Christopher Walken’s fancy feet
Walken, 67, started his career in musicals, and says his acting career happened “by chance.”
Christopher Walken missed his calling, said David Michael in Total Film. “I’m not really an actor, I’m a dancer,” he says. Walken, 67, started his career in musicals, and says his acting career happened “by chance.” In 1977, he was cast in Annie Hall and The Deer Hunter, and soon found a niche as an actor playing “villains and people who are disturbed.” But he never forgot his dancing roots, and was thrilled when he got the chance to strut his stuff in 1981’s Pennies From Heaven.
Since then, Walken says, he’s always tried to sneak dance moves into his performances. One of his fondest film moments came in 1986’s At Close Range, when he improvised “quite a nice tour jeté. I take a couple of steps and spontaneously jump and spin in the air for no reason.” The fancy footwork led to roles in two music videos featuring Madonna and Fatboy Slim and a strange phone call from Marlon Brando in his later days. “He said, ‘You did a movie called Pennies From Heaven. I’d like to get in touch with the choreographer. I dance.’ He wanted to do a musical variety show from his house. He was very serious. He also told me he lost 100 pounds eating Saltines and drinking milk. It was very funny.”
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
What's at stake in the Mahmoud Khalil deportation fight?
Talking Points Vague accusations and First Amendment concerns
By Joel Mathis, The Week US Published
-
Why is a new Air Force One taking so long to build?
The Explainer Trump may look for alternatives for his new plane
By Joel Mathis, The Week US Published
-
New and notable podcasts for March
Feature The MeidasTouch Podcast and The Magnificent Others With Billy Corgan
By The Week US Published