Christopher Walken Interview – HAIRSPRAY
7/8/2007
Posted by Frosty

Have you seen it since?
No, I haven’t.
Were you on set when John Waters was there?
No. He was probably there for half a day.
Or Ricky Lake?
No. I didn’t see Jerry Stiller. Those parts I’m sure they just came and.. you know…
When you were doing the dance with John—‘cause you are a good dancer—did you just get to put some input into the choreography? Or did you just do what they say?
No. We came and [director] Adam [Shankman] had these assistants and they showed us that dance to the music. And just two people doing it for us. And then we learned that.
So there wasn’t any little flare?
No, it was all choreographed.
Was it always the change of costumes? Was that always part of it?
It was.
Oh, it was. That was very cute.
You know, it was, of course that was a time lapse thing.
How was working with Adam?
Great. I didn’t know him at all, but I ended up liking him a lot.
Was there something that surprised you—
He’s a good guy, you know.
Was there something that surprised you about his directing or his choreography?
Well, he’s very good, you know. He knows a lot about all that stuff. But, he’s also, he makes a nice atmosphere on the set.
I was going to ask you about previous projects you’ve worked on. Is there anything that you look back on and you think that these are some of your favorite roles? Do you have any personal favorites?
Sure. I saw a movie that I was in the other day that when I made it 10 years ago, I didn’t think much, and it didn’t do anything. It disappeared, you know. And I never saw it. And then I saw it the other day on The Movie Channel. And it was funny.
Was it in between doing the containers? Shrinking things down?

What?
Cleaning the refrigerator.
Oh. No, no. This was a picture called Kiss Toledo Goodbye, and I played kind of a low level mob guy. Not very bright. It was funny.
Is there a role you haven’t played that you’d like to play?
This part that I have in a strange way is a part that I’ve wanted to play. A husband, a father, a good guy, a man with a business and all that stuff. His own house, like a wholesome type man. Ozzie and Harriet. And this part really is the closest to that I’ve ever played. You know, it’s a bizarre family, but it’s a pretty nice family.
You talked a little bit about Adam bringing a different style. What was that style?
No, I didn’t say he brought a different style. I said he made a nice atmosphere.
Atmosphere. What kind of atmosphere?
Nice. (laughter) You know, where people are calm and they take their time and everybody is encouraged to do their best. When knock on your door of your trailer and they say, ‘Come to the set,’ you’re looking forward to it.
How do you pick the roles that you choose?
My agent sends me the script and I usually just look at my own lines. And then I think, ‘Could I say that?’ If I read it, mumble it to myself, if I have no idea what the script is about, but if I mumble the lines to myself and it’s okay, I usually say ‘Yeah, I could do that.’
Would you like to host SNL again? I know you’ve done it quite a few times, you’re in the what, five or 10 department now?
Six.
Six, okay.
I would. They haven’t asked me.
I’m sure they will soon.
No. Sometimes when you’re an actor you get put out to pasture.
Have they done the collection for you?
They did. You get… they put you on an ice flow. Or it’s the old actors’ home in Jersey. Where you eat bologna sandwiches on white bread.

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