Biography of Christopher Walken
Childhood and youth of Christopher Walken
March 31, 1943 in the small town of Queens was born Christopher Walken (birth name Ronald Walken). From early childhood, the boy was fond of theater and dancing. He also liked to go to the movies. His idols were Peter O’Toole, Katharine Hepburn, Richard Burton, Christopher Plummer.
For the sake of his own interest, the little boy, then still bearing the name Ronald, got a job in the circus, but he was not paid for participating in the numbers. It was for him a kind of theatrical education – another step towards his dream.
At the age of 10, he was lucky enough to meet Jerry Lewis on the television show The Colgate Comedy Hour. It was during this period that he decided to become an actor.
Christopher Walken in his youth
He got his stage name while working with the singer Monica Van Vooren. After she told him that she would call him “Christopher”, he decided to change his name. But his brother and wife still continue to call him Ronald.
Christopher Walken in theater and television
At 16, Christopher began performing on Broadway. And at the age of 18 he went to study at Hofstra University. There, his classmate was Liza Minnelli.
When Christopher turned twenty, he went on tour throughout the country with his dance number. A little later, in 1966, he played the leading role in the production of The Lion in Winter. He also played the role of Hamlet three times and performed superbly in the lead role in the production of Romeo and Juliet.
At the same time, he continued his career in television. Basically, he got small roles. His most successful work at that time can be called participation in the films Halmark Hall of Fame (the series lasted 58 years), Guiding Light and Division 5-O.
Film career of Christopher Walken
In a real big movie, Christopher Walken began acting in 1969. The first film “Me and my brother” was the beginning of his career as a Hollywood actor. Only there was no reaction from the public, although for Christopher it was the happiest moment in his life. The aspiring actor was taken to the shooting of Sidney Lumet’s Anderson Tapes, where Sean Connery becomes his partner.
In 1977, having performed an episodic role in the film “Annie Hall”, he attracted the attention of a lot of critics who spoke of him as a talented actor.
After that, he starred in the drama “The Deer Hunter”, which tells about the life of “Russian Americans”. His participation in this film caused a wave of enthusiastic criticism and the actor gained a lot of fans. For the impeccably performed role of Nikanor Chebotarevich, he is awarded an Oscar.
Christopher Walken in the 1980s
World fame naturally influenced the brightness of the star – Christopher began to take on leading roles. But in 1980 he took part in the film project “Paradise’s Gate”, which failed. The actor’s popularity dropped significantly, but he continued to receive offers from lesser-known directors. Thus, Christopher starred in the musical Songs of Heaven, where he masterfully demonstrated his choreographic skills.
Also, the actor often starred in supporting roles, in which he portrayed characters who have lost their minds, have obvious deviations or pose a threat to others.
Christopher Walken became famous in the eighties
The next key role Christopher got only in 1983 in the film “Brainstorm”. The film turned out to be very successful and received an above-average rating. After that, the actor was again offered to play an unbalanced teacher in the film “Dead Zone – Dark Zone”, but this time the role turned out to be more serious and Christopher successfully performed it.
Christopher Walken also manages to play the antihero in James Bond: A View to a Kill. In general, Christopher performs his roles in a specific manner. He has always been good at emotional roles as villains or freaks. He had his own vision of a hero. For example, in 1988, he played a small role in the film “Home Boy”, where he acted out of script, and showed a completely different side of his character.
Another feature of the actor is his dancing talent. He tried to insert choreographic numbers into almost every role he played. It should be noted that he succeeded well and attracted many spectators.
In the late 80s, Christopher began working with a new team of actors on a new role in the fantasy action movie Contact, directed by Robert Zemeckis.
Christopher Walken in the 1990s
In the 90s, the actor continued to actively pursue his career. He did not reject any of the roles offered to him, explaining that each participation in the film is a valuable experience for him.
At this time, critics spoke of him as an actor who gained popularity due to his excellent acting and ability to show a true villain, a person with a destructive psyche, instilling fear in those around him and at the same time deserving authority.
But the leading roles of the actor were still few. In 1992, he appeared in several films as a “support”: “The Mistress”, “Day of Reckoning 2”, “Batman Returns”, “True Love”. In the year Christopher Walken gains a reputation as a cult actor in America and beyond.
2000s
Christopher’s range of acting options continued to expand. In early 2002, he participated in the comedy film projects Four Funerals and One Wedding and Bear Country.
The actor’s erratic and surprisingly live performance amazed the audience, after his role in Steven Spielberg’s Catch Me If You Can, he was nominated for an Oscar. This once again proves that the magnitude of his popularity is no less than his co-stars Tom Hanks and Leonardo DiCaprio.
Recent work by Christopher Walken
After a number of not very remarkable roles in 2007, he was invited to star in the film “Balls of Fury”, in which he once again showed a masterful game. Then Walken starred in another good comedy “Hairspray”, which also featured stars of the first magnitude: Michelle Pfeiffer, John Travolta and Walken himself in the role of Uliburg.
Christopher Walken with Glen Close
Personal life of Christopher Walken
The actor has no secrets in his personal life. He has been married for 35 years and has always remained and remains faithful to his wife Georgiana, who is a casting agent by profession. They met on a road trip through the Westside Valley. Also, Christopher does not hide the fact that he never loved children, therefore he does not have his own.