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Christopher Walken

Christopher Walken Quotes

Actor

Christopher Walken, born on March 31, 1943, is a renowned American actor. Known for his distinctive acting style and versatile character portrayals, he has been nominated for multiple Academy Awards and won the Best Actor Oscar for his performance in 'Patton' in 1982.

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All Thinking Actors Knows People Ifs Play Way Made Guy Littles

Famous Christopher Walken Quotes

“I think the fact that I grew up in show business had a real effect on my personality. If you were born in New York during the golden age of television, and you grew up on Broadway, that marks you.”

Ifs Thinking Real Facts Shows Age Born Effects New York Television Grew Personality Grew Up Mark Golden Broadway Show Business Golden Age

Author:Christopher Walken

“I think the fact that I was raised in show business, in New York City, in the '50s, that's affected my personality to the point that I'm a little different.”

Thinking Littles Different Facts Shows Cities New York Personality Raised Affected New York City Show Business

Author:Christopher Walken

“I've always been a character actor, although I'm not quite sure what that means. All my scripts are absolutely covered in notes, so any time I say anything - even 'pass the salt' - I have six subtexts, comments on what I really mean when I'm saying that. Maybe that's what gives the impression that I'm saying one thing and thinking something else.”

Thinking Giving Mean Character Actors One Thing Six Notes Scripts Impression Covered Comment Salt Say Anything Really Mean Character Actors Subtext

Author:Christopher Walken

“I've made movies that I thought were okay, but then I was very good. And sometimes you're in a movie and you think, 'I wish more people saw that' - because you're good. And it just works out that the movie gets lost. But that's show business.”

People Thinking Made Sometimes Shows Lost Wish Saws Okay Very Good Work Out Show Business

Author:Christopher Walken

“I've made three musical movies which is pretty good considering that not many are made but I was lucky in other ways. I came along when independent movies were starting to boom.”

Way Made Three Lucky Independent Musical Starting Movie Considering Starting Over

Author:Christopher Walken

“Laurence Olivier said in an interview once that when he plays a tragedy he always aims for the funny parts, and the other way around. Because in a comedy you look for what's serious. I think that's true. Sometimes things are really funny if you're absolutely earnest. If you're really serious, it's hilarious.”

Ifs Thinking Way Looks Said Sometimes Play Funny Comedy Serious Tragedy Aim Interviews Earnest

Author:Christopher Walken

“My background is in musical comedy. I didn't know I was going to be an actor. But all my points of reference have to do with musical comedy and in being kind of a showoff.”

Knows Kind Actors Comedy Musical Backgrounds Be Kind Showoffs

Author:Christopher Walken

“My life is really quite conservative. I've been married nearly 50 years. I don't have hobbies or children. I don't much care to travel. I've never had a big social life. I really just stay home, except when I go to work.”

Years Children Home Bigs Care Life Is Social Married Conservative Hobbies Social Life

Author:Christopher Walken

“My own way of thinking is very conservative, very linear and not particularly imaginative, but if I look for things in different places, sometimes things happen.”

Ifs Thinking Way Looks Different Sometimes Happens My Own Conservative Things Happen Imaginative Way Of Thinking Different Place Linear

Author:Christopher Walken

“No, but way before that, I've been doing little dances in movies for years. Yeah, that was an amazing chance. You know, at my age to be able to do a music dance video, very unusual.”

Knows Way Years Littles Age Able Chance Yeah Video Birthday Unusual 60th Birthday

Author:Christopher Walken

“One thing that's happened to me is I've been around a long time and I've played a lot of villains and so forth. I think it had to do with, well one thing is that I looked younger than I was for a long time. Now I think I'm suddenly starting to play people's father.”

People Thinking Wells Long Play Father Happened One Thing Long Time Starting Villain

Author:Christopher Walken

“Quite often, I'll be sent a script for a movie. And I find that I like it, so I say I'll do it. But then they rewrite it for me. They make it quirky. Odd. I find that rather annoying. I call it Walkenising.”

Scripts Odd Annoying Quirky

Author:Christopher Walken

“The best thing for me is, when I'm not working, is to be at home and to have a script or two scripts is better, and to be just walking around the house and just thinking about the lines.”

