Why Christopher Walken ate raw garlic to get into character: “I’ve done a lot of very naughty things”
Christopher Walken has had a career as strange and eccentric as he is, whether it be his recent success as Burt in Severance or roles in cult classic films like Pulp Fiction, Catch Me If You Can and Dune.
But perhaps more famous than his filmography, is his general aura of strangeness that makes him one of the most lovable oddballs in Hollywood, with countless stories around his bizarre mannerisms and creative habits that have led people to question whether he is truly human at all, with some speculating that he is simply an alien placed on earth to entertain us.
However, while there are many instances that point towards this, whether it be the actor taking inspiration from Bugs Bunny or his unique line delivery style, there is one story that perhaps most convinces us of this truth, with Walken taking creative license to the next level while shooting his 1995 film The Prophecy.
The Prophecy, directed by Gregory Widen, follows the angel Gabriel on his descent to earth to collect a soul, hoping to end a war in heaven. Walken, of course, plays Gabriel, a character that seems quite fitting to his general demeanour.
However, while there are some things that you’d imagine might help get into character, such as dousing yourself in holy water or reading the bible, Walken had other ideas, with his co-star Virginia Madsen describing how he ate copious amounts of raw garlic.
When discussing this, Madsen said, “First of all, he’s a beautiful man. You know, he’s physically beautiful, and he’s also, like, a really beautiful man personally. I think he got into character, so he showed up with his hair super black, and he was constantly eating raw garlic. Just constantly. So he reeked. I mean, you could smell Chris from, like, six feet away. You knew when he was coming around because people would go, ‘Oh, God, Chris is here!’ I think he was doing it on purpose for that role. I never confirmed that, but I think he wanted people to have a kind of revulsion around him”.
It’s hard to imagine why this might help Walken, but regardless, it was clearly something that was important to him, even if others couldn’t understand its purpose. Perhaps it made him feel more isolated from everyone else, adding to the mood of his character. But while the cast and crew speculated, Madsen eventually plucked up the courage to ask him, explaining, “But then one time we were in the car, and he was not smelly, so I said, ‘So, Chris, man, what’s up with the garlic?’ I was in the front seat, and he leaned toward me with this really wonderful smile, and he says—and I’m one of the few people who can’t imitate Christopher Walken—’Well, you see, Virginia, I’ve done a lot of very naughty things.’ It was very sexy. So I was like, ‘Oh, so it’s, like, a health thing?’ And he goes, ‘Yeah, you could say that.’
It’s a beyond cryptic and confusing statement, but perhaps there is no point in trying to understand the depths to Walken. He remains an enigma, and it is probably better not to try and figure him out, because there might not be an answer that we can understand.
