Christopher Walken

Last updated

Christopher Walken
Christopher Walken 2018.jpg
Walken in 2018
Born
Ronald Walken

(1943-03-31) March 31, 1943 (age 81)
Alma mater Hofstra University
OccupationActor
Years active1952–present
Works Full list
Spouse
(m. 1969)
Awards Full list
Signature
Christopher Walken Signature.png

Christopher Walken (born Ronald Walken; March 31, 1943) is an American actor. His diverse work on stage and screen has earned him numerous accolades including an Academy Award, a BAFTA Award, a Screen Actors Guild Award, as well as nominations for two Primetime Emmy Awards and two Tony Awards. His films have grossed more than $1.6 billion in the United States alone. [1] In 2003, he was voted Number 34 in Channel 4's countdown of the 100 greatest movie stars of all time. [2]

Contents

Walken has appeared in supporting roles in films such as The Anderson Tapes (1971), Next Stop, Greenwich Village (1976), Roseland (1977) and Annie Hall (1977), before coming to wider attention as the troubled Vietnam War veteran Nick Chevotarevich in The Deer Hunter (1978). His performance earned him an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor. He was nominated for the same award for portraying con artist Frank Abagnale's father in Steven Spielberg's Catch Me If You Can (2002).

Since his breakthrough, Walken has appeared in films in various genres, both in lead and supporting roles. [3] These include The Dogs of War (1980), Brainstorm (1983), The Dead Zone (1983), A View to a Kill (1985), At Close Range (1986), Biloxi Blues (1988), King of New York (1990), The Comfort of Strangers (1990), Batman Returns (1992), True Romance (1993), Pulp Fiction (1994), The Prophecy (1995, and its two sequels), Suicide Kings (1997), Sleepy Hollow (1999), Man on Fire (2004), Wedding Crashers (2005), Hairspray (2007), Seven Psychopaths (2012), A Late Quartet (2012), Percy (2020), and Dune: Part Two (2024). He has also provided voice work for the animated films Antz (1998) and The Jungle Book (2016).

On television, Walken has appeared in films such as Who Am I This Time? (1982), and Sarah, Plain and Tall (1991), for which he received a Primetime Emmy Award nomination. More recently, he has starred in television series The Outlaws (2021–), and Severance (2022–), the latter of which earned him a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series nomination. He has guest-hosted Saturday Night Live seven times. His roles on the show include record producer Bruce Dickinson in the "More Cowbell" sketch, the disgraced Confederate officer Colonel Angus, and multiple appearances as an aging, unsuccessful lothario in the Continental sketch.

As a stage actor, Walken starred with Irene Worth in a 1975 Broadway revival of "Sweet Bird of Youth." Walken has played the lead in the Shakespeare plays Hamlet , Macbeth , Romeo and Juliet, and Coriolanus . His performance in the original rendition of James Joyce's The Dead (2000), earned him a Tony Award for Best Actor in a Musical nomination. He was nominated for the Tony Award for Best Actor in a Play for his role in Martin McDonagh's A Behanding in Spokane (2010). He also wrote and played the lead role in the 1995 play Him, about his idol Elvis Presley. [4]

Early life

Walken was born Ronald Walken on March 31, 1943, [5] in Astoria, Queens, New York City. His parents were Rosalie Russell, a Scottish immigrant from Glasgow, and Paul Wälken, a German immigrant from Gelsenkirchen [6] [7] who owned and operated Walken's Bakery in Astoria. [8] [9] Walken was named after actor Ronald Colman. He was raised Methodist. [10] He and his brothers, Kenneth and Glenn, were child actors on television in the 1950s, influenced by their mother's dreams of stardom. [9] [11]

When he was 15, a girlfriend showed Walken a magazine photo of Elvis Presley and Walken later said, "This guy looked like a Greek god. Then I saw him on television. I loved everything about him." He changed his hairstyle to imitate Presley and has not changed it since. [12] As a teenager, he worked as a lion tamer trainee for a short time in a circus. [13]

Walken attended Hofstra University but dropped out after one year, having been cast in the role of Clayton Dutch Miller in an off-Broadway revival of Best Foot Forward alongside Liza Minnelli. [14] Walken initially trained as a dancer at the Washington Dance Studio before moving on to dramatic stage roles and then film. [14]

Career

1950s–1960s

As a child, Walken appeared on screen as an extra in numerous anthology series and variety shows during the Golden Age of Television. [14] After appearing in a sketch with Martin and Lewis on The Colgate Comedy Hour , Walken decided to become an actor. [15] He landed a regular role in the 1953 television show Wonderful John Acton, playing the part of Kevin Acton. During this time, he was credited as Ronnie Walken. [16]

Over the next two years, he appeared frequently on television, and had a thriving career in theater. From 1954 to 1956, Walken and his brother Glenn originated the role of Michael Bauer on the soap opera The Guiding Light. In 1963, he appeared as a character named Chris in an episode of Naked City , starring Paul Burke.

In 1964, he changed his first name to Christopher at the suggestion of Monique van Vooren, who had a nightclub act in which Walken was a dancer. She believed the name suited him better than Ronnie (a pet form of his given name, Ronald), which he was credited as until then. [17] He prefers to be known informally as Chris instead of Christopher. [15]

In 1966, Walken played the role of King Philip of France in the Broadway premiere of The Lion in Winter . [18] In 1968, he played Lysander in A Midsummer Night's Dream and Romeo in Romeo and Juliet at the Stratford Festival in Canada. [19] [20]

He appeared in the made-for-TV movies Barefoot in Athens (1966) and The Three Musketeers (1969), and made his feature film debut in Me and My Brother (1969), a low-budget production that also featured Sam Shepard. In 1969, Walken guest-starred in Hawaii Five-O as Navy SP Walt Kramer.

1970s

In 1970, Walken starred in the Off-Broadway production of Lanford Wilson's Lemon Sky opposite Charles Durning and Bonnie Bartlett. [21] Later that year Walken received the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Performance. [22]

Walken's first major studio film was Sidney Lumet's The Anderson Tapes (1971) with Sean Connery and Dyan Cannon. In 1972's The Mind Snatchers a.k.a. The Happiness Cage , Walken played his first starring role. [23] In this science fiction film, which deals with mind control and normalization, he plays a sociopathic U.S. soldier stationed in Germany.

