Christopher Walken
From The Art and Popular Culture Encyclopedia
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Christopher Walken (born March 31, 1943) is an Academy Award-winning American film and theatre actor.
Cult status
Walken has attracted a strong cult following as an actor. He is often imitated for his deadpan affect, sudden off-beat pauses, and strange speech rhythm. He is revered for his quality of danger and menace, but his unpredictable deliveries and expressions make him invaluable in comedy as well. He has been parodied on Dave the Barbarian by an unusual unicorn named Twinkle. He is one of the most frequently impersonated actors in Hollywood; notable Walken impressionists include Eddie Izzard, Kevin Spacey, Kevin Pollak, Jay Mohr, Johnny Depp and Jake Gyllenhaal. He is also frequently referenced in various other works of pop culture, such as in the Fountains of Wayne song "Hackensack". Walken remains one of the most popular portrayers of villains among film fans, with a page dedicated entirely to him on the movievillains.com website. MTV's Celebrity Deathmatch also aired a match between Walken and Gary Oldman to determine who was the greatest cinematic villain. On February 15, 2008, he accepted Harvard's award as Hasty Pudding Man of the Year.
