We need not make any secret of our Christopher Walken obsession: From his legendary SNL skits — one of which Betty White even paid tribute to last weekend — to his obsession with doing a jig in every movie to his unwillingness to ever turn down a role, he’s one of the great cult figures of our time. And given his distinctive mannerisms and style of speech, it’s no surprise that Walken is the subject of oodles of impressions, many of them brilliant.
Below the fold, ten of the best Christopher Walken impressions of all time:
1. Kevin Spacey
Kevin Spacey is a freakishly talented impressionist, and his Walken is no exception. But Kevin Spacey impersonating Christopher Walken screen testing as Han Solo? Genius.
2. Whose Line Is It Anyway?
We’re big fans of Whose Line? and this Walken impression on the show reminds us why. You know you’re doing it right if you can make Drew Carey laugh.
3. Robin Williams: Christopher Walken as a Porn Star (NSFW)
Great: Robin Williams renders Christopher Walken as a porn star. Mildly disturbing: His wife and children are sitting right there.
4. Cooking with Christopher Walken
Australian sketch comedy show The Wedge takes the celebrity cooking show trend to its logical conclusion: With Walken preparing chicken and pears. But wait — is that the real Walken after all?
5. Kevin Pollak
Kevin Pollak is known for typically playing the confidante or straight man to the leading character. His real life anecdote about Walken is obviously no exception because it’s clear he’s the only one there grounded in reality.
6. A woman at Chop Suey’s Laffhole
Via Reddit comes this hidden gem: A female comedian at a Seattle comedy club doing a killer Walken impression.
7. Eddie Izzard
Everyone’s favorite British occasional cross-dresser takes on everybody’s favorite human being; hilarity ensues.
8. Jay Mohr
Jay Mohr was sorely underutilized during his brief stint on SNL (as he’ll be the first to tell you), but it had one lasting benefit: Bringing his awesome Walken impression to the world.
9. Snakes on a Plane, Christopher Walken-Style
The execution here is not 100%, but you have to be impressed by — and yearn for just a bit — the conceit of Snakes on a Plane starring Walken.
10. The cast of SNL
“More cowbell,” the Continental, the census-taker — it’s safe to say without hyperbole that Christopher Walken is the best recurring SNL host ever. Here, the 2007-2008 cast pays tribute to their sensei in a Walken-packed sketch.
Kwame Opam contributed research.