Paul Mazursky's 1976 film Next Stop, Greenwich Village had Walken, under the name "Chris Walken", playing the charismatic and promiscuous fictional poet Robert Fulmer. In Woody Allen's 1977 film Annie Hall (in which his surname was misspelled "Wlaken" in the end credits), Walken played the borderline crazy brother of Annie Hall (Diane Keaton). [24] Also in 1977, Walken had a minor role as Eli Wallach's partner in The Sentinel. In 1978, he appeared in Shoot the Sun Down , a western filmed in 1976 that costarred Margot Kidder. [25] Along with Nick Nolte and Burt Reynolds, Walken was considered by George Lucas for the part of Han Solo in Star Wars ; [26] [27] the part ultimately went to Harrison Ford.

In 1977, Walken also guest-starred in an episode of Kojak as Ben Wiley, a robber.

Walken won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor in Michael Cimino's 1978 film The Deer Hunter . He played a Pennsylvania steelworker who was emotionally destroyed by the Vietnam War. To help achieve his character's gaunt appearance before the third act, Walken consumed only bananas, water and rice for a month. [28]

1980s

Walken in 1984 stage play Hurlyburly Christopher Walken - 1984.jpg
Walken in 1984 stage play Hurlyburly

Walken's first film of the 1980s was the controversial Heaven's Gate , also directed by Cimino. Walken also starred in the 1981 action adventure The Dogs of War , directed by John Irvin. He surprised many critics and filmgoers with his intricate tap-dancing striptease in Herbert Ross's musical Pennies from Heaven (1981). In 1982, he played a socially awkward but gifted theater actor in the film adaptation of Kurt Vonnegut's short story Who Am I This Time? opposite Susan Sarandon. Walken then played schoolteacher-turned-psychic Johnny Smith in David Cronenberg's 1983 adaptation of Stephen King's The Dead Zone . That same year, Walken also starred in Brainstorm alongside Natalie Wood and (in a minor role) his wife, Georgianne.

In 1985, Walken played a James Bond villain, Max Zorin, in A View to a Kill , Roger Moore's last appearance as Bond. Walken dyed his hair blond to befit Zorin's origins as a Nazi experiment. [29]

At Close Range (1986) starred Walken as Brad Whitewood, a rural Pennsylvania crime boss who tries to bring his two sons into his empire; his character was mostly based on criminal Bruce Johnston.

In 1988, Walken played a memorable role as Sgt. Merwin J. Toomey in Neil Simon's Biloxi Blues , which was directed by Mike Nichols, and he played the role of Federal Agent Kyril Montana in The Milagro Beanfield War . He also played the leading role of Whitley Strieber in 1989's Communion , an autobiographical film written by Strieber. It was based on claims that he and his friends were subject to visitations by unknown, other-worldly entities variously identified as "aliens" or "visitors". That same year, Walken appeared in the film Homeboy , which was written by and featured Mickey Rourke in the titular role. In 1989, he played the lead role of "Puss" in the Cannon theater group's musical version of Puss in Boots .

1990s

Walken (right) with Massimo Ghini on the set of Celluloide, 1996. Steve Scott with Christopher Walken.jpg
Walken (right) with Massimo Ghini on the set of Celluloide, 1996.

The Comfort of Strangers , an art house film directed by Paul Schrader, features Walken as Robert, a decadent Italian aristocrat with extreme sexual tastes and murderous tendencies who lives with his wife (Helen Mirren) in Venice.

King of New York (1990), directed by Abel Ferrara, stars Walken as ruthless New York City drug dealer Frank White, a recently released prisoner set on reclaiming his criminal territory. In 1991, Walken starred in Sarah, Plain and Tall as Jacob Witting, a widowed farmer. In 1992, Walken played villain millionaire industrialist Max Shreck in Batman Returns . In January 1993, he appeared in Madonna's music video for her hit single "Bad Girl" (directed by David Fincher). Walken also played Bobby, Cassandra's producer, in Wayne's World 2 .

Walken's next major film role was opposite Dennis Hopper in True Romance , scripted by Quentin Tarantino. Walken later had a supporting role in Tarantino's Pulp Fiction as a Vietnam veteran named Captain Koons.

Later in 1994, Walken starred in A Business Affair , a rare leading role for him in a romantic comedy. Walken manages to once again feature his trademark dancing scene as he performs the tango. In 1995, he appeared in Things to Do in Denver When You're Dead , Wild Side , The Prophecy and the modern vampire flick The Addiction , which was his second collaboration with director Abel Ferrara and writer Nicholas St. John. He also appeared in Nick of Time , which starred Johnny Depp, and an arthouse film by David Salle titled Search and Destroy . Also in 1995, Walken acted in "Him," the first play written by Walken, and about his idol Elvis in the afterlife, featured in the New York Shakespeare Festival. The New York Times gave a somewhat positive review of his "most cheering and refreshingly absurd invention" of retelling Elvis' death as a disappearing act that enabled Elvis to flee to Morocco for a sex change to become "her" in a "woozily conceived, fantastical new play...in the sharpness and wit of writing and in the performances by Mr. Walken and Mr. Heyman." [30] Walken made an appearance in the music video for Skid Row's "Breakin' Down".

In the 1996 film Last Man Standing , Walken plays a sadistic gangster named Hickey. That year, he played a prominent role in the video game Ripper , portraying Detective Vince Magnotta. Ripper made extensive use of real-time recorded scenes and a wide cast of celebrities in an interactive film. In 1996 Walken also appeared in the Italian film Celluloide as US Officer Rod Geiger and played the role of Ray in the Abel Ferrara crime-drama film The Funeral . In 1997, Walken starred in the comedy films Touch and Excess Baggage and had a minor role in the film Mouse Hunt . [31] He also appeared in the drama/thriller film Suicide Kings , which was also filled with suspense and humor.

In 1998, Walken played an influential gay New York theater critic in John Turturro's film Illuminata . The same year he voiced Colonel/General Cutter in the animated film Antz .

In 1999, he played James Houston in Vendetta , an HBO original film based on the March 14, 1891 New Orleans lynchings. In the same year, Walken appeared in the romantic comedy Blast from the Past portraying Calvin Webber, a brilliant but eccentric Caltech nuclear physicist whose fears of a nuclear war lead him to build an enormous fallout shelter beneath his suburban home. The same year, he appeared as the Headless Horseman in Tim Burton's Sleepy Hollow , starring Johnny Depp and Christina Ricci. He also appeared in Kiss Toledo Goodbye with Michael Rapaport and Nancy Allen.

