Christopher Walken on stage and screen

Christopher Walken is an American actor, whose career has spanned over 50 years with appearances in theater, film, and television. He has appeared in over 100 movies and television shows, including A View to a Kill, At Close Range, The Deer Hunter, King of New York, Batman Returns, Pulp Fiction, Sleepy Hollow, True Romance, and Catch Me If You Can, as well as music videos by recording artists such as Madonna and Fatboy Slim.

Walken's early career was primarily in theater and television where he often played small roles. During this period of his career, Walken was credited as "Ken Walken" and later as "Ronnie Walken", until he finally settled on "Christopher Walken". He began acting in films in 1969 and, after a series of increasingly larger roles, won an Academy Award in 1978 as Best Supporting Actor for his role in The Deer Hunter. Since then, Walken has become a highly sought-after actor, typically performing in numerous films every year.

Walken has been a primary character in two film franchises: as Gabriel the fallen angel in The Prophecy series, and as Jacob Witting in the made-for-television films based on Patricia MacLachlan's Sarah, Plain and Tall novels. Other notable roles include Johnny Smith in The Dead Zone, Captain Koons in Pulp Fiction, and Frank Abagnale Sr. in Catch Me If You Can. He also sings and dances, as seen in some of his films including: Pennies from Heaven, Romance & Cigarettes, and Hairspray.

Film

Following his early (1950s) work in television and theater, Walken has acted primarily in films. This list includes credits in studio films, independent films, animated films, and television films. The list includes the 2001 short five-minute film Popcorn Shrimp which Walken wrote, produced and directed.