Thinking Two Home House Lines Walking Scripts Best Things

Author:Christopher Walken

“The last time I did a movie that needed a horse, I said: 'If it moves, I'm out of here.' The worst thing is, they know when you're afraid and act up accordingly. I've had them run off on me. Horses I do not like.”

Ifs Knows Said Running Lasts Moving Worst Needed Horse Last Time Worst Things

Author:Christopher Walken

“The minute I start to talk about acting, I realize that I can't. You know, it's an abstract thing, a little bit mysterious even if you do it for a living.”

Ifs Knows Littles I Can Bits Realizing Acting Minutes Little Bit Mysterious Abstract

Author:Christopher Walken

“The thing about cooking is it's so interesting to watch. I don't know why, but if you go to somebody's house and they're making something, they usually say interesting things while they're cooking.”

Ifs Knows House Interesting Watches Cooking Interesting Things

Author:Christopher Walken

“There are people who are able to plan their career, their future, but I've never had any talent for that. I just do things and hope for the best. Say yes, take a chance, and sometimes it's terrific and sometimes it's not.”

People Sometimes Able Chance Careers Plans Talent Terrific Take A Chance Hoping For The Best

Author:Christopher Walken

“To me, there are things you're good at and things you're not so good at. For some reason, I'm good at darker characters. It has to do with how you look.”

Looks Reason Character

Author:Christopher Walken

“Usually directors hire me because I'm what they are looking for. But once in a while, and it's very rare, they will hire me and then try to make me over.”

Trying Directors

Author:Christopher Walken

“When I was a kid I joined the circus. I did that. It is true. But it's not like you think. There was a guy, he had his own circus. His name was Carol Jacobs and he owned it. It was a small thing.”

Thinking Kids Guy Names Like You Small Things Circus Jacob Carols

Author:Christopher Walken

“When I was a kid, I worked in the circus. It was a touring circus that was owned by a man named Terrell Jacobs. It was just one big tent, and he was a lion tamer. He didn't have any kids, but the bit was that I would dress up as his son in an identical outfit.”

Men Bigs Kids Bits Son Dresses Just One Lions Circus Touring Identical Tents Jacob

Author:Christopher Walken

“When I was a kid, my parents gave me piano lessons and guitar lessons for a while, but I was never very good at it. I have big, sort of awkward hands. It's hard to keep going when you don't get any better.”

Hard Hands Bigs Kids Parent Lessons Guitar Very Good Piano Keep Going Awkward Piano Lesson

Author:Christopher Walken

“When videotape came so a lot of movies that I do have a kind of afterlife in video. Things where movies that I do would come and go; they still come and go but you can go rent them and see them on TV.”

Kind Stills Tvs Video Movie Afterlife Comes And Goes

Author:Christopher Walken

“You hear about things happening to people - they slip in the bathtub, fall down the stairs, step off the curb in London because they think that the cars come the other way - and they die. You feel you want to die making an effort at something; you don't want to die in some unnecessary way.”

People Thinking Way Want Feels Dies Fall Effort Steps Car Happenings London Slips Unnecessary Falling Down Stairs Wanting To Die Curb Bathtubs

Author:Christopher Walken

“You know, there's nothing you can do about your public image. It is what it is. I just try to do things honestly. I guess honesty is what you would call subjective: if you feel good about what you're doing, yourself, if you figure you're doing the right thing.”

Ifs Knows Feels Trying Can Do Honesty Figures Honestly Feel Good Right Thing Subjective Doing The Right Thing It Is What It Is Public Image

Author:Christopher Walken

“I became very critical of zoos and circuses and keeping animals in captivity. I wish it was against the law.”

Law Wish Animal Critical Animal Rights Circus Zoos Captivity

Author:Christopher Walken

“I got a fever, and the only prescription is more cowbell.”

Fever Prescriptions Saturday Night Live Snl Skit

Author:Christopher Walken

“Can I confess something? I tell you this as an artist, I think you'll understand. Sometimes when I'm driving on the road at night I see two headlights coming toward me. Fast. I have this sudden impulse to turn the wheel quickly, head-on into the oncoming car. I can anticipate the explosion. The sound of shattering glass. The flames rising out of the flowing gasoline.”

