How Christopher Walken “fucked up” what should’ve been his best acting
There’s an argument to be made that Christopher Walken is the greatest supporting actor of all time.
Whether as a distant father in Catch Me If You Can, a comically unscrupulous businessman in Batman Returns, or a mob lawyer in True Romance, Walken always steals the show without detracting too badly from the leading performers. The only notable exception would be his role in Dune: Part Two, where he turned the emperor of the universe into a doddery old man who constantly looked like he’d wet himself.
A rare opportunity for Walken to lead a project arose in 1990. He starred in the Abel Ferrara King of New York, playing a former mob boss with a new mission in life. Frank White decides in true Robin Hood fashion to redistribute his ill-gotten gains to the city’s most vulnerable. It just so happens that this plan involves violently taking revenge on those who wronged him.
The film itself received mixed reviews upon release, but has since gathered a very healthy cult following. Walken’s performance has also been reassessed favourably, with many onlookers ranking it among his greatest ever. That’s what Total Film told the star when they interviewed him about his career, but the veteran wasn’t having any of it.
“It should have been my best work, but I fucked up,” he said, “I’ve only seen the film twice, and I felt that I didn’t give Frank enough complexity and perspective. You don’t see enough anguish in his face and the things that drive him to do what he does. I wish I had another chance to play him because I would have completely altered my performance. I’m flattered that you and other people enjoy the film and my character, but I’m not satisfied that I did justice to him.”
As gangsters go, Frank’s story is pretty unique. Sent to jail for running a massive drug empire, he applies the same tactics that earned him such infamy to a seemingly altruistic cause. Things aren’t that simple, though, as the ruthless streak that got him to the top of the criminal underworld is still very much alive and well. Most commentators would disagree that Walken made the character too basic, but an actor will always have a unique perspective and opinion on a role that they’ve lived with for months or even years.
Despite playing a string of terrifying characters over the years, Walken comes across a very nice, very humble guy in real life. He’s always given some pretty unusual takes on his films, shining a light on his overlooked projects while often rejecting his more prominent performances. He even attempted to defend the god-awful Gigli, even when every other person attached to it was dragging its name through the mud. Even the initial unflattering reviews of the film singled out Walken as a highlight however, with Roger Ebert noting his “polished and somehow sinister ease”.
While he would never call it his worst movie, it’s disappointing to see Walken so down on a film that he does so well in. Perhaps he was aware of the fact that this was a rare leading part for him and held himself to a higher standard, but he deserves to give himself a bit more credit.
