Christopher Walken Wiki: 5 Facts To Know About The 'Catch Me If You Can' Actor

F amous movie actor Christopher Walken was born in 1943 in Queens, New York. His birth name is Ronald Walken and he has two brothers Kenneth and Glenn Walken. He is the second of three children to be born in his family. Walken’s father Paul was a German immigrant who ran a bakery while his mother Rosalie Walken was a Scottish immigrant who was fascinated with the show business. Christopher Walken and his brothers Kenneth and Glenn Walken started acting in theatre in their early teens due to their mother’s influence. In 1961, Walken attended Hofstra University but later on, he landed a role in an off-Broadway musical called 'Best Foot Forward.' Therefore, he dropped out of school to further his acting career though intially Walken trained as a dancer in musical theater at Washington Dance Studio. He used his given name until 1964 when he changed it to Christopher Walken. By the 1970's, Walken began acting in films and he won his first Academy Award for acting a production by Woody Allen. Here are five facts about Christopher Walken that you need to know.

In November 1981, Walken was a guest of actress Natalie Wood and her husband Robert Wagner on Natalie Wood’s boat, docked just off Catalina Island in California. Natalie Wood drowned mysteriously and her husband Robert Wagner was the prime suspect. The case was closed since her death was termed as an accident but recently credible information was revealed and the case was reopened. Walken and Natalie Wood were working together on the science fiction film 'Brainstorm' before the actress faced her sudden death. Luckily, Walken was ruled out as a suspect in her death since evidence against him was not credible.

In 1978, Christopher Walken won a Golden Globe Oscar for his performance in a film called ‘The Deer Hunter’. He did a remarkable job in delivering his role in 'The Deer Hunter' winning him the best supporting actor award for that year. In 2002, Walken won a National Society of Films Critic Award when he played a role in the film ‘Catch Me If You Can’. He came in second that year as the best-supporting actor in due to his gut-wrenching performance along side Leonardo DiCaprio. In 2002, the famous actor won an MTV Movie Awards for the film ‘Sleepy Hollow.' Sleepy Hollow is a remarkable horror thriller that made Walken win as best supporting actor of the year, where he acted as the headless horseman. Walken has received numerous awards for his performance. Some of them are Emmy awards, Oscar Awards, and two BAFTA Awards, among others.

Walken has taken part in major films such as the ‘Pulp Fiction,' and he also voiced the character of King Louie in the CGI live action of the ‘Disney the Jungle’ book. He played the the ruler of the group of monkeys and apes in The Jungle Book where he also takes on the role of the family man.

In 2005, there was a website for a campaign that was discovered that led Walken's fans to believe he might just be running for president but it all turned out to be a lie. Walken’s manager clarified to Walken's fans that the website was created by a crazy follower. He joked about the whole idea of becoming a president when he made a late night appearance on Conan O’Brien. Walken even drew up his own campaign slogan, called ‘No More Zoos!'.

Christopher Walken’s birth name is Ronald Walken; therefore, to his family and close friends, he remainsRonnie Walken. His old boss Monique Van Vooren gave him the name Christopher in a nightclub scene, where he used to be a dancer together with other two men early on in his career. Walken’s old boss had a habit of introducing the men to the audience by using fake names. She always called him Christopher, so hence the name Christopher stuck.

The multi-talented movie actor Christopher Walken has an estimated net worth of $50 million dollars. Walken has achieved his enormous net worth by acting in the films, theater, and televisions roles. His acting career includes major films such as 'Pulp Fiction,' 'The Deer Hunter,' 'Catch Me If You Can,' and 'Sleepy Hollow.' He also wrote a book about Elvis Presley and was the voice of King Louie in 'The Jungle Book.' Walken started working in the television industry in his early teens because of his mother‘s influence. His acting career in more than 150 films has earned him a net worth that will cater to him long int his golden years. The 75 years old actor Christopher Walken has worked hard and seen his progress in his acting career. Walken is a remarkable man who is without a doubt a talented actor and dancer.This is evident fro the films that he has featured in. He has struggled to create his name and his net worth proves how much he has worked hard. Walken continues to surprise his fans with his remarkable nature.