Christopher Walken insists he is nothing like the villains he has played in his films.
The 73-year-old actor is famous for portraying a host of evil characters on the big screen, such as James Bond nemesis Max Zorin in 1985’s ‘A View to a Kill’, corrupt businessman Max Shreck in 1992’s ‘Batman Returns and as a quadriplegic gangster in 1995’s ‘Things to Do in Denver When You’re Dead’.
Walken – who is married to his wife Georgianne – is adamant he couldn’t be any more different in real life but he enjoys exploring the motivations of his evil alter egos.
In an interview with the Metro newspaper, he said: "I do often play villains. I guess it’s how my career in films started … that was my introduction to the movies and I played disturbed people in both. I got started on something there which was lucky. It’s not a reflection on my own life – I live quietly. My wife and I have been married for 50 years. I’ve never really played anyone like myself."
Walken – who appears in upcoming comedy ‘Nine Lives’ alongside Kevin Spacey, in which the latter is turned into a cat to re-connect with his family – got a taste for the acting business when he was young and got his first start in television shows in New York with his brothers Glen and Ken and after starting as a kid he knew he wanted to spend his life working as an actor.
He said: "It was around the time people started buying TVs and the shows were all live because there was no videotape. Most of it was family orientated – with moms and dads – so there was a lot of work for kids. I’ve been doing this for a very long time."
Walken described his child acting experience as "interesting" and admits he feels lucky to have been able to have made the transition from child actor to adult star.
He added: "I’m not sure I enjoyed it … If you’re a child performer, especially if you’re very successful, it can have complications. I was never that. I barely got a line – I was just there and I wasn’t famous. I was just a journeyman child … Very few people successfully go from being a child performer to an adult actor."
Christopher Walken: I’m not like my big screen villains
