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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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Famous Christopher Walken Quotes

“When I'm on the road making a movie in another city, on my day off, I always go to the movies. I love going to the movies. You get a ticket and sit there, and it's very interesting to be around people who aren't personally invested in you, in any way. They're just going to the movies.”

People Way Interesting Cities Tickets Very Interesting Days Off

Author:Christopher Walken

“I do like to work. Some jobs are better than others. That's the thing: You really don't know. I've enjoyed making movies for lots of different reasons. Sometimes, it was the other people. Sometimes, it was the fact that I was really good in it. Sometimes, it was the location. Sometimes, it was the paycheck.”

People Knows Different Sometimes Reason Facts Jobs Enjoyed Location Paychecks

Author:Christopher Walken

“I don't think I'd be a good director because people would ask me, you know, "What is it? What's going on here? Where should I put the camera?" Or, "What's my motivation?" And I would say, "Do whatever you want!"”

People Thinking Knows Want Should Motivation Asks Directors Cameras Ask Me Should I Do Whatever You Want Good Directors

Author:Christopher Walken

“I've been very fortunate, because I've been involved in things that very often lead to obscurity. I was in some pictures that were not successful whatsoever. I think people admire persistence. People notice that I'm still there.”

People Thinking Stills Successful Involved Admire Persistence Fortunate Obscurity

Author:Christopher Walken

“I feel like you are this or that because other people say so. I wouldn't know how to play a psychopath. I don't think about it that way. You think about playing the scene but if the other people say that guy is crazy, then you are.”

People Ifs Thinking Knows Way Feels Play Guy Know How Crazy Like You Scene That Guy Psychopath

Author:Christopher Walken

“There are certain directors where you know you're going to be good or you're not going to be there. There are people where you kind of know that if you miss the mark then it'll probably not be in the movie and that's very reassuring.”

People Ifs Knows Kind Certain Missing Directors Mark Be Good Reassuring

Author:Christopher Walken

“Growing up in New York is like living in a horror museum because there are so many strange people walking the streets and riding the subways. You learn to develop a tough front if you live here, just in case you get into any kind of trouble and you need to talk your way out of it.”

People Ifs Way Needs Kind Cases Growing Up Growing Trouble Streets Fronts New York Strange Walking Horror Tough Museums Riding Subway

Author:Christopher Walken

“Older actors, and women in particular, are getting more opportunities. It pleases me, its very good news for us. They say that people are living longer, and maybe it's just that there's more of us out there.”

People Actors Opportunity Particular Please News Very Good Good News Please Me

Author:Christopher Walken

“I don't usually get to play fathers or grandfathers or uncles. Now that I'm older, maybe I can play people closer to myself. I'd like that.”

People I Can Play Father Grandfather Uncles

Author:Christopher Walken

“You do something on television, and so many people see it that it follows you around. It's interesting. I've done a couple of things on TV, and probably more people saw me than in all the movies I've made.”

People Made Done Interesting Saws Television Tvs Couple

Author:Christopher Walken

“It's true that I don't think I'd be a good director. If I were a director, I'd try to hire the best people I could and then leave them alone. I don't know much about cameras or lighting, so I'd make sure that I had a really good cameraman who understood lenses and lighting, and I say to him, "This is the scene we have to shoot and this is what I think it should be, you go do it." Same with actors. But really, very good directors who know everything do basically the same thing. They hire you and then they leave you alone.”

People Ifs Thinking Knows Should Trying Actors Scene Directors Understood Cameras Very Good Be You Lenses Lighting Good Directors Cameraman

Author:Christopher Walken

“There's not a lot of talking between actors - either between actors or between actors and directors. People think that they sit in rooms and talk about psychology and motivations. I don't think that happens much.”

People Thinking Happens Motivation Actors Rooms Talking Psychology Directors

Author:Christopher Walken

“When I was a teenager and all these shows were on I was in that business, so I knew a lot of people in the theaters and I saw many of the great shows many times. I would go in and stand in the back - they would let me in, they knew me. I saw Fiddler on the Roof, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, Gypsy, and Funny Girl many times just standing in the back.”