2000s

Walken in 2008 ChristopherWalkenFeb08.jpg
Walken in 2008

In 2000, Walken was cast as the lead, along with Blair Brown, in James Joyce's The Dead on Broadway. A "play with music", The Dead featured music by Shaun Davey, conducted by Charles Prince, with music coordination and percussion by Tom Partington. James Joyce's The Dead won a Tony Award that year for Best Book for a Musical.

Walken had a music video performance in 2001 with Fatboy Slim's "Weapon of Choice". Directed by Spike Jonze, it won six MTV awards in 2001 and—in a list of the top 100 videos of all time compiled from a survey of musicians, directors and music industry figures conducted by UK music TV channel VH1—won Best Video of All Time in April 2002. In the video, Walken dances and flies around the lobby of the Marriott Hotel in Los Angeles; Walken also helped choreograph the dance. Also in 2001, Walken played a gangster who was in the witness protection program in the David Spade comedy Joe Dirt and an eccentric film director in America's Sweethearts . Also in 2001, Walken played Lieutenant Macduff in Scotland, PA , a loose film adaptation of Shakespeare's Macbeth .

In 2002 Walken played Mike in the film Poolhall Junkies and played Frank Abagnale Sr. in Catch Me If You Can , which is inspired by the story of Frank Abagnale Jr., a con artist who passed himself off as several identities and forged millions of dollars' worth of checks. His portrayal earned him a second Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor. Walken also had a part in the 2003 action comedy film The Rundown , starring Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson and Seann William Scott, in which he plays a ruthless despot. He was nominated for a Razzie (Worst Supporting Actor) in 2002's The Country Bears [32] and in two 2003 films, Gigli and Kangaroo Jack . [33] Walken also starred in Barry Levinson's Envy , in which he plays J-Man, a crazy guy who helps Ben Stiller's character and in his starring role in 2004's Around the Bend he again has a dancing scene as he portrays an absentee father who has fled prison to reunite with his father, his son and the grandson he never knew before dying. Walken played the role of Paul Rayburn in 2004's Man on Fire , where, when speaking about the imminent destructive actions of John Creasy (Denzel Washington), his character states: "A man can be an artist... in anything, food, whatever. It depends on how good he is at it. Creasy's art is death. He's about to paint his masterpiece." Also in 2004, Walken played Mike in the film The Stepford Wives .

In 2005, he played Mark Heiss in the film Domino and the role of Secretary Cleary in the film Wedding Crashers . In 2006, he played Morty, a sympathetic inventor who is more than meets the eye, in the comedy/drama Click and also appeared in Man of the Year with Robin Williams and Lewis Black. He co-starred in the 2007 film adaptation Hairspray , wherein he is seen singing and dancing in a romantic duet with John Travolta and portrayed the eccentric but cruel crime lord and Ping-Pong enthusiast Feng in the 2007 comedy action film Balls of Fury opposite Dan Fogler. Walken was in the film Five Dollars a Day (2008), in which he plays a con man proud of living like a king on $5 a day. The Maiden Heist , a comedy co-starring Morgan Freeman, William H. Macy and Walken about security guards in an art museum, debuted at the Edinburgh International Film Festival in 2009. [34]

Walken also starred in Universal Studios Florida's "Disaster!" theme park attraction, which opened in 2008 and closed in 2015. He portrayed Frank Kincaid, the fictional CEO of "Disaster Studios" who encouraged guests to be extras in his latest film. In the attraction's pre-show, Walken was projected on a clear screen, much like a life-size hologram and interacted with the live-action talent.

2010s

Walken returned to Broadway in Martin McDonagh's play A Behanding in Spokane in 2010 and received a Tony Award nomination for Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Play. [35] He had a small voice role in NBC sitcom 30 Rock , in the "Audition Day" episode. In 2011, he played the role of Jewish-American loan shark Alex "Shondor" Birns in the film based on the life of gangster Danny Greene, Kill the Irishman . In 2012, Walken reunited with McDonagh for the British-American crime comedy film Seven Psychopaths and also played the founder and leader of a string quartet in A Late Quartet .

Walken costarred with Al Pacino and Alan Arkin in the film Stand Up Guys , a story about aging gangsters out on the town for one last hoorah. He also appeared in The Power of Few . In 2012, Walken was selected as a "GQ" Man of the Year. [36] In 2013, Walken became the protagonist in the campaign "Made From Cool" by Jack & Jones. In 2014, he appeared in Turks & Caicos . Walken appears as Gyp DeCarlo in the 2014 film Jersey Boys . In 2014, Walken played Captain Hook in the NBC production Peter Pan Live! [37] In 2015, Walken starred in the film When I Live My Life Over Again and played the role of Clem for the second time in the David Spade comedy Joe Dirt 2: Beautiful Loser . In 2016, he voiced King Louie in the CGI-live action adaptation of Disney's The Jungle Book , directed by Jon Favreau. He also recorded a cover of Louie's song "I Wan'na Be Like You", which he sings in the film as well as on the soundtrack. [38] Also that year, he appeared in Dexter Fletcher's Eddie the Eagle and Barry Sonnenfeld's Nine Lives . [39] In 2017, Walken replaced Bill Irwin in the role of Walter Tinkler in the critically panned Father Figures . [40] The following year, he played Myron in the Netflix film Irreplaceable You . [41]

2020s

In 2021, Walken appeared as Frank in the BBC One/Amazon Prime Video comedy The Outlaws . [42] and in the second series broadcast on BBC1 in 2022.

