Walken’s nervous disposition

Christopher Walken is a nervous wreck, said Sean O’Hagan in The Observer (U.K.). He recently refused to fly to London for the premiere of his latest movie, Seven Psychopaths. “I don’t like flying at the best of times,” he says. “And as I get older, I like it less and less. I don’t much like driving either. I prefer to be driven. And, when I’m in London, I don’t even like walking on the street. I can never get used to looking the right way when I cross the street. When we’re over there, I always say to my wife, ‘Stay in the hotel. Don’t go out there. It’s too dangerous.’” In a dangerous world, Walken says, there’s no shame in worrying. “It’s sensible to be nervous and careful. Somebody asked me, ‘If you had to give advice to a young actor, what would it be?’ I said, ‘Always, even in a limo, wear your seat belt.’” Walken wasn’t always so risk-averse. As a teenager, he worked for a lion tamer in a circus. “[The lion] was like a dog. You could pet her, and she would rub her head on you. I would come into the cage and wave my whip, and she’d kind of lazily get up and maybe give a little roar.” But of all the help-wanted ads, why did he respond to that one? “It just looked too good to pass up. I like cats a lot. I’ve always liked cats. They’re great company.”

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