An actor whose career has been consistently diverse for over 50 years, Christopher Walken is nonetheless at his best when he’s playing the bad guy, and the following examples prove it. We’re going to go through the five very best antagonists Walken has ever played and explain how his involvement is why they’re so memorable. But they had to be the villain of the piece. So, Frank White in King of New York was out, as was Gabriel from the Prophecy films, who are more the antiheroes of their respective films. Cameos were out too, so no Vincenzo Coccotti in True Romance, even though his scene is without a doubt the highlight of an already excellent film.
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Just missing the cut were Bobby Cahn in Wayne’s World 2, Mr. Smith in Nick of Time, Hickey in Last Man Standing, Colonel Cutter in Antz, King Louie in The Jungle Book, and Emperor Shaddam IV in Dune: Part Two. Missing the cut by a substantial amount were Reed Thimple in The Country Bears, Master Feng in Balls of Fury, and Sal Maggio in Kangaroo Jack.
5) Hatcher in The Rundown
A movie to watch after you’ve streamed Heads of State, The Rundown was Dwayne Johnson’s second lead role after The Scorpion King. It was the movie that proved he could not only be a legitimate action movie star but also had the necessary charisma to lead mainstream films. In other words, he’s the real star of the show. Ranking just below him are Seann William Scott and Rosario Dawson and, just below those two, there’s Christopher Walken’s Cornelius Bernard Hatcher. Sure, the script doesn’t give Walken much to work with, but he gets to play a man who has enlisted slave labor, and the actor does a great job of both playing a contemptable individual while also modulating his performance to align with the film’s overall light tone.
We know what you’re thinking. Hatcher in The Rundown over Emperor Shaddam IV in Dune: Part Two? But, let’s face it, of all the new characters in Part Two, Walken’s Emperor was the least utilized by a country mile. It was also nice to see Walken back in an antagonist role in something a bit more serious than Kangaroo Jack or The Country Bears (not that much more serious, but more serious).
4) Hessian Horseman in Sleepy Hollow
One of the late ’90s better higher-budgeted horrors, Tim Burton’s Sleepy Hollow is a great display of set design. And as the Headless Horseman (AKA The Hessian), Walken is the stuff of which nightmares are made.
Walken’s eyes are coated in a dead-like blue tint, and his teeth appear to have been shaved down to spikes. He’s not given much screentime, but those are minutes that stick in the memory. He’s also shown to be a little less monstrous than his appearance might indicate. He’s capable of love, at least for is horse, Daredevil, and when two girls betray his position to American soldiers, he doesn’t exact vengeance upon them. Furthermore, when he’s resurrected as the Headless Horseman, it’s not by his own will. He’s simply a tool of the genuinely malicious Lady Mary Van Tassel. It’s an impressive amount of depth for a character who never speaks, and a lot of the effect comes down to Walken’s ability to act with just his face.
3) Brad Sr. in At Close Range
One of the 1980s’ absolute best crime dramas, At Close Range is a powerful display of two very formidable talents: Sean Penn and Christopher Walken. It also comes equipped with an amazing supporting cast, including Crispin Glover, Tracey Walter, David Strathairn, the late Chris Penn, and Kiefer Sutherland.
But, while everyone does a great job and Penn is first billed, this ends up being Walken’s movie. Penn plays Brad Whitewood Jr., who is sick of living in poverty and wants to be more like his father, Brad Sr. But Brad Sr. is a criminal and, as Brad Jr. learns with his own eyes, a murderer. Eventually, Jr. learns that his father has absolutely no limits. When Jr. is incarcerated for a tractor theft gone wrong, Sr. begins to worry that he’ll cooperate with authorities. To keep those in Jr.’s orbit quiet, Sr. sexually assaults Jr.’s girlfriend, kills Jr.’s two best friends, and even kills his own son, Jr.’s brother, Tommy. He’s a depraved individual, and thanks to the gravitas brought by Walken, we believe he’s a real person, not just a character.
2) Max Zorin in A View to a Kill
Regardless of one’s feelings towards the film as a whole, they must admit that A View to a Kill comes equipped with one of the best villains and best final set pieces of the entire franchise. It’s just unfortunate that for every Max Zorin and Golden Gate Bridge finale there’s a baffling “California Girls” needle drop. But, in spite of its faults, A View to a Kill is almost certainly the 007 IP’s most unfairly bashed entry. At least it’s entertaining. The same can’t be said of the film that preceded it: Octopussy.
Max Zorin is Walken at his most unhinged. He’s genuinely a bit frightening here, a walking, talking, murderous Nazi experiment, and his presence greatly benefits the film. Outside of his mentor and, to an extent, creator, Dr. Hans Glaub, Zorin feels absolutely nothing for anyone. When he guns down all the people working for him, he does so with a cheek-to-cheek smile and a laugh. Even May Day, who we get the sense he has affection for, barely gets a reaction from him when she detonates herself. And, when that does happen, we get the sneaking suspicion that the pause is less about him having lost someone who matters to him as much as it’s about his (utterly inscrutable) plan having failed. There’s also just something creepy about the little defeated laugh he gives as he’s about to fall off the Golden Gate Bridge’s framework.
1) Max Shreck in Batman Returns
A Tim Burton movie that deserves the sequel it never got, Batman Returns is a masterpiece of the subgenre. It also features Walken’s ultimate villain role: Max Shreck (named after the actor who played the title character of Nosferatu).
Shreck was a wholly original character, and it’s hard to imagine anyone other than Walken playing him. He brings everything the character required to the table. We fully believe he’s selfish, smarmy, conniving, ruthless, and an opportunist. We also get a decent sense of why the people of Gotham think he’s something of an altruist. In public, Shreck is charming and commanding. In private, he’s vicious and sinister. Walken hits every note in the script perfectly, and Max Shreck is his best villain role.
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