Walken Speaks About Episode 2

As the second Star Wars prequel is currently filming in Australia, Tunisia, Italy and parts unknown, rumors of who is and isn't in the movie have been circulating for months. Of course, any actor in their right mind would kill for a role in the much anticipated flick. Rumor has had it that Christian Bale, Jimmy Smits, Ryan Philippe and every other young hunk in Hollywood all had landed parts. As far as the aforementioned goes, I think only Smits is actually in the movie. Despite the fact that it was reported at www.aint-it-cool-news (Harry Knowles' baby) that four reliable sources told Moriarty there that Christopher Walken was going to play a villain in the second prequel I would like to set the record straight. It ain't so--and I heard it straight from the horse's mouth--Christopher Walken himself.

Last week, I sat down to talk with Christopher Walken at a midtown hotel about his latest project, The Opportunist, but I couldn't help but bring up what everyone really wants to know, is he in that much-shrouded-in-mystery prequel? Here it is, straight from the horse's mouth.

Walken, back from Prague where he is currently filming Charles Shyer's period piece, The Affair of the Necklace, starring Oscar-winner Hilary Swank (Boys Don't Cry), Adrien Brody and Jonathan Pryce, was in New York for a couple of days to talk about his role as Victor Kelly in the Myles Connell-directed The Opportunist Set in the blue-collar neighborhood of Sunnyside, Queens (only a few blocks from where Walken grew up and his parents still live), Walken plays a hardworking mechanic, a regular guy, and ex-con who has managed to live it straight for years. After a cousin he's never heard of arrives unexpectedly from Ireland, he finds himself risking everything (including his relationship with his bar owner girlfriend played by singer Cyndi Lauper) trying to make an easy score to keep himself and his family afloat. But, try as he will, Victor Kelly just can't seem to get things right. It's an enjoyable, well-made and well-acted flick, and affords Walken a leading man role instead of his usual fare of playing sinister villains.

So, back to the question at hand. When I asked Walken directly if he had filmed his role in the prequel yet, he shook his head, laughed, and replied, "People have been telling me that for six months. It's really interesting and at one point I even thought, 'Maybe I'm in it and they're saving it for a surprise. But, I'm not in the second Star Wars prequel and I never was. I don't know how that rumor got started." When I explained to him that the sourcewas from someone who claimed to be working for starwars.com who had announced that he was going to be playing a character called Darth Bane, Walken, again shaking his head in disbelief, replied, "I tell you frankly that the only place that I ever heard that was by the way of rumor. I even said to my agent at one point, 'What's that about?' and he replied, 'Absolutely nothing!"

So all you Star Wars fanboys, this should put that rumor in its' final resting place.--Sherry Weiner