Christopher Walken

Danced with Judy Garland at Liza Minnelli's 16th birthday party.

At the time of filming The Rundown (2003), he had never seen the film Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory (1971), and was therefore reluctant to use the phrase "Oompah Loompah" in his final scene. When learning of this, director Peter Berg gave him a copy of the film, and he finally decided to use the phrase.

Is only the second person in history to be nominated for both Best Supporting Actor from the Oscars, for Catch Me If You Can (2002), and Worst Supporting Actor from the Razzies, for The Country Bears (2002) in the same year. The first was James Coco, who was actually nominated for both awards for the same role in Only When I Laugh (1981).

Won an MTV Video Music Award for choreographing his own dancing in Fatboy Slim's 2001 music video "Weapon Of Choice", directed by Spike Jonze.

Was nominated for Broadway's 2000 Tony Award as Best Actor (Musical) for "James Joyce's The Dead."

Has played three different characters with the name Max, in Kiss Toledo Goodbye (1999), Batman Returns (1992), and A View to a Kill (1985).

Was robbed at the airport in Venice and his The Prophecy II (1998) script, glasses, keys, drivers licence, and $100 were stolen. All items were later found, except for the money.

Ranked #96 in Empire (UK) magazine's "The Top 100 Movie Stars of All Time" list. [October 1997]

Received the Shakespeare Theater's Will Award in 1994 for his contributions to classical theater.

Looking at many of Walken's other captivating screen roles, it is easy to see the diversity of his range and even his droll comedic talents with humorous appearances in Biloxi Blues (1988), Wayne's World 2 (1993), Joe Dirt (2001), Mousehunt (1997) and America's Sweethearts (2001).

At the beginning of DEAD ZONE (1983), he tells his class to read "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow". Sixteen years later, he plays The Headless Horseman in Sleepy Hollow (1999). Later in the film, he has a student whom he's tutoring to read Edgar Allan Poe's "The Raven". Later in life, Walken read the poem for an audio book.

Was assaulted in a street in New York in 1980 when he asked two men to turn down their music. His nose was broken in the incident.

Nervous-looking lead and supporting actor of the American stage and films, with sandy colored hair, pale complexion and a somewhat nervous disposition. He won an Oscar as Best Supporting Actor for his performance in The Deer Hunter (1978), and has been seen in mostly character roles, often portraying psychologically unstable individuals, though that generalization would not do justice to Walken's depth and breadth of performances. Walken was born in Astoria, Queens, New York. His mother, Rosalie (Russell), was a Scottish emigrant, from Glasgow. His father, Paul Wälken, was a German emigrant, from Horst, who ran Walken's bakery. Christopher learned his stage craft, including dancing, at Hofstra University & ANTA, and picked up a Theatre World award for his performance in the revival of the Tennessee Williams play "The Rose Tattoo".

Walken was lured back by The Deer Hunter (1978) director Michael Cimino for a role in the financially disastrous western Heaven's Gate (1980), before moving onto surprise audiences with his wonderful dance skills in Pennies from Heaven (1981), taking the lead as a school teacher with telepathic abilities in the Stephen King inspired DEAD ZONE (1983) and then as billionaire industrialist Max Zorin trying to blow up Silicon Valley in the 007 adventure A View to a Kill (1985).

His eclectic work really came to the attention of critics in 1977 with his intense portrayal of Diane Keaton suicidal younger brother in Annie Hall (1977), and then he scooped the Best Supporting Actor Academy Award in 1977 for his role as Nick in the electrifying The Deer Hunter (1978).

Member of Saturday Night Live (1975)'s prestigious "Five Timers Club".

Was considered for the part of Andy in Deathdream (1974).

Lost out to Ryan O'Neal for the romantic lead in Love Story (1970).

Walken then first broke through into cinema in 1969 appearing in Me and My Brother (1969), before appearing alongside Sean Connery in the sleeper heist movie The Anderson Tapes (1971).

Was the first to play King Philip of France on stage for "The Lion in Winter" in 1966, at the Ambassador Theatre, New York City.

Walken initially intended to study dancing instead of acting, but dropped out of Hofstra University after one year when he landed an off-Broadway musical "Best Foot Forward" in 1963.

In the early 1960s he earned a job as one of three men dancing and singing with Andy Warhol favorite Monique van Vooren in her sultry nightclub act.

Alternated with his brother Glenn Walken in the role of Mike Bauer on the soap opera Guiding Light (1952) (1954-1956).

Jerry Lewis influenced Walken to make show business his career. At age 10, he met Lewis on The Colgate Comedy Hour (1950), where Lewis and Dean Martin were guest hosts. Walken was an extra on the show and was in a skit with Lewis.

His father, Paul Wälken (1903-2001), was a German emigrant, from Essen, and moved to New York in 1928. His mother, Rosalie (Russell), was from Glasgow, Scotland, and came to the U.S. in 1930. She lived to be 102 years old (May 16, 1907 - March 26, 2010).