In 2022, he had a supporting role as Burt Goodman, the severed chief of the Optics and Design division in the Apple TV+ series Severance . [43] For his performance, he was nominated for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series. [44] Walken next portrayed Emperor Shaddam IV in the 2024 film, Dune: Part Two . [45] The film received universal critical acclaim and SlashFilm wrote: "It's a treat to watch Walken work — he shows up, delivers his ominous lines with a whisper, and wipes the floor with anyone he's acting against. Show 'em how it's done, Christopher Walken." [46]

Legacy and popularity

Described as "diverse and eccentric" [47] and "one of the most respected actors of his generation", [48] Walken has a long-established cult following among film fans. [49] He is known for his versatility and was named as one of Empire magazine's "Top 100 Movie Stars of All Time". [50] Once dubbed a "cultural phenomenon", [51] he has portrayed several iconic film characters including Johnny Smith in The Dead Zone , Max Shreck in Batman Returns , and Max Zorin in A View to a Kill , and was also considered for the role of Han Solo in Star Wars films. His Oscar-winning performance in The Deer Hunter was ranked as the 88th greatest film performance of all time by Premiere magazine [52] and his performance in Pennies from Heaven made it into Entertainment Weekly's list of the "100 Greatest Performances that should have won Oscars but didn't." [53] Sometimes regarded as "one of the kings of cameos", Walken has made several cameo appearances or appeared in a single scene of films including as Captain Koons in Pulp Fiction , Duane in Annie Hall , Hessian Horseman in Sleepy Hollow and Don Vincenzo in True Romance . Writer and director Quentin Tarantino declared that Walken's involvement in True Romance's "Sicilian scene" was one of the proudest moments in his career. [54]

Benicio del Toro cited Walken as an influence and stated that the best advice he had ever been given regarding acting came from him: "When you're in a scene and you don't know what you're gonna do, don't do anything." [55] Kat Dennings called him her favorite actor and said that he was the reason that she wanted to be an actress. [56] Johnny Depp once said one of the main reasons he starred in Nick of Time was wanting to work with Walken. [57] Jeffrey Wright, [58] Mickey Rourke, [59] Sam Rockwell, [60] Colin Farrell, [61] Bradley Cooper, [62] Leonardo DiCaprio [63] and Mads Mikkelsen [64] are among actors who spoke about their admiration for Walken. Prominent film critic Roger Ebert, who was particularly impressed by his villain and anti-hero portrayals, once stated, "when he is given the right role, there is nobody to touch him for his chilling ability to move between easy charm and pure evil" [65] and called him "one of the few undeniably charismatic male villains." [66]

Walken is noted for refusing film roles only rarely, having stated in interviews that he will decline a role only if he is too busy to accept. He regards each role as a learning experience. [67] A rare example of a role Walken turned down was that of Ray Ruby in the film Go Go Tales (2007). According to film director Abel Ferrara, the character was originally written for Walken, who "didn't want to do it". The role was then given to Walken's New Rose Hotel (1998) co-star Willem Dafoe. [68]

Walken's voice and speaking style have been compared to other entertainment figures with voices that create "a pleasing (or at least entertaining) aural experience," such as William Shatner and Garrison Keillor. [69] Walken believes that the source of his speech stems from growing up with immigrant neighbors who came from everywhere, stating, "The neighborhood itself, you didn't hear a lot of English. Lots of Greek, Italian, Polish, German, Yiddish. I think I grew up listening to people who spoke English in a kind of broken way. I think maybe I talked that way." [70] Walken inspired the stage show, All About Walken: The Impersonators of Christopher Walken, created by actor/comedian Patrick O'Sullivan in Hollywood in 2006.

Appearances on Saturday Night Live

Walken has hosted the comedy sketch and satire TV series Saturday Night Live (SNL) seven times. [71]

One of Walken's SNL performances was a spoof of Behind the Music , featuring a recording session of Blue Öyster Cult's "(Don't Fear) the Reaper". In the guise of record producer Bruce Dickinson (not to be confused with the real Bruce Dickinson, lead singer for Iron Maiden), Walken makes passionate and slightly unhinged speeches to the band and is obsessed with getting "More Cowbell" into the song. The phrase "I gotta have more cowbell" has since been adapted to merchandise. The producer who suggested the cowbell on the original BÖC recording is David Lucas.

Walken appeared in one of Will Ferrell and Rachel Dratch's "The Luvahs" skits. [72] His character brought a lady friend to meet The Luvahs and she is subjected to learning the history that Walken's character shares with The Luvahs. He also divulges private information about his sex life with his girlfriend, much to her horror ("She was willing to accept her lover's body in places no one had ever trespassed... specifically, the ear canal").

Walken spoofed his starring role from The Dead Zone (1983) in a sketch titled "Ed Glosser: Trivial Psychic" (1992). [73] In the film, Walken's character can predict deaths and catastrophes, while Glosser can accurately predict meaningless, trivial future events but with the same emotional intensity as in the film: "You're going to get an ice cream headache. It's going to hurt real bad, right here, [touches forehead] for eight, nine seconds.").

His character in A View to a Kill was parodied in a sketch titled "Lease with an Option to Kill", in which he reprised his role as Max Zorin. Zorin, who had taken on some qualities of other Bond villains (Blofeld's cat and suit, Emilio Largo's eye patch), was upset that everything was going wrong for him. His lair was still under construction; his henchmen had jump suits that didn't fit; and his shark tank lacked sharks, having a giant sea sponge instead. A captive James Bond, portrayed by Phil Hartman, offered to get Zorin "a good deal" on the abandoned Blofeld volcanic lair if Zorin let him go, to which he reluctantly agreed.

He performed a song and dance rendition of the Irving Berlin standard, "Let's Face the Music and Dance". Finally, there was the "Colonel Angus" sketch, [74] laden with ribald double entendres, in which Walken played a dishonored Confederate officer.

Until 2003, Walken had a recurring SNL sketch called "The Continental", [75] in which Walken played a "suave ladies' man" who in reality cannot do anything to keep a woman (a neighbor in his apartment building) from giving him the cold shoulder. Though he is outwardly chivalrous, his more perverted tendencies inevitably drive away his date over his pleading objections. For instance, he invites the woman to wash up in his bathroom; once she is inside, it becomes obvious that the bathroom mirror is a two-way mirror when he is seen lighting up a cigarette. In "The Continental", only the hand of his neighbor is ever seen; the camera always shows her point of view.

