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Christopher Walken called Bugs Bunny his favorite actor
More cowbell, no! More carrots, yes!
After an interview with Ben Stiller for the Severance Podcast, Christopher Walken revealed his greatest acting inspiration was none other than Bugs Bunny. According to Stiller, “(Walken) said that Bugs Bunny is one of his favorite actors ever. And he was saying this kind of with a twinkle in his eye, but not really."
Now, Bugs may be a surprising and even unconventional source of inspiration for one of the greatest actors of all time, but Walken grew up in the 1940s, which was the height of Bugs' fame. Everyone loved Bugs, and the Looney Tunes were everywhere during this period. Bugs Bunny, being a goofball with a sharp wit, an endless supply of confidence, and a heart of gold, had an impact on Walken as a young child actor growing up in Queens. And if Walken ever struggled, asking himself, "What would Bugs Bunny do?" likely helped him with both acting and life.
Stiller continued, "And (Walken) said, ‘A lot of times I’ve played roles as if I was Bugs Bunny, but nobody knew.’ Now, which character, which movie, we don’t know.” This leaves everyone wondering - which roles was Christopher Walken channeling Bugs Bunny for? Certain movies come to mind, like Hairspray, Seven Psychopaths, Batman Returns, and other performances like Fatboy Slim's "Weapon of Choice" music video and the "More Cowbell" SNL sketch. Walken has played several dramatic roles, but the ones we recognize him most for are the goofy, irrelevant, and comedic performances, many of which were likely inspired by or directly channeling Bugs.
This recent podcast interview is not Walken's first time recognizing Bugs' influence on his life. In a 2001 interview with the Washington Post, Walken said, "He's so smart, he's so funny, he's got such a great attitude. Bugs Bunny is the spirit of New York... You can't fool Bugs Bunny. That's all I have to say. He's on to everybody."
Many Walken fans were not surprised by the Bugs Bunny revelation and left comments like "We knew," and "It all makes sense now." Whatever Walken did to channel Bugs Bunny, it worked, and Walken joined Bugs as an Oscar winner and Hollywood legend.