Year Title Role Director Notes 1966 Barefoot in Athens Lamprocles George Schaefer 1969 Me and My Brother The Director Robert Frank The Three Musketeers John Felton John Hirsch 1971 The Anderson Tapes The Kid Sidney Lumet 1972 The Happiness Cage Private James H. Reese Bernard Girard 1975 Valley Forge The Hessian Fielder Cook 1976 Next Stop, Greenwich Village Robert Paul Mazursky 1977 Annie Hall Duane Hall Woody Allen Roseland Russell James Ivory The Sentinel Detective Rizzo Michael Winner 1978 Shoot the Sun Down "Mr. Rainbow" David Leeds The Deer Hunter Nikanor "Nick" Chevotarevich Michael Cimino 1979 Last Embrace Eckart Jonathan Demme 1980 Heaven's Gate Nathan D. Champion Michael Cimino The Dogs of War James "Jamie" Shannon John Irvin 1981 Pennies From Heaven Tom Herbert Ross 1983 Brainstorm Dr. Michael Anthony Brace Douglas Trumbull The Dead Zone Johnny Smith David Cronenberg 1985 A View to a Kill Max Zorin John Glen 1986 At Close Range Brad Whitewood Sr. James Foley 1987 Deadline Don Stevens Nathaniel Gutman 1988 Biloxi Blues Technical Sergeant Merwin J. Toomey Mike Nichols Homeboy Wesley Pendergass Michael Seresin Puss in Boots Puss Eugene Marner The Milagro Beanfield War Kyril Montana Robert Redford 1989 Communion Louis Whitley Strieber Philippe Mora 1990 King of New York Frank White Abel Ferrara The Comfort of Strangers Robert Paul Schrader 1991 All-American Murder P.J. Decker Anson Williams McBain Bobby McBain James Glickenhaus 1992 Batman Returns Max Shreck Tim Burton Day of Atonement Pasco Meisner Alexandre Arcady Mistress Warren Zell Barry Primus 1993 True Romance Vincenzo Coccotti Tony Scott Wayne's World 2 Robert C. "Bobby" Cahn Stephen Surjik 1994 A Business Affair Vanni Corso Charlotte Brändström Pulp Fiction Captain Koons Quentin Tarantino 1995 Nick of Time Mr. Smith John Badham Search and Destroy Kim Ulander David Salle The Addiction Peina Abel Ferrara The Prophecy Gabriel Gregory Widen Things to Do in Denver When You're Dead The Man With The Plan Gary Fleder Wild Side Bruno Buckingham Donald Cammell 1996 Basquiat The Interviewer Julian Schnabel Celluloide US Officer Rod Geiger Carlo Lizzani Last Man Standing Hickey Walter Hill The Funeral Raimundo Tempio Abel Ferrara 1997 Excess Baggage Ray Perkins Marco Brambilla Mouse Hunt Caesar Gore Verbinski Suicide Kings Carlo Bartolucci / Charlie Barret Peter O'Fallon Touch Bill Hill Paul Schrader 1998 Antz Colonel Cutter (voice) Eric Darnell Illuminata Umberto Bevalaqua John Turturro New Rose Hotel Fox Abel Ferrara Also co-producer The Prophecy II Gabriel Greg Spence Direct-to-DVD Trance Uncle Bill Ferriter Michael Almereyda 1999 Blast from the Past Calvin Webber Hugh Wilson Kiss Toledo Goodbye Max Lyndon Chubbuck Sleepy Hollow Headless Horseman Tim Burton The Opportunists Victor "Vic" Kelly Myles Connell 2000 The Prophecy 3: The Ascent Gabriel Patrick Lussier Direct-to-DVD 2001 America's Sweethearts Hal Weidmann Joe Roth Joe Dirt Anthony Benedetti / Clem Doore / Gert B. Frobe Dennie Gordon Popcorn Shrimp Christopher Walken Short film; Also writer Scotland, PA Lieutenant McDuff Billy Morrissette The Affair of the Necklace Alessandro Cagliostro Charles Shyer 2002 Catch Me If You Can Frank William Abagnale Sr. Steven Spielberg Engine Trouble Rusty (voice) Brad Barnes Short film Poolhall Junkies Uncle Mike Flynn Mars Callahan The Country Bears Reed Thimple / Benny Bogswaggle Peter Hastings Undertaking Betty Frank Featherbed Nick Hurran 2003 Gigli Detective Stanley Jacobellis Martin Brest Kangaroo Jack Salvatore "Sal" Maggio David McNally The Rundown Cornelius Hatcher Peter Berg 2004 Around the Bend Turner Lair Jordan Roberts Envy "J-Man" Barry Levinson Man on Fire Paul Rayburn Tony Scott The Stepford Wives Mike Wellington Frank Oz 2005 Domino Mark Heiss Tony Scott Romance & Cigarettes Cousin Bo John Turturro Wedding Crashers William Cleary David Dobkin 2006 Click Morty Frank Coraci Fade to Black Brewster Oliver Parker Man of the Year Jack Menkan Barry Levinson 2007 Balls of Fury Feng Robert Ben Garant Hairspray Wilbur Turnblad Adam Shankman 2008 Five Dollars a Day Nat Parker Nigel Cole 2009 The Maiden Heist Roger Barlow Peter Hewitt 2011 Dark Horse Jackie Todd Solondz Kill the Irishman Alex "Shondor" Birns Jonathan Hensleigh 2012 A Late Quartet Peter Mitchell Yaron Zilberman Life's a Beach Roy Callahan Tony Vitale Seven Psychopaths Hans Kieslowski / The Quaker Martin McDonagh Stand Up Guys "Doc" Fisher Stevens 2013 Gods Behaving Badly Zeus Marc Turtletaub The Power of Few Doke Leone Marucci 2014 Jersey Boys Angelo "Gyp" DeCarlo Clint Eastwood 2015 Joe Dirt 2: Beautiful Loser Anthony Benedetti / Clem Doore / Gert B. Frobe Fred Wolf One More Time Paul Francis Lippman / Paul Lombard Robert Edwards The Family Fang Caleb Fang Jason Bateman 2016 Eddie the Eagle Warren Sharp Dexter Fletcher Nine Lives Felix Perkins Barry Sonnenfeld The Jungle Book King Louie (voice) Jon Favreau 2017 Father Figures Dr. Walter Tinkler Lawrence Sher 2018 Irreplaceable You Myron Stephanie Laing 2019 The Jesus Rolls The Warden John Turturro 2020 The War with Grandpa Jerry Tim Hill Percy Percy Schmeiser Clark Johnson Wild Mountain Thyme Tony Reilly John Patrick Shanley 2024 Dune: Part Two Shaddam IV Denis Villeneuve From Roger Moore with Love Himself Jack Cocker Documentary film 2026 Back in Black Clyde Ron Murphy

Television

In the beginning of his acting career, Walken had relatively small roles in episodes for a number of television shows. This list includes appearances in various episodes of fictional shows, while excluding appearances as himself on talk shows, interview shows, ceremonies, and the like.