Walken in 2012 Christopher Walken 2012.jpg
Walken in 2012

The April 5, 2008 Saturday Night Live show was the first time an episode hosted by Walken did not have a "Continental" sketch or a monologue in which he sang and danced. This episode, however, did include one sketch titled "Walken Family Reunion", [76] which spoofs many of Walken's idiosyncrasies. The sketch depicts a fictional Walken family reunion, where all of Christopher's relatives have his mannerisms and speech patterns and sport his trademark pompadour hairstyle. In order of appearance, the other Walkens are Christopher's cousin Stanley (Bill Hader); Stanley's brother John (Jason Sudeikis); John's son Scott (Andy Samberg) and daughter Maxine (Amy Poehler) (who carries a doll that also has a pompadour); Nathan (Fred Armisen), a gay relative for whom "flamboyance" means dressing all in black and running his finger around the rim of a cosmo glass; Uncle Richard (Darrell Hammond) and Aunt Martha (Kristen Wiig), who think that The Deer Hunter was hilarious and who are hosts of a Nigerian foreign exchange student named Oleki (Kenan Thompson). When he came to live with them, Oleki—who has absorbed all of the Walken Family traits—could not speak any English. But now (he says) he "talks like a normal teenaged American boy". The biggest laugh of the sketch occurs when Christopher expresses his sympathies for Scott's teenaged attitude: "I appreciate your situation. For a Walken, adolescence is a difficult time. You feel like you're the only normal person in a school full of nutjobs." Scott's response: "Wow! It's like you're lookin' right into my noggin!" (Will Forte also appears as a waiter at the beginning of the sketch, but does not do a Walken impression.)

In September 2004, SNL released a DVD titled The Best of Christopher Walken through Lionsgate. [77]

Walken returned to the show for the first time in 15 years on October 28, 2023, in a cameo role as the "Spirit of Halloween" in which he gave advice to President Joe Biden (Mikey Day). Walken also introduced the musical guest Foo Fighters instead of host Nate Bargatze. Foo Fighters were the musical guest during his 2003 episode, during which Dave Grohl pranked Walken into speaking with the emphasis on "Fighters" instead of "Foo". Clips of the introduction later became an internet meme and Walken pronounced the band's name correctly in 2023.

Presidential candidacy hoax

Walken became the subject of a hoax controversy in 2006, when a fake website started in August of that year by members of Internet forum Genmay.com announced that he was running for President of the United States. Some believed it was authentic, until Walken's publicist dismissed the claims. [78] When asked about the hoax in a September 2006 interview with Conan O'Brien, Walken said he was amused and when asked to come up with a campaign slogan, he replied, "What the Heck" and "No More Zoos!" [78]

Personal life

In 1963, Walken met Georgianne Thon during a tour of West Side Story. [79] They married in January 1969. The couple have no children and Walken has stated in interviews that not having children is one of the reasons that he has had such a prolific career. [80]

Walken discussed his feelings on sexuality in a 1973 interview with After Dark promoting his appearance as Bassanio in The Merchant of Venice . "I suppose I think of the man I'm playing as bisexual, and I suppose that's how I think of myself too. I'd hate to think that I was harnessed to heterosexuality. I mean, my life is heterosexual, but I like to think that my head is bisexual, and I think it's a good idea for everybody to start getting used to that notion, because that way one becomes aware of a lot more things." [81]

On November 29, 1981, Walken was with Natalie Wood and Robert Wagner on Wagner's yacht the night Wood went missing and ultimately was found dead by drowning. Walken was not considered a suspect by authorities. [82] The case was re-opened in November 2011, Walken was once again not considered a suspect and he fully co-operated with them on the investigation. [83]

Filmography

Awards and nominations

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dan Aykroyd</span> Canadian and American actor (born 1952)

Daniel Edward Aykroyd is a Canadian and American actor, comedian, screenwriter, and producer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Michael McKean</span> American actor (born 1947)

Michael John McKean is an American actor, comedian, screenwriter, composer, singer, and musician. Over his career he has received a Grammy Award as well as nominations for an Academy Award and a Primetime Emmy Award.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chris Elliott</span> American actor, writer, and comedian (born 1960)

Christopher Nash Elliott is an American actor, comedian and writer known for his surreal sense of humor. He appeared in comedic sketches on Late Night with David Letterman (1982–1988), created and starred in the comedy series Get a Life (1990–1992) on Fox, and wrote and starred in the film Cabin Boy (1994). His writing has won four consecutive Primetime Emmy Awards. His other television appearances include recurring roles on Everybody Loves Raymond (2003–2005) and How I Met Your Mother (2009–2014), and starring roles as Chris Monsanto in Adult Swim's Eagleheart (2011–2014) and Roland Schitt in Schitt's Creek (2015–2020). He also appeared in the films Manhunter (1986), Groundhog Day (1993) Nutty Professor II: The Klumps (2000), Osmosis Jones (2001), Scary Movie 2 (2001), and The Rewrite (2014).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Phil Hartman</span> Canadian-American actor (1948–1998)

Philip Edward Hartman was a Canadian-born American comedian, actor, screenwriter, and graphic designer. Hartman was born in Brantford, Ontario, Canada, and his family moved to the United States when he was ten years old. After graduating from California State University, Northridge, with a degree in graphic arts, he designed album covers for bands including Poco and America. In 1975, Hartman joined the comedy group the Groundlings, where he helped Paul Reubens develop his character Pee-wee Herman. Hartman co-wrote the film Pee-wee's Big Adventure and made recurring appearances as Captain Carl on Reubens' show Pee-wee's Playhouse.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dana Carvey</span> American comedian and actor (born 1955)

Dana Thomas Carvey is an American stand-up comedian, actor, podcaster, screenwriter and producer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mike Myers</span> Canadian actor, comedian, and filmmaker (born 1963)

Michael John Myers is a Canadian actor, comedian, and filmmaker. His accolades include seven MTV Movie & TV Awards, a Primetime Emmy Award, and a Screen Actors Guild Award. In 2002, he was awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. In 2017, he was named an Officer of the Order of Canada for "his extensive and acclaimed body of comedic work as an actor, writer, and producer."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Martin Short</span> Canadian comedian and actor (born 1950)

Martin Hayter Short is a Canadian-American comedian, actor, and writer. Short is known as an energetic comedian who gained prominence for his roles in sketch comedy. He has also acted in numerous films and television shows. He has received various awards including two Primetime Emmy Awards, and a Tony Award. Short was made an Officer of the Order of Canada in 2019.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Christopher Plummer</span> Canadian actor (1929–2021)

