Christopher Walken | Ronald Walken

Christopher Walken takes a reference as the “ultimate character actor.” He shines at playing weird characters, psychopaths, and villains thanks to his nerdy charm, which can skew dark in an instant. But long before he became a legendary character, Walken was just another Queens dancer. Walken began his career as a dancer at the Washington Dance Studio, then moved on to dramatic stage roles and movies.

Ronald is Walken’s real first name. Monique Van Vooren, his former boss, gave him his stage name. Walken was a dancer in her nightclub performance, and he thought the moniker fit him better than Ronnie. Van Vooren had a habit of introducing them under false identities, and she tested out Christopher one night. That was the one that stuck for whatever reason. In the United States alone, Walken’s films have grossed more than $1 billion. He has a long list of honors and nominations to his credit.