Born March 31, 1943 in Astoria, Queens, the son of a bakery owner and his wife, Ronald Walken, named by his mother after her favorite actor, Ronald Colman, and his brothers Kenneth and Glenn were child actors on television and in the theatre in the 1950s.

Initially billed as Ronnie, the actor changed his first name in 1964 to Christopher. His breakthrough role came in the 1963 Off-Broadway revival of Best Foot Forward opposite Liza Minnelli. His Broadway credits include featured roles in 1958’s The Visit in support of Alfred Lunt and Lynn Fontanne; 1964’s High Spirits in support of Beatrice Lillie, Tammy Grimes and Edward Woodward and 1965’s Baker Street in support of Fritz Weaver and Inga Swenson. He was more prominently featured as the young King of France in 1966’s The Lion in Winter in support of Robert Preston and Rosemary Harris.

Walken’s breakthrough screen role came in 1971’s The Anderson Tapes in support of Sean Connery. He had important roles in 1966’s Next Stop, Greenwich Village and 1977’s The Sentinel, Annie Hall and Roseland. His role in 1978’s The Deer Hunter brought him an Oscar and lasting fame. He continued in major films for the next ten years, among which were The Last Embrace, Heaven’s Gate, The Dogs of War, Pennies from Heaven, Brainstorm, The Dead Zone, A View to a Kill, At Close Range, The Milago Beanfield War and Biloxi Blues. In 1991, he was nominated for an Emmy for his performance in Sarah, Plain and Tall opposite Glenn Close, a role he reprised in 1993’s Skylark and again in 1999’s Winter’s End.

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