Thinking I Can Two Sometimes Artist Night Turns Sound Car Glasses Driving Impulse Flames Rising Wheels Explosions Anticipate Gasoline Shattering Headlights Annie Hall Driving On

Author:Christopher Walken

“Bear suits are funny - and bears as well.”

Wells Bears Suits

Author:Christopher Walken

“An actor really is a kind of intermediary between an audience and the piece, whether it's a play or movie.”

Kind Play Actors Audience Pieces Movie

Author:Christopher Walken

“Acting has to do with saying it as if you meant it, so for me the words are always very important. It's very important for me to know my lines, know them so well that I don't have to think about them.”

Ifs Thinking Knows Wells Important Lines Acting

Author:Christopher Walken

“Everybody has to be a little lucky, I think.”

Thinking Littles Lucky

Author:Christopher Walken

“I'm an angel. I kill firstborns while their mamas watch. I turn cities into salt. I even, when I feel like it, rip the souls from little girls, and from now till kingdom come, the only thing you can count on in your existence is never understanding why.”

Feels Littles Soul Turns Girl Understanding Cities Existence Watches Angel Kingdoms Salt Prophecy Rip Mama Kingdom Come Understanding Why

Author:Christopher Walken

“I don't even like holding them. Whenever I hold a gun, I want to get it out of my hand as quick as possible.”

Author:Christopher Walken

“I try not to worry about things I can't do anything about.”

Trying I Can Worry

Author:Christopher Walken

“I've never crashed a wedding. When I was a kid I, of course, used to crash parties. Crashing a wedding is difficult though because you have to have the suit, and you have to have information in case someone catches you. You have to know at least some names and something.”

Knows Kids Used Courses Names Difficult Party Cases Information Suits Wedding Crash Wedding Day

Author:Christopher Walken

“My background is in musical comedy.”

Comedy Musical Backgrounds

Author:Christopher Walken

“I've made movies that we're very successful that we're a complete surprise, and I've made movies that I thought we're going to be very successful that, you know.”

Knows Made Successful Surprise Movie

Author:Christopher Walken

“My hair was famous before I was.”

Author:Christopher Walken

“I have this theory about words. There's a thousand ways to say "Pass the salt". It could mean, you know, "Can I have some salt?" or it could mean, "I love you.". It could mean, "I'm very annoyed with you". Really, the list could go on and on. Words are little bombs, and they have a lot of energy inside them.”

Knows Way Mean Littles Energy Love You Theory Goes On Thousand Lists Bombs Salt Annoyed

Author:Christopher Walken

“I used to be prettier than I am, but I think I look better now. I was a pretty boy. Particularly in my early movies. I don’t like looking at them so much. There’s a sort of pretty thing about me.”

Thinking Looks Used Boys Used To Be Better Now Pretty Things Pretty Boy

Author:Christopher Walken

“We have no way of knowing what lays ahead for us in the future. All we can do is use the information at hand to make the best decision possible.”

Way Use Hands Can Do Decision Knowing Information Lays Wedding Crasher

Author:Christopher Walken

“I make movies that nobody will see. I've made movies that even I have never seen.”

Author:Christopher Walken

“My favorite characters are the ones that are the most successful movies.”

Character Successful My Favorite Movie Favorite Characters

Author:Christopher Walken

“I'm better off not socializing. I make a better impression if I'm not around.”

Ifs Inspirational Impression Better Off Socializing

Author:Christopher Walken

“I tend to play mostly villains and twisted people. Unsavory guys. I think it's my face, the way I look.”

People Thinking Way Looks Play Faces Guy Appearance Villain Twisted

Author:Christopher Walken

“I'm not much of an analyzer or a psychologist.”

Author:Christopher Walken

“My father passed away a couple of years ago, but he was very old. He was almost a 100 years old. And, you know, he had a very good life. He came to America and he had a good life.”

Knows Years America Father Couple Years Ago Very Good Good Life Passed Away Father Passed Away Very Good Life

Author:Christopher Walken

“I became an actor by accident.”

Actors Accidents

Author:Christopher Walken

“I have been in movies that I thought I wasn't very good in.”

Has Beens Very Good

Author:Christopher Walken

About the Author

Born: March 31, 1943
Known for: Actor
Quotes: 202

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Thinking Actors Knows People Ifs Play Way Made Guy Littles

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