Arthur Christopher Orme Plummer was a Canadian actor. His career spanned seven decades, gaining him recognition for his performances in film, stage, and television. His accolades included an Academy Award, two Tony Awards, and two Primetime Emmy Awards, making him the only Canadian recipient of the "Triple Crown of Acting". He also received a BAFTA Award, a Golden Globe Award, and Screen Actors Guild Award as well as a nomination for a Grammy Award.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Matt Dillon</span> American actor (born 1964)

Matthew Raymond Dillon is an American actor. He has received various accolades, including an Academy Award nomination and Grammy nomination.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jon Lovitz</span> American actor and comedian

Jonathan Michael Lovitz is an American actor and comedian. He is best known for his tenure as a cast member on the NBC sketch comedy series Saturday Night Live from 1985 to 1990 for which he was nominated for two Primetime Emmy Awards.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Buck Henry</span> American actor (1930–2020)

Buck Henry was an American actor, screenwriter, and director. Henry's contributions to film included his work as a co-writer for Mike Nichols's The Graduate (1967) for which he received a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay. He also appeared in Nichols' Catch-22 (1970), Herbert Ross' The Owl and the Pussycat (1970), and Peter Bogdanovich's What's Up, Doc? (1972). In 1978, he co-directed Heaven Can Wait (1978) with Warren Beatty receiving a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Director. He later appeared in Albert Brooks' Defending Your Life (1991), and the Robert Altman films The Player (1992) and Short Cuts (1993).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chris Kattan</span> American actor and comedian (born 1970)

Christopher Lee Kattan is an American actor and comedian. First breaking through as a performer with the Los Angeles comedy troupe The Groundlings, Kattan found wider success during his tenure as a cast member on the NBC sketch comedy series Saturday Night Live from 1996 to 2003. He also played Doug Butabi in A Night at the Roxbury, Bob on the first five seasons of The Middle, and Bunnicula in Bunnicula. He's also known for playing the main antagonist Mr. Feather in Undercover Brother (2002).

<i>A View to a Kill</i> 1985 James Bond film directed by John Glen

A View to a Kill is a 1985 spy film, the fourteenth in the James Bond series produced by Eon Productions, and the seventh and final appearance of Roger Moore as the fictional MI6 agent James Bond. Although the title is adapted from Ian Fleming's 1960 short story "From a View to a Kill", the film has an entirely original screenplay. In A View to a Kill, Bond is pitted against Max Zorin, who plans to destroy California's Silicon Valley.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kenan Thompson</span> American comedian and actor (born 1978)

Kenan Thompson is an American comedian and actor. He has been a cast member on the NBC sketch comedy series Saturday Night Live since 2003, making him the longest-tenured cast member in the show's history. He was also the first regular cast member born after the show's premiere in 1975. Outside of SNL, Thompson starred on NBC's sitcom Kenan from 2021 to 2022.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">More Cowbell</span> Saturday Night Live sketch

"More Cowbell" is a comedy sketch that aired on Saturday Night Live on April 8, 2000. The sketch was written by regular cast member Will Ferrell and playwright Donnell Campbell and depicts the recording of the song "(Don't Fear) The Reaper" by Blue Öyster Cult. The sketch stars guest host Christopher Walken as fictional music producer Bruce Dickinson, and Ferrell as fictional cowbell player Gene Frenkle, whose overzealous playing annoys his bandmates but pleases Dickinson. The sketch also features Chris Parnell as Eric Bloom, Jimmy Fallon as Bobby Rondinelli, Chris Kattan as Buck Dharma, and Horatio Sanz as Joe Bouchard.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bill Hader</span> American actor and comedian (born 1978)

William Thomas Hader Jr. is an American actor and comedian. He gained widespread attention for his eight-year stint as a cast member on the long-running NBC sketch comedy series Saturday Night Live from 2005 to 2013, for which he received four Primetime Emmy Award nominations and a Peabody Award. He became known for his impressions and especially for his work on the Weekend Update segments, where he played Stefon Meyers, a flamboyant New York City nightclub tour guide.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Taran Killam</span> American actor, comedian, and writer

Taran Hourie Killam is an American actor and comedian. He first garnered attention for his brief stint on the Fox comedy series MADtv during its seventh season between 2001 and 2002, followed by his wider success as a cast member on the NBC sketch comedy series Saturday Night Live from 2010 to 2016. He has also appeared in other television series such as Wild 'n Out, The Amanda Show, How I Met Your Mother, New Girl, and in the main cast of Single Parents. Killam is also known for his portrayal of a teen pop star in the 2004 Disney Channel Original Movie Stuck in the Suburbs. He voiced the title character on the PBS children's cartoon series Nature Cat.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bobby Moynihan</span> American actor

Robert Michael Moynihan Jr. is an American actor and comedian. He was a cast member and writer for the NBC sketch comedy series Saturday Night Live from 2008 to 2017.

Abigail Elliott is an American actress and comedian. She was a cast member on the NBC sketch comedy series Saturday Night Live from 2008 to 2012, and has starred on the Bravo comedy Odd Mom Out, the NBC sitcom Indebted, and the FX/Hulu comedy-drama The Bear. She is the daughter of actor and comedian Chris Elliott and sister of Bridey Elliott.

Tim Robinson is an American comedian and actor. He first became known as a writer and performer on the NBC sketch comedy series Saturday Night Live from 2012 to 2016, before gaining wider recognition as the co-creator, co-writer and star of the comedy series Detroiters (2017–2018) and I Think You Should Leave with Tim Robinson (2019–present).

