Christopher Walken reveals the Looney Tunes character that made him a better actor

For actors, inspiration can come from anywhere, but for Christopher Walken, it comes from none other than Bugs Bunny.

The beloved actor has discussