Severance's fans shocked as Christopher Walken revealed surprising job before fame
With Christopher Walken today celebrating his 82nd birthday, fans of the Hollywood veteran have been taking a look back at his illustrious career.
And in doing so, some have stumbled across an item on the actor's impressive CV that has absolutely blown their minds.
Walken's most recent professional project has been Severance - the sci-fi psychological thriller series that seemingly everyone is talking about.
But for those who haven't yet tuned in, the show follows a group of employees working at a biotechnology firm named Lumon Industries, who have undergone a process called 'severance'.
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The procedure wipes the staff members' memories of the outside world while they're at work, and gives them no recollection of their jobs as they return home again.
On the Emmy-nominated show, which also stars the likes of Adam Scott, Patricia Arquette, John Turturro and Tramell Tillman, the actor plays Burt Goodman (known as 'Burt G'), a 'severed' employee who works as the head of Optics and Design.
Prior to landing his latest role - which earned him an Outstanding Supporting Actor Emmy at the 2022 festivities - Walken also appeared in a plethora of blockbuster productions, many of which garnered him a multitude of other awards.
Not only did he pick up the Best Supporting Actor award at the 1978 Academy Awards for his role in The Deer Hunter, but he was nominated for the same accolade in 2002 for Frank Abagnale Sr in Steven Spielberg's Catch Me If You Can.
The same role also landed him BAFTAs and Screen Actors Guild awards, and for his part in the 1991 CBS movie Sarah, Plain and Simple, he walked away with two Primetime Emmys.
It's also worth emphasising that Walken's talents aren't limited to the screen. He also has two Tony Award nominations under his belt for appearances on the stage.
Prior to entering showbiz, however, the movie star got a gig in the circus, with lion taming being his primary act.
Walken confirmed what had long been a Hollywood rumour in conversation with The Guardian in 2021, squashing rumours he turned to the circus amid his mother's encouragement to go into acting.
"I didn’t run away, I just got a job as a trainee lion tamer," he told the publication. "Who’s going to turn that down?"
Adding that he was just 16 at the time, and that the job only lasted a single summer, he recalled: "I would come into the cage and wave my whip, and she’d lazily get up and sit like a dog and maybe give a little roar.
"I like cats a lot. I’ve always liked cats. They’re great company."
After the news began doing the rounds again amid the global hype over Severance, several fans seemingly couldn't believe their ears.
Re-sharing the revelation, one gushed: "Before becoming a Hollywood legend, Christopher Walken had a wilder gig—literally! At 16, he worked as an assistant lion tamer in a traveling circus.
"From commanding big cats to commanding the screen, his career has been nothing short of legendary!"
Another penned: "Imagine taming nature's fiercest at just 16. Fascinating historical tidbit."
"This is hilariously not surprising lol, legendary actor," a third continued.
Topics: Celebrity, Jobs, TV And Film, US News
Rhianna Benson