People Way Shows Girl Saws Happened Standing Let Me Theater Things Happen Teenager Roof Funny Things Gypsy Forums Fiddlers Funny Girl Fiddler On The Roof

Author:Christopher Walken

“I play so many villains and strange, troubled people. I don't have that kind of life. I live in the country. I've been married nearly 50 years. I have a cat.”

People Years Kind Country Play Strange Married Cat Villain

Author:Christopher Walken

“If I show somebody something that I've written and they say, "Eh...alright," I just put it away and I never show it to anyone again. But I know people who won't take no for an answer, and eventually someone pays attention.”

People Ifs Knows Shows Answers Pay Attention Written Pay Attention Alright

Author:Christopher Walken

“I get a lot of invitations, and sometimes it's far away, it's in Montana or something. "We'd like you to come to our daughter's wedding." These are people I've never heard of. I get a lot that. "Will you come to my son's graduation?" No...I guess when you're in stuff, it's almost a feeling that they know you.”

People Knows Sometimes Feelings Stuff Heard Son Like You Daughter My Son Far Away Invitations Montana Our Daughter

Author:Christopher Walken

“I don't have a lot of hobbies. I don't play golf. I don't have any children. Things that occupy people's time. I just try to take jobs.”

People Trying Children Play Jobs Golf Hobbies

Author:Christopher Walken

“People think that my favorite roles to do are villains, but I find comedy to be the most challenging and rewarding.”

People Thinking Challenges Roles Comedy My Favorite Villain

Author:Christopher Walken

“I don't play lovers. I wish I did. At least once I'd like to have a crack at one of those guys. A heartbreaker. Some people are born to it. I'm not.”

People Play Guy Wish Born Lovers Cracks Heartbreaker

Author:Christopher Walken

“I grew up listening to people speaking broken English. I probably picked that up. And I probably speak English almost as a second language.”

People Speak Language Broken Listening Grew Grew Up Speak English Broken English

Author:Christopher Walken

“I play disturbed people a lot, but always with a bit of distance or tongue-in-cheek. Most of the villains I play are essentially harmless.”

People Play Bits Distance Tongue Villain Cheeks Disturbed Tongue In Cheek

Author:Christopher Walken

“People come up to me all the time in New York. Not for autographs, but to talk about movies, often in a very scientific way.”

People Way New York Come Up Autographs

Author:Christopher Walken

“Some people can do things and get away with it. Comics are famously like that. Why is it that some guys can say the most horrible things and it's not offensive, it's funny?”

People Funny Guy Can Do Horrible Get Away Offensive Horrible Things

Author:Christopher Walken

“Acting is a bit like being an athlete. You spend all your time getting ready to do something for two minutes. All the things that made my career in the movies happen took two or three minutes, which is the time that it takes for a 'take'. In that time, something happens. That's what people know you for, just like someone running the hundred metres.”

People Knows Made Two Happens Running Three Bits Acting Careers Minutes Ready Hundred Athlete

Author:Christopher Walken

“Both my parents had heavy accents, and so did everybody they knew. It's a rhythm thing - people who speak English where they have to hesitate and think of the right word. And I think it rubbed off.”

People Thinking Speak Parent Heavy Rhythm Accents Right Words Speak English

Author:Christopher Walken

“Early on, I played one or two disturbed people, and I guess I must have been good at it, because it stuck. But, you know, I'm a regular guy. I stay home a lot, I make an effort to keep a distance from the whole social thing, the openings, the parties. I try to live in a calm way.”

People Knows Way Trying Has Beens Two Whole Home Guy Social Party Effort Distance Calm Stuck Opening Disturbed

Author:Christopher Walken

“I don't know why people eat so badly. I could eat pasta all the time, but it really is fattening. And I love ice cream, but I can't do that. There was a time, until I was in my mid-forties, when I could eat a whole pizza - and really, no effect.”

People Knows I Can Whole Effects Ice Forty Cream Ice Cream Pizza Pasta Fattening

Author:Christopher Walken

“I never know when I am being funny, and the other way too. I don't think you can think about that. I don't think you can try to be funny. Some people are just funny.”

People Thinking Knows Way Trying Funny Being Funny

Author:Christopher Walken

“I play a lot of, maybe a little bit, cartoonish people. I've been a Bond villain, and I play a lot of villains, people who want to take over something.”

People Want Littles Play Bits Little Bit Villain

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

“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

“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

“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

“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

About the Author

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

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