Year Show Role Run 1953 Wonderful John Acton Kevin Acton Recurring character 1954 The Motorola Television Hour Episode: "The Muldoon Matter" 1954–1956 The Guiding Light Michael "Mike" Bauer#1 1960 Deadline Marty Episode: "The Cave" 1963 Naked City Chris Johannis / Brian Trust 2 episodes 1970 Hawaii Five-O Walt Kramer Episode: "Run, Johnny, Run" 1976 Muggsy Jellybean Episode: "The Biggest Liar in Town" 1977 Kojak Ben Wiley Episode: "Kiss It All Goodbye" 1982 Who Am I This Time? Harry Nash Television film 1990–2023 Saturday Night Live Himself (host) / various 8 episodes 1991 Sarah, Plain and Tall Jacob Witting Television film 1993 Skylark Jacob Witting Television film Scam Jack Shanks Television film 1999 Vendetta James Houston Television filmSarah, Plain and Tall: Winter's End Jacob Witting Television film 2003 Julius Caesar Cato the Younger 2 episodes 2014Turks & Caicos Curtis Pelissier Television film Peter Pan Live! Captain Hook Live television special 2021–2024 The Outlaws Frank Sheldon 13 episodes 2022–2025 Severance Burt Goodman Main role‘Severance’: Christopher Walken Joins Apple Drama Series III Credited as "Ronnie Walken".

Theater

In addition to acting for film and television, Walken has acted in numerous Broadway and off-Broadway theater productions. He has acted in more than 100 additional plays including some by Shakespeare. This list includes the most popular of them.

Year Title Role Venue Run 1952 The Climate of Eden Berton Martin Beck Theatre November 13, 1952 – November 22, 1952 1958 The Visit Karl Schill Lunt-Fontanne Theatre May 5, 1958 – July 5, 1958 Morosco Theatre August 20, 1958 – November 29, 1958 J.B. David ANTA Playhouse December 11, 1958 – October 24, 1959 1964 High Spirits musical ensemble Alvin Theatre April 7, 1964 – February 27, 1965 1965 Baker Street One of the Killers The Broadway Theatre February 2, 1965 – November 30, 1965 Martin Beck Theatre November 3, 1965 – November 14, 1965 1966 The Lion in Winter Philip Capet(King of France) Ambassador Theatre March 3, 1966 – May 21, 1966 The Rose Tattoo Jack Hunter Billy Rose Theatre November 9, 1966 – December 31, 1966 1967 The Unknown Soldier and His Wife Unknown Soldier Vivian Beaumont Theater July 6, 1967 – September 16, 1967 George Abbott Theatre September 18, 1967 – November 12, 1967 1968 Romeo and Juliet Romeo Stratford Shakespeare Festival A Midsummer Night's Dream Lysander 1970 Lemon Sky Alan Playhouse Theatre May 17–31, 1970 1971–1972 Caligula Caligula Yale Repertory Theatre November 25, 1971 – January 15, 1972 1972 Enemies Sintsov Vivian Beaumont Theater November 9, 1972 – December 16, 1972 1973 The Plough and the Stars Jack Clitheroe January 4, 1973 – February 10, 1973 The Merchant of Venice Bassanio March 1, 1973 – April 7, 1973 1975 Sweet Bird of Youth Chance Wayne Harkness Theatre December 29, 1975 – February 8, 1976 1984 Hurlyburly Mickey Ethel Barrymore Theatre August 7, 1984 – June 2, 1985 1995 Him Elvis Presley, director, writer New York Shakespeare Festival 2000 James Joyce's The Dead Gabriel Conroy Belasco Theatre January 11, 2000 – April 16, 2000 2001 The Seagull Sorin Delacorte Theater July 24, 2001 – August 26, 2001 2010 A Behanding in Spokane Carmichael Schoenfeld Theatre March 4, 2010 – June 6, 2010

Video games

Year Title Role 1996 Ripper Detective Vince Magnotta Privateer 2: The Darkening David Hassan 2003 True Crime: Streets of LA Sergeant George 2005 True Crime: New York City Gabriel Whitting

Music videos

1993: Madonna – "Bad Girl" as Madonna's Guardian Angel 1995: Skid Row – "Breakin' Down" as Gabriel from The Prophecy trilogy 2001: Fatboy Slim – "Weapon of Choice" (also co-choreographer)

1997: "The Raven" by Edgar Allan Poe on Closed on Account of Rabies

Christopher Walken on stage and screen

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