When people hash out the biggest sensation ofMTV ’s heyday , names likeMadonna , Michael Jackson , andNirvanacome to listen . But for a stop in 2001 , the music video everyone was talking about starredChristopher Walken .
Walkenappearedfor a solo and virtuoso performance in the video for “ Weapon of Choice , ” a caterpillar tread by musician and DJ Fatboy Slim that boast Bootsy Collins . Catchy as the song may be , it plays 2nd fiddle to Walken , who counters his idiosyncratic screen range of a function by evince off saltation move honed in his theatrical background signal . Walken dancing across the concealment , mate with a baggage cart , water tap on an escalator clause , and eventually flies ( on a harness ) .
Made for Walken
For people familiar only with Walken ’s movie work , where he played intense or sinister theatrical role in moving-picture show likeThe Deer Hunter , King of New York , andTrue Romance , the fleet - hoof carrying out come as a surprisal . But Walken has an all-inclusive history with dance .
“ In the Queens where I rise up , you did n’t go bowling on Saturday ; you start to dancing schooltime , ” hetoldThe New York Timesin 1992 . His female parent shuttled Walken and his comrade to tap - dance object lesson ; he latertrainedin musical field of operations terpsichore at the Washington Dance Studio and was part of the touring company forWest Side Story , where he met his wife and fellow dancer , Georgianne . Film success come later , with 1977’sAnnie Halland an Oscar winnings for 1978’sThe Deer Hunter .
So how did that render to a four - moment music video recording directed by Spike Jonze ? Duringan interview withThe Nine Clubpodcast in 2018 , Jonze recalled that he had seen Walken terpsichore onSaturday Night Liveyears earlier , so when the director settled on doing a dance video for “ Weapon of Choice , ” the conception started to come together . He just had to trust Walken would be on panel .
“ I wrote up the estimate into a letter , and mailed him the letter and the song,”Jonze saidduring an interview with NPR . “ And he called me back a couplet of days after and said that he thought it would be fun to do . ”
Jonzefilmedat a Marriott hotel in Los Angeles , with Walken presenting as a journey and lethargic man of affairs who is suddenly moved by the euphony . Although Walken had dance in several of his movie , most notably doing a tap - dancing strip in 1981’sPennies From Heaven , the video recording was the most saturated dose of his ability to date .
An Award-Worthy Performance
The response was overwhelmingly cocksure . “ Weapon of Choice ” come in heavy rotary motion on MTV and babe station MTV2 and wasnominated for nineMTV Video Music Awards in 2001 . Overall , the videowon six Moonmen , including one for Best Direction ( though Best Dance break to NSYNC ’s “ Pop . ” )
Walken live on on toappearin a television production ofPeter Pan Live!in 2014 , where he again tap - dance and even talk as Captain Hook .
That show ’s producer , Craig Zadan , toldEntertainment Weeklythat Walken could have had a very unlike career : “ I believe that if he had been around in the bloom of MGM , he would have been a big principal of musical on pic . ”
