Christopher Walken - Multi-talented Genius

Christopher Walken. When you think of this brilliant actor, you probably think "weirdo," "eccentric" or "oddball." Walken has been typecast into these roles; however, he is one of the most brilliant actors to grace the silver screen in this century.

Walken was born Ronald Walken in New York in 1943, the son of a baker. He spent his childhood alternating between working in the family bakery and working as a child actor on television in the 1950s. Both of his parents were immigrants, his father was German and his mother Scottish.

Initially, Walken trained to be a dancer before moving on to theater and films. He changed his name to "Christopher" at the suggestion of a friend and landed his first feature film role opposite Sean Connery in 1971's "The Anderson Tapes." His first starring role, as a sociopath soldier was in 1972s "The Mind Snatchers."

In 1977, Walken's talents were brought to public attention with his portrayal of Diane Keaton's strange brother, Duane, in Woody Allen's Academy Award winning film, "Annie Hall." His performance, though brief, was one of the funniest parts of the film.

Walken found true fame as the suicidal American soldier fighting the Vietnam War in 1978's "The Deer Hunter." The film won "Best Picture" that year and Walker won an Oscar for "Best Supporting Actor." He seemed headed for a promising career.

Starring opposite Kris Kristopherson in the 1980 Michael Cimino disaster, "Heaven's Gate," nearly put a halt to Walken's career. The talented actor was able to bounce back by starring in "The Dogs of War," and "The Dead Zone." Although he gave a stellar performance in both of these films, they received mixed reviews from the critics.

Scandal plagued Walken in 1983 when he starred in the film "Brainstorm" with Natalie Wood. On Thanksgiving weekend, while vacationing with Wood and her husband, Robert Wagner, the actress drowned under mysterious circumstances. The tragic death of the actress and Walken's presence stirred various rumors, including that he was having an affair with Wood at the time of her death.