References

  1. Nash, Bruce. "Christopher Walken Box Office Data". The-Numbers.com. Retrieved May 1, 2022.
  2. Muir, Hugh (May 6, 2003). "Pacino, godfather of movie stars". The Guardian.
  3. 07.39 EDT. "Cinema's unforgettable character actors | Film". The Guardian. Archived from the original on February 2, 2017. Retrieved May 19, 2017.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  4. Michael Feingold. "Him by Christopher Walken". The Village Voice. Archived from the original on June 26, 2010. Retrieved March 25, 2007.
  5. "Christopher Walken Filmography". The Washington Post . Archived from the original on January 23, 2015. Retrieved January 25, 2015.
  6. Salon.Com Archived January 21, 2008, at the Wayback Machine "Both of his parents were immigrants – his father, Paul, from Germany; and his mother, Rosalie, from Glasgow, Scotland."
  7. "The Master of Menace". Cbsnews.com. December 4, 2002. Archived from the original on January 14, 2012. Retrieved May 19, 2017.
  8. Bernard Weinraub (June 24, 1992). "AT LUNCH WITH – Christopher Walken – A New York Actor Takes Stardom With a Grain of Salt – Biography –". The New York Times . Archived from the original on May 6, 2017. Retrieved May 19, 2017.
  9. 1 2 Gaver, Jack (January 20, 1954). "This Mom Feels Like Casting Agency With Three Young Sons Working on Stage, TV". Tuscaloosa News. Retrieved July 16, 2010.
  10. "The religion of Christopher Walken, actor". Adherents.com. Archived from the original on May 4, 2017. Retrieved May 19, 2017.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  11. O'Hagan, Sean (December 2, 2012). "Christopher Walken: 'No matter who I play, it's me'". The Guardian. London. Archived from the original on January 9, 2017. Retrieved December 11, 2016.
  12. Robert Schnakenberg (2008). "Christopher Walken A to Z".
  13. Talk Interview by JESSICA GROSS (November 9, 2012). "Christopher Walken Isn't as Weird as You Think". The New York Times . Archived from the original on March 24, 2017. Retrieved May 19, 2017.
  14. 1 2 3 Stated on Inside the Actors Studio , 1996
  15. 1 2 "Christopher Walken Biography". Tiscali SpA. Archived from the original on January 1, 2007.
  16. Vincent Terrace (November 7, 2013). Television Introductions: Narrated TV Program Openings since 1949. Scarecrow Press. p. 54. ISBN   9780810892507 . Retrieved November 21, 2019.
  17. "Christopher Walken: The Song and Dance Man". Celebrating Christopher Walken. Archived from the original on October 5, 2009. Retrieved September 19, 2009.
  18. "Christopher Walken Biography". Turner Classic Movies. Archived from the original on March 7, 2013. Retrieved January 22, 2012.
  19. "Stratford Festival Archives | Details". archives.stratfordfestival.ca. Archived from the original on April 6, 2019. Retrieved April 7, 2020.
  20. "Christopher Walken at Stratford 1968". cda.mrs.umn.edu. Archived from the original on November 17, 2019. Retrieved April 7, 2020.
  21. Barnes, Clive (May 18, 1970). "Stage: Immediacy Illuminates Wilson's 'Lemon Sky'". The New York Times. Retrieved November 22, 2020. Christopher Walken as the nonhero, flip, baffled, charm ing, daring the audience with the author's semi‐off‐stage asides, amused and yet con cerned, is most convincing, moving from narration to ac tion with east and keeping the right distance between himself, audience and play.
  22. "Christopher Walken". Internet Broadway Database. The Broadway League. Retrieved November 22, 2020.
  23. The Mind Snatchers is also known as The Happiness Cage and The Demon Within.
  24. He is incorrectly credited as "Christopher Wlaken" in the film's credits.
  25. 'Interview with director David Leeds Archived March 13, 2007, at the Wayback Machine
  26. King, Mark (August 20, 2004). "It could have been so different". The Guardian. London. Archived from the original on December 9, 2013. Retrieved March 25, 2007.
  27. "Christopher Walken". Archived from the original on May 26, 2012. Retrieved March 25, 2007.
  28. Vilkomerson, Sara (December 14, 2009). "The Week in DVR: It's a Charlie Brown Christmas! Plus, The Deer Hunter, The New World and Brad Pitt Too". The Observer. Archived from the original on December 15, 2009. Retrieved January 4, 2010.
  29. "James Bond multimedia | Christopher Walken (Max Zorin)". Jamesbondmm.co.uk. March 31, 1943. Archived from the original on May 10, 2012. Retrieved May 28, 2012.
  30. Canby, Vincent (January 6, 1995). "Theater Review: Him; Walken Conjures Up the King". The New York Times .
  31. Lawrence Grobel (September 1, 1997). "Playboy Interview: Christopher Walken -". Playboy . Archived from the original on November 21, 2011. Retrieved September 27, 2018 via archive.org.
  32. "The 23rd Annual RAZZIE AWARDS". Golden Raspberry Awards. Archived from the original on July 29, 2013. Retrieved January 22, 2008.
  33. "The 24th Annual RAZZIE Awards "WINNERS" Announced". Golden Raspberry Awards. Archived from the original on March 13, 2012. Retrieved January 22, 2008.
  34. "Event List | Edinburgh International Film Festival". www.edfilmfest.org.uk. Archived from the original on June 29, 2009. Retrieved April 7, 2020.
  35. Gans, Andrew (May 4, 2010). "2010 Tony Nominations Announced; Fela! and La Cage Top List". Playbill . Archived from the original on May 6, 2010. Retrieved May 4, 2010.
  36. "Gentlemen's Quarterly." April 2018. p. 24.
  37. Elavsky, Cindy (July 20, 2014). "Celebrity Extra". King Features. Archived from the original on January 9, 2015. Retrieved August 20, 2014.
  38. Feeney, Nolan (July 28, 2014). "Christopher Walken Joins Disney's New The Jungle Book". Time . Archived from the original on March 23, 2015. Retrieved January 28, 2015.
  39. Anthony D'Alessandro (March 31, 2015). "Christopher Walken Joins Movies 'Nine Lives' & 'Eddie The Eagle'". Deadline. Archived from the original on May 4, 2015. Retrieved April 24, 2015.
  40. "Owen Wilson and Ed Helms' Father Figures release date re-scheduled for January". September 29, 2017. Archived from the original on February 20, 2018. Retrieved February 19, 2018.
  41. Ford, Rebecca (February 28, 2017). "Christopher Walken, Steve Coogan Join 'Irreplaceable You' (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter . Archived from the original on March 7, 2017. Retrieved March 21, 2017.
