Happy Birthday, Christopher Walken

When it comes to celebrity impersonation on YouTube, one thing is true: whether someone is grandstanding with 100 Impressions in Under Ten Minutes or making their first faltering steps into the world of funny voices, the spirit of Christopher Walken walks amongst us. For that reason alone, on his 66th birthday, we salute the wonderful world of the wannabe Walken.

You can hear him -- or, at least, someone pretending to be him -- as the voice of a GPS system, narrating Romeo and Juliet, or ordering an Icee at a drive-through. If you like to mix it up a little, you can watch a would-be-Walken ask not-actually-Kevin-Pollak for advice on playing poker. And speaking of Pollak, it seems that the Usual Suspects star couldn't resist throwing his own Walken impersonation into the ring when he decided to make his first video blog on YouTube.

Needless to say, not every Walken reaches the heights of this pre-election riff on Barack Obama. If you were thinking of torturing some vowel sounds in search of your own C.W. tribute, this extended video tutorial on Walken impersonation might be worth a look. However you choose to celebrate Christopher Walken's birthday, checking out this playlist of YouTube Walken worshipers is a good way to show Chris that you care.


Best,

Mark Day