The Most Memorable Christopher Walken Movies

Check out our Christopher Walken Movies Spotlight for a look at some of the best performances from The Jungle Book star

There’s no denying the cultural significance of Christopher Walken. He’s a national treasure whose name immediately brings to mind his voice and many of the iconic quotes attributed to any of the characters he’s played. It really comes as no surprise that Jon Favreau selected our favorite kooky actor to lend his talent in Disney’s live-action Jungle Book adaptation as King Louie. Color us very excited!

The Queens native has appeared in more than 100 movies, television shows, stage plays and music videos. He’s up there with Samuel L. Jackson, both make appearances in so many movies that its kind of hard to not know who they are. He’s even hosted Saturday Night Live multiple times and given us the gift of his fever for more cowbell. So, before he makes his mo-cap debut as the king of the monkeys, we’re looking back on the best Christopher Walken movies.

Christopher Walken Movies Spotlight: Annie Hall (1977)

Christopher Walken made one of his first appearances in Woody Allen’s Annie Hall. In it, he played Duane Hall, the brother to Annie (Diane Keaton), who has a very intense conversation about suicide with his sister and the film’s neurotic lead Alvy Singer (Woody Allen). The unsettling conversation was both funny and kinda creepy in the way that would become Walken’s iconic demeanor. He tells them about his ideal car crash right before having to drive them home. The whole drive there, he’s stone faced and you can feel Alvy’s anxiety about whether or not Duane would be capable of actually driving them off the road. 

Christopher Walken Movies Spotlight: The Deer Hunter (1978)

The infamous Russian Roulette scene from The Deer Hunter is one of Walken’s most iconic moments in film. Both Nick and Michael (Robert DeNiro) are prisoners of war who are forced into engaging into the lethal game. Walken actually won an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor for his role as Nick and this scene is a testament to his dramatic chops.

Christopher Walken Movies Spotlight: Batman Returns (1992)

In the final scene of Tim Burton’s Batman Returns, Selina Kyle/Catwoman (Michelle Pfefifer) finally has Max (Walken) in her hands. He’s the man who killed her in an unusually cruel but very Walken abrupt way in the first act. But before she ends the life of the man she’s been after, Batman comes in to stop her and tries to reason with her not to kill him. The climactic moment has Batman reveal his true identity to her in an effort to persuade her to join him and turn Schreck in to the cops. The “We’re the same” speech between the lovers gets an extra unexpected beat when Max comically cuts in with his “Bruce Wayne? Why are you dressed up as Batman” line, but the electric Pfeiffer brings it back in all her Catwoman glory. “Because he is Bruce Wayne,” she says before she ultimately gives up all her lives and a chance at a fairy tale ending with Batman to finish Max off with a deadly kiss.

Christopher Walken Movies Spotlight: True Romance (1993)

Save for Quentin Tarantino‘s gratuitous use of the N-word, this scene still stands as one of the greatest exchanges in cinema between two great actors. The way the scene builds in a game of insults is quintessential Tarantino directed by Tony Scott in the cult classic about a couple of lovers on the run from the mob. You have Walken as Don Vincenzo at the top of his game going head to head with Dennis Hopper as Clarence’s dad Clifford. The way that the upper-hand gets flipped, from Walken’s interrogation to Hopper going down while overpowering him, is one of the best moments in cinematic history.

Christopher Walken Movies Spotlight: Pulp Fiction (1994)

Probably most oft quoted, the gold watch scene from Pulp Fiction is another iconic Walken moment brought to us by Tarantino. The incredible story of the watch that Butch (Bruce Willis) goes back for in the film before he makes a break for it, is told in a flashback of his childhood when Captain Koons (Walken) tells him the lengths he went to bring it home to him as his father’s last request. The punch line to the elaborate journey the heirloom took is pure Walken gold when he tells little Butch that it had been kept safe… up his ass. Impeccable delivery.

Christopher Walken Movies Spotlight: Sleepy Hollow (1999)

In Tim Burton‘s adaptation of Sleepy Hollow, we get to see just what the headless horseman looks like with a head. And naturally, it he were to have his head it would be that of Christopher Walken’s, because of course! And Walken goes full crazed Christopher Walken in this. I don’t think he actually has any dialogue other than looking around wildly and growling on horseback. Still iconic. 

Christopher Walken Movies Spotlight: Saturday Night Live (2000)

Chances are that whenever you hear “(Don’t fear) the reaper” by the Blue Oyster Cult, you immediately get a fever… for more cowbell. In one of the best SNL skits ever made in which Walken played Bruce Dickinson, a producer who encouraged a fictional member of the band Gene Frenkel (Will Ferrell) to keep at it with his cowbell over the recording. He loves it and needs more of it. Whenever Walken or Ferrell make appearances on the show, there’s always some reference to it. It will forever live in infamy and is now stuck in your head. You’re welcome.

Click here to watch SNL’s “More Cowbell” skit.

Christopher Walken Movies Spotlight: Fatboy Slim’s “Weapon of Choice” Music Video (2001)

Who would have thought that the best possible way to convey this song was by having Christopher Walken dance through a hotel room? Whoever that person was is a genius because it’s really one of the best music videos of all time. Turns out that Walken is a classically-trained dancer in addition to being one of the most interesting actors on screen. The video is riveting in how much fun it it is to watch him get his groove on through this empty hotel. It’s so unexpectedly amazing that he totally sells the concept. What, he flies? He sure as hell does.

Click here to watch “Weapon of Choice”.

Christopher Walken Movies Spotlight: Hairspray

In Hairspray, we get to see Walken go back to his stage performer roots as Wilbur Turnbland, the father to the musical’s lead. What makes this role so memorable isn’t just that we get so see him singing and dancing – it’s that he’s married to John Travolta. For some reason, the role of Edna Turnbland went to Travolta who plays an actual woman in this adaptation of the musical. And it leads to some very interesting musical numbers between the two that are cute in a strange way. Particularly, “(You’re) Timeless To Me.”

Christopher Walken Movies Spotlight: Seven Psychopaths (2012)

One of Walken’s most recent and under-appreciated roles was in Martin McDonaugh‘s Seven Psychopaths as Hans. His monologue to Marty (Colin Farrell) via a recorder to help him find a solution one of the psycho characters in his screenplay, is one of McDonaugh’s best written works. Walken’s delivery is cathartic and funny at the same time when he talks about the moral choice of choosing the light over the dark inside. He’s like your dawdling grandpa imparting wisdom even when he’s gone. 

(Photo Credit: Jody Cortes / WENN)