameshow "The Price is Right."

– Dreadstar † 22:23, 8 August 2007 (UTC)

[edit] SNL Question

This is an interesting biography, but I'm surprised the SNL section doesn't mention The Continental. That was one of his most famous and popular roles on that show! Thanks. Sunny cerveza 23:59, 3 September 2007 (UTC)

Indeed. This is one of the few (only?) SNL sketches that he performed in more than once. Also, his comments to Tom Hanks during an SNL Q&A might also be worth mentioning.

Christopher Walken: Hi.. I-I.. wanted to know.. I wanted to know how much of the show is scripted.. and how much of it is.. crazy make-em-ups.. and.. you know.. ad libs.. improvs?
Tom Hanks: A legitimate question. Contrary to popular belief, the show is not improvised. SNL has a great staff of writers who craft every line of the show.
Christopher Walken: Really? Because.. when I host.. I just say.. whatever I want. I free-associate.. and I make up the skits and bits right there.. and.. people seem to enjoy it.
Tom Hanks: [ dismayed ] Well.. you're a special exception..
Christopher Walken: [ continuing ] One.. one time.. we did a sketch about a birthday party.. and I decided on-air that my character should have a French accent and rub himself. Julia Sweeney got very upset.. very upset.
Tom Hanks: Yeah, I've heard that they can never rerun that show.

Timocrates 15:20, 21 September 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Excellent actor

He's an excellent actor and probably the best supporting actor there is but I can't say I'm interested... 70.51.7.211 08:59, 4 September 2007 (UTC)

Awesome, thanks for letting everyone know! tildetildetildetilde —Preceding unsigned comment added by 168.103.57.189 (talk) 14:38, 31 December 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Plots with a View

Plots with a View was released as Undertaking Betty in the US. There's a stub for Undertaking Betty already. I'd change the link in 'filmography' myself, but the page is semi-protected. —Preceding unsigned comment added by Dengarm (talk • contribs) 07:32, 20 September 2007 (UTC)

[edit] red link removal

{{editprotected}} Walken's Bakery should not be a red link as it is not a topic that should ever have an article.--68.237.225.27 (talk) 04:55, 6 April 2008 (UTC)

Y Done Happy‑melon 14:32, 6 April 2008 (UTC)

[edit] Picture in Side Bar

I've tried to find a good picture of Walken that's GNU Kosher. Anybody out there find one? The current picture is not good. Ordosingularis (talk) 06:44, 6 April 2008 (UTC)

[edit] Could someone go into more detail on Walken's most recent SNL sketches?

Two excellent additions to the SNL sketch summary would be April 5th, 2008's "Googly Eyes" -- an offbeat (but what else?) sketch where he doesn't trust his houseplants so explains how in order to relate better to the plants he's attached a pair of roly-poly, stick-on doll eyes to each one; and the Walken family reunion sketch, where every member (even the young girl) looks and talks like him. I found these sketches to be a great addition to your article on Walken's career because they really capture his wacky sense of timing and speech, and of course the family sketch is a true "homage" to the man.

Thanks in advance for considering this; I'm new to posting and hope I haven't made any too horrendous blunders.

Tina 68.101.170.182 (talk) 18:37, 29 May 2008 (UTC)