Christopher Walken Biography

Actor. Christopher Walken was born Ronald Walken in Queens, New York on March 31, 1943. The middle son of a German immigrant father and a Scottish immigrant mother, Walken worked at his parents' bake shop as a boy. Together with his older brother, Kenneth, and his younger brother, Glenn, Walken began modeling, acting, and dancing at a young age. Ronald and Glenn were often used for the same part, and both played Kevin Acton in the 1950s television show The Wonderful John Acton. After graduating from the Professional Children's School, he attended Hofstra University for some time. He considered becoming an English teacher, but then returned to his first love: theater acting. He toured in a production of West Side Story, where he met his wife, Georgianne. The two married in 1969 and she currently works as a casting director.

When Ronald Walken was 22, he was a backup dancer for singer/actress Monique Van Vooren. Ms. Van Vooren decided that Ronald looked more like a Christopher, so Walken adopted a new stage name. To this day, Walken is called Ronnie by family members and old friends. Walken expanded his range beyond musical comedies and earned himself the Clarence Derwent Award for The Lion in Winter and an Obie for Kid Champion in 1975.

Already a success in the theater, Walken became interested in working on the big screen. His first role was in 1968's Me and My Brother, and his first lead role was in 1972's The Mind Snatchers. Walken took home an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor for his disturbing role in The Deer Hunter in 1979. This win contributed to his cult status as an intense and eerie actor. Christopher Walken has worked nonstop in movies, television, and theater and he often finds a way to slip a dance routine into his screen work. In addition to his theater and film work, Walken has hosted Saturday Night Live six times and has a standing offer to host whenever his schedule permits. This prolific actor has worked steadily for over 50 years and shows no signs of slowing down.

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