What is it about Christopher Walken that makes him so goddamn great. Well, where do you begin?
Whether it’s the incredibly unique delivery of his lines or his impeccable taste in clothing, Christopher Walken is the very definition of cool. Women want him and men want to be him… or at least we want him to be our really, really cool, well-dressed Dad.
Each week, JOE will be bringing you our Weekly Appreciation Series on the Original Made From Cool – Mr Christopher Walken.
You can check out our Week One appreciation of the great man here and our Week Two appreciation here.
Everyone knows that, oh, the actor, eh, likes to put the emPHAsis on the parts of the words that don’t need to, ah, be emphaSISED. His iconic delivery may be his most famous calling card but it’s important to remember that the man is a genuinely excellent Oscar-winning actor.
Here are two of his most very bestest ever performances. Ever.
He may only appear in one scene of the Tony Scott-directed, Tarantino-scripted True Romance, but Walken’s performance as Sicilian mobster Vincenzo Coccotti is undoubtedly a standout moment in a film full of excellent performances.
“Give us back our scene you scene-stealer!” his fellow cast members (probably didn’t) cry.
*SPOILER ALERT*
In 1978 Walken was awarded the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor for his performance in Michael Cimino’s amazing film The Deer Hunter. His character Nick, having been forced to play Russian roulette by his captors as a Vietnam POW, remains deeply affected by his experiences in captivity.
Here, in one of the film’s most powerful (AND SPOILERIFIC) scenes, Nick plays one more game as his best friend Mike (Robert DeNiro) desperately tries to talk him out of it.
“One shot.”
This all-round great guy has a few tricks up his Jack & Jones sleeve worth sharing so watch this space as JOE brings you more of the wonderful Walken.
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