Christopher Walken vs. Gary Oldman (1 Viewer)

[Brian Kissinger]

These are two of my utmost favorite actors. I have yet to see a movie where I didn't enjoy their performance. I wanted to see who you thought was better. Gary Oldman is usually over the top, but always blissfully so. Walken anymore, has almost the same delivery, but to me it's priceless.
On a personal note:
Oldman is pure gold in Romeo is Bleeding and The Professional .
likewise
Walken in King of New York and Suicide Kings .
What is your opinion?

 

[JustinT]

I'm gonna go with Walken. I love his role in Pulp Fiction with the watch. That scene is hilarious!

 

[Richard Travale]

Wow! This is pretty tough, I love both of them. You're right, Walken does have the exact same delivery, whether it's comedy, horror or Drama.
I love Oldman's more wacky characters such as Zorg from The 5th Element.
I think overall, I'm going to have to choose Christopher Walken based on his entire body of work, not just a few choice parts. Of course his role in the Fatboy Slim video pushes him over the top

 

[Eve T]

Walken. I have loved this man for years and I don't see that ever changing. All of his performances are stellar. Oldman rocks too but Walken takes the cake..what's more is he's cute too. Maybe I'm just odd
Eve

 

[Rob Lutter]

Walken is a great actor... and he can dance too

 

[Nick Sievers]

You can go with this, Or you can go with that, You can go with this, Or you can go with that.
Walken is the man, love those moves . I do like Gary Oldman but only in small doses when (if ever) he isn't over-acting.

 

[Bruce Hedtke]

Oldman is the better actor. Walken is more fun to watch...I'll take Oldman.

Bruce

 

[Ash Williams]

Walken all the way. To me, he is the most unique actor I have ever seen. My favorite movie starring him would have to be Communion. He is not only very wierd in that role, he is also downright scary. As for Gary Oldman, he is very versatile and can play just about anything. I really thought he was perfect for the part of Lee Harvey Oswald in JFK, he looks just him! Who is the better actor? Oldman is, but I perfer to watch Walken.

 

[Seth Paxton]

Oldman is the better actor, by far to me.
His range is crazy.
Just look at True Romance vs The Contender vs Dracula vs JFK
Walken plays Walken. But Walken is still a blast to watch and I always believe his emotions, even if it still feels like Walken as that person.
His career is more like "What if Walken was a psychic? What if Walken was a cowboy? What if Walken was a gangster? What if Walken was in Viet Nam?"

 

[Brian Kissinger]

O.K. if you were casting a movie, and only had room for one of them, which do you go with?
Me? To quote Hoggle from Labyrinth, "I would go either way."
In all seriousness though, I'd probably cast which ever one was willing to sleep with me to get the part.

 

[Steve_Ch]

>>What if Walken was in Viet Nam?

 

[Joe_C]

As much as I love Oldman's over-the-top demeanor in Leon: The Professional, Fifth Element, and others, I still have to go with Walken. Walken is one of the (sometimes unintentionally) funniest actors out there. He is just so...Walken
Did anyone else love him as host of SNL? Tell me he wasn't one of the best hosts of recent memory!

 

[Travis D]

Wasn't this on MTV's Celebrity Deathmatch? I recall that Chris Walken crushed Oldman's head in.

 

[brentl]

Gary Oldman is WAY more fun to watch!!

Brent

 

[SteveGon]

Gary Oldman! I hate Christopher Walken and I'll tell you why. I was out in L.A. a couple of years ago, walking down the street, when who do I see? Mr. Walken himself. I didn't bother him but I did let him know that I recognized him by saying hello. However, I accidentally addressed him as Mr. Oldman. It was then that he flew into a psychotic rage and beat me senseless! He even stole my wallet! Can you believe that? Man do I hate Christopher Walken!

 

[Seth Paxton]

Walken on SNL is always great. What's the one character - the Cosmopolitan or something like that (where he won't let the girl leave and her part is all POV shots).
"He" was also great when Jay Mohr did his impersination on SNL for the Star Wars casting and Walken was up for the Han Solo part (with Spacey hosting and doing some killer impressions himself - Lemmon up for Chewbacca).

 

[Steve_Ch]

>>Tell me he wasn't one of the best hosts of recent memory! >the Cosmopolitan or something like that

 

[Joe_C]

Yeah it was the Continental...at least I'm pretty sure that was it. I still laugh when I think about the sketch where Tim Meadows comes by Walken's apartment to get his info for the census, and Walken is his typical bizarre and ridiculous self.

Meadows: "How many residents live here?"

Walken: "Counting myself...56."

Meadows: "You mean to tell me 56 people live in this little apartment?"

Walken: "Did I say 56? I meant 3."

There was more - much more - but that was all I can (reasonably) remember.

 

[Alex Spindler]

Yeah, Jay Mohr and Kevin Spacey both do killer Walken impressions (although Mohr is superior at it).

Personally, I love watching them both (although Walken is himself so often his only real competition is Jeff Goldblum), but Walken is more fun to watch.

 

[rhett]

Deer Hunter, one of the all time GREAT performances (may well be the ONLY movie he did that he did not sneak in a few dance steps ).

Actually, Walken sneaks in a fair bit of dancing during the wedding party.
As far as the matchup goes, I think Walken easily surpasses Oldman. Gary Oldman is a good actor, but like Nick said, he very often overacts. I've liked several of his performances (Romeo is Bleeding and Dracula), but never loved any of them. Walken on the other hand has had some amazing starring roles, but as of late has been one of the most entertaining supporting players in movies today. My favorite of his has to be the highly underrated The Dead Zone. His performance was so deep and moving, definitely one of my favorite performances ever in film.
Walken is a versatile actor too though, he can go from kind to emotionally bleak in The Deer Hunter, to tender and loving in Sarah Plain and Tall. But agreably, lately he has been sticking to the same offbeat roles in films of the last 10 years or so. I really hope he makes a comeback as a leading man!