Christopher Walken Biography

Fast Facts

• Danced, acted and modeled at a very young age
• As a teen, worked briefly as a lion tamer in a traveling circus
• Lost out to Ryan O'Neal for the lead role in Love Story and was the second choice behind Harrison Ford to play Han Solo in Star Wars
• Originally auditioned for a small part in The Deer Hunter, but instead won the part of Nick and earned a Best Supporting Actor Oscar for his performance
• Used a diet of rice and bananas to achieve his gaunt look for The Deer Hunter
• Awarded "Funniest Male Guest Star" at the 2001 American Comedy Awards for his work on Saturday Night Live, an episode highlighted by a parody of Blue Oyster Cult's "Don't Fear the Reaper
• " Won a 2001 MTV Video Music Award for Fatboy Slim's "Weapon of Choice," in which he danced through an empty hotel
• Starred in the Broadway play A Behanding in Spokane in 2010, garnering a Tony nomination
• Has had his offbeat speech delivery often imitated
• Walken impressionists include Robin Williams, Kevin Spacey and Kevin Pollak