When this year's Emmy nominations rolled out in July, fans of the Apple TV+ series Severance would have been delighted with Christopher Walken's nomination in the Best ing Actor category. Though the Oscar-winning veteran actor has a brief role in the series, he owns his scenes with his timeless charm and screen presence.
Though he might be more popular for his movie roles, Walken also has a noteworthy TV career. In fact, other than Severance, he also leads the ensemble of Hawaii Five-O.
Vendetta (1999) - 6.1
From Michael Douglas to Al Pacino, several veteran actors have acted in HBO original movies in the later years of their career. Walken is no exception as he starred in the 1999 HBO movie Vendetta, a story of police brutality, mafia, and corruption set in the late 19th century.
Based on a true story, Vendetta deals with the troubled relationship between the American police force and Italian-American immigrants, which leads to much bloodshed and the shocking mob lynching of eleven such immigrants. Walken stars as the lawyer James D Houston, who was alleged to be one of the riot's perpetrators. Given the historical context, the role brings out Walken's dramatic intensity that was reminiscent of previous emotionally challenging characters such as Nick in The Deer Hunter.
Julius Caesar (2002) - 6.6
For years, the rise and fall of Julius Caesar has proven to be an interesting theme to explore in historical dramas, such as this Emmy-nominated miniseries.
Dramatizing its titular emperor's life from his early conquests to eventual assassination, Julius Caesar serves as a quintessential look for both history aficionados as well as amateurs. Caesar's struggles in the battlefield as well as the political Senate are brought out by Walken's character Cato the Younger, a constant adversary in both cases. With the character evoking themes of manipulation and political conflict, Walken carries a certain antagonistic charm that makes his character a sly one instead of being overtly evil.
Kojak (1973-1975) - 7.1
Starring Telly Savalas in the titular role, Kojak deals with the daily misadventures of an eccentric detective. The morally righteous attitude, bald look, and fondness for lollipops made Kojak stand out from other famous TV detectives of the time.
Not many would know but even a pre-fame Christopher Walken made a brief appearance in the episode "Kiss It All Goodbye," which was also directed by Savalas. Walken plays a robber called Ben Wiley, looking as young as ever and combing down his hair in an "emo-like" fashion. Given the brief screentime, the role doesn't bring out much of his dramatic prowess, but it is still a memorable throwback for the actor's fans.
Skylark (1993) - 7.2
Patricia MacLachlan's novels centering on the romance between a mail-order bride and a widowed farmer spawned a trilogy of Hallmark Hall of Fame movies. The second installment in this trilogy, Skylark reunites Christopher Walken with Glenn Close as their characters explore their marriage in troubling times.
Walken's Jacob struggles with a drought ruining his farm while Close's Sarah is in a dilemma on whether to shift the family elsewhere or not. For fans of Walken who wish to see him in an emotional yet feel-good TV movie, Skylark would make for a perfect watch. The actor seems to share an effortless chemistry with co-star Glenn Close, a break from the usually intense R-rated movies that he used to act in the 80s and the 90s.
Sarah, Plain, And Tall (1991) - 7.3
Sarah, Plain and Tall stars Glenn Close and Christopher Walken as two hopeless protagonists who find love in a small farm. What follows is some wholesome family entertainment that is typical of a Hallmark movie.
Though Walken was already an established actor in the best movies of the 1990s, such movies added more to his work's versatility. With Sarah, Plain, and Tall spawning its own trilogy, Walken established himself even in the realm of TV movies. And he is quite effortless indeed essaying the role of Jacob Cutting, a farmer who is initially tough on the outside but eventually shows his softer side to his newly-married wife.
Hawaii Five-O (1968-1980) - 7.4
Fans of procedural drama shows would obviously know Hawaii Five-O, but the diehard fans would have also binged on the CBS original that ran between the 1960s and the 1980s. Following a "case of the day" routine for each episode, the show dealt with the affairs of a covert police taskforce in Hawaii under former Navy officer-turned-special state police officer Steve McGarrett.
In one of the season 2 episodes, titled "Run, Johnny, Run," a 25-year-old Christopher Walken can be spotted. Walken plays a man in the Navy who is suspected of murder. But as the episode progresses, Walken's character seems to have more secrets to hide. Though he appears in just one episode, he owns his limited scenes with some ionate monologues at the end of the episode, as he explains his motivations behind the crime.
The Outlaws (2021-) - 7.7
Created by and starring British comedian Stephen Merchant, The Outlaws deals with a ragtag bunch of seven strangers, who are involved in community service for minor crimes that they have committed. But when they accidentally gain access to contraband money, the stakes of them being outlaws rise.
Incorporating social satire and black comedy, the show benefits from its humorous ensemble with Christopher Walken showing off his comedic chops. He plays an American conman trying to lead a normal life in Britain with his estranged family. But as he gets embroiled in criminal conspiracies, Walken engages in some delightful rants and outbursts. It is worth noting how Walken has been embracing different roles even at this age. While Severance and The Outlaws both have been airing around the same time, Walken is versatile enough to balance dramatic and comedic tones in each.
Saturday Night Live (1975-) - 8.0
As iconic as are its comedy skits and cold opens, the SNL hosts with the most appearances.
Serving as a seven-time-host from 1990 to 2008, Walken touched upon social observations and some brilliant deadpan humor. As is common for the show's hosts, he also appeared in several skits of the episodes that he hosted. This included him playing some amusingly silly characters such as Colonel Angus and the "ladies' man" in a parody of The Continental. For the ones who think Walken can't tickle the audience's funny bone, they should binge on his SNL skits as they showcase some of his funniest moments.
Naked City (1958-1963) - 8.3
The police procedural drama Naked City follows an anthology format in telling bizarre and amusing stories from the titular city. While the show stands the test of time in its own right, it can also be watched by avid cinephiles for featuring some reputed actors in their younger years.
Having appeared in two episodes, Christopher Walken s the leagues of several actors who were relatively unknown at that time. This includes Bruce Dern, William Shatner, James Caan, among many others. Much like his role in Kojak, Walken embodies a youthful ion in his brief role, which would only get explored further with more iconic roles in his career.
Severance (2022-) - 8.7
One of the freshest shows on television right now, Severance is a sci-fi psychological drama that deals with the dystopian concept of people accessing a technology that allows them to separate their personal lives from their workspace selves. But as they are reduced to labrats in a complicated social experiment, chaos ensues.
With an out-of-the-box concept and some absurd humor thrown in the mix, Severance seems to be the perfect show for Christopher Walken to showcase his acting prowess. As he develops some unexpected feelings for a co-worker (played with equal brilliance by Walken's off-screen friend John Turturro), Walken's Burt Goodman provides some of the most wholesome moments on Severance. It always helps to have a seasoned veteran on new shows and Walken proves this. He is used in limited capacity, but he perfectly uses every scene to evoke his character's naivety and positive nature.