  42. Sunner, Amber (October 25, 2021). "Christopher Walken's best film roles as he stars in new BBC show". BristolLive. Retrieved October 25, 2021.
  43. Mangan, Lucy (February 18, 2022). "Severance review – Ben Stiller's workplace fantasy might make your mind explode". the Guardian. Retrieved March 12, 2022.
  44. "Apple scores record-breaking 52 Emmy Award nominations, with "Ted Lasso" leading as most nominated comedy, and freshman breakout "Severance" landing Outstanding Drama nomination". Apple. Retrieved July 14, 2022.
  45. Kit, Borys (May 12, 2022). "Christopher Walken Joins Timothee Chalamet, Zendaya in 'Dune: Part Two'". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved May 12, 2022.
  46. Evangelista, Chris (February 21, 2024). "Dune: Part Two Review: A Bleak Blockbuster About Religion, Revenge, And Really Big Worms". /Film. Retrieved February 29, 2024.
  47. "Eight of the Creepiest Christopher walken performances". Paste . Archived from the original on September 10, 2015. Retrieved September 7, 2015.
  48. "Christopher Walken All Movie Guide biography". Allmovie.com. March 31, 1943. Archived from the original on February 20, 2015. Retrieved February 23, 2015.
  49. ""10 Best Male Cult Actors" – The Blot article". Theblot.com. Archived from the original on May 13, 2016. Retrieved May 19, 2017.
  50. "Empire magazine's Top 100 Movie Stars of All Time list". Amiannoying.com. Archived from the original on January 25, 2016. Retrieved May 19, 2017.
  51. "Christopher Walken's "Hollywood" biography". Hollywood.com. March 31, 1943. Archived from the original on March 3, 2016. Retrieved February 27, 2016.
  52. "100 Greatest Movie Performances of All time". Film.com. April 2006. Archived from the original on March 3, 2016. Retrieved February 27, 2016.
  53. ReelClassics.com. ""100 Greatest Performances that should have won Oscars but didn't" – Entertainment Weekly list". Reelclassics.com. Archived from the original on June 1, 2017. Retrieved May 19, 2017.
  54. True Romance Unrated Director's Cut DVD commentary
  55. "Benicio Del Toro on Savages and Licence to Kill". Crave Online. November 16, 2012. Archived from the original on March 6, 2016. Retrieved February 27, 2016.
  56. "Kiernan Shipka had seen parts of Mad Men". New York. August 11, 2010. Retrieved December 25, 2020.
  57. "Johnny Depp interview – Chronicle". Chronicle.augusta.com. Associated Press. July 8, 2005. Archived from the original on March 5, 2016. Retrieved May 19, 2017.
  58. "Interview: Jeffrey Wright on his Acting Influences, the Evolution of Black Stories in Hollywood, and his Personal Connection to Monk in 'American Fiction'". Awards Watch. December 8, 2023. Retrieved February 19, 2024.
  59. "Mickey Rourke interviewed by Christopher Walken". Interview magazine. January 16, 2009. Archived from the original on March 9, 2016. Retrieved February 27, 2016.
  60. "Christopher Walken still has wow factor". Patriot Ledger. October 10, 2012. Archived from the original on March 6, 2016. Retrieved February 27, 2016.
  61. "LA Times – Colin Farrell talks about his new film "Seven Pyschopaths."". Los Angeles Times. October 1, 2012. Archived from the original on July 6, 2017. Retrieved May 19, 2017.
  62. Mentioned in an interview on Late Night with Conan O'Brien. Episode dated March 16, 2006.
  63. "Interview with Leonardo DiCaprio". IGN. December 20, 2002. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved February 27, 2016.
  64. "Mads Mikkelsen Opens Up". Deutsche Welle. October 20, 2012. Archived from the original on December 11, 2021. Retrieved June 14, 2013.
  65. Ebert, Roger Archived April 4, 2020, at the Wayback Machine , Chicago Sun-Times, "At Close Range" film review, April 18, 1986.
  66. Ebert, Roger Archived April 4, 2020, at the Wayback Machine , Chicago Sun-Times, King of New York film review, December 7, 1990.
  67. "Fashion: Celebs And Their Style- Christopher Walken". June 7, 2010. Archived from the original on March 30, 2015. Retrieved April 28, 2015.
  68. Cryptekeeper 044 Abel Ferrara/New Rose Hotel at YouTube
  69. Tom C. Hunley (2012). The Poetry Gymnasium: 94 Proven Exercises to Shape Your Best Verse. McFarland & Co. p. 243. ISBN   9780786488353.
  70. Grant, Drew (April 13, 2016). "The Great Pretender: The Tao of Christopher Walken". Observer. Retrieved March 17, 2021.
  71. "Christopher Walken Collection". Saturday Night Live . Archived from the original on September 11, 2019. Retrieved September 18, 2019.
  72. "The Luvahs" sketch on SNL Archived February 11, 2019, at the Wayback Machine (February 23, 2003) at nbc.com
  73. SNL sketch "Ed Glosser: Trivial Psychic Archived September 16, 2019, at the Wayback Machine (10/24/92) at nbc.com
  74. SNL sketch "Colonel Angus Comes Home" Archived August 19, 2018, at the Wayback Machine (February 22, 2003) at nbc.com
  75. Christopher Walken in three "Continental" sketches Archived November 15, 2019, at the Wayback Machine on SNL at nbc.com
  76. SNL sketch "Walken Family Reunion" Archived November 15, 2019, at the Wayback Machine (April 5, 2008) at nbc.com
  77. "Saturday Night Live - The Best of Christopher Walken". Amazon. September 7, 2004. Archived from the original on December 26, 2018. Retrieved September 18, 2019.
  78. 1 2 "Christopher Walken for president!". August 15, 2006. Archived from the original on October 17, 2012. Retrieved November 16, 2006.
  79. "Urban Cinefile Feature". www.urbancinefile.com.au. Archived from the original on May 3, 2002. Retrieved January 13, 2022.
  80. Reid, Dixie (October 24, 2004). "Bend it like Walken: Actor has more to say about food and hair than acting". The Sacramento Bee . Archived from the original on January 2, 2008. Retrieved October 25, 2008.
  81. Schnakenberg, Robert (2008). "Bisexuality". Christopher Walken A to Z: The Man, the Movies, the Legend. Quirk Books. ISBN   978-1-59474-775-5 . Retrieved June 11, 2023.
  82. Meena Hart Duerson (July 9, 2012). "Natalie Wood cause of death changed to 'undetermined', deepening mystery". New York Daily News. Archived from the original on July 12, 2012. Retrieved July 15, 2012.
  83. Meena Hart Duerson (July 9, 2012). "Natalie Wood cause of death changed to 'undetermined', deepening mystery". New York Daily News. Archived from the original on July 12, 2012. Retrieved July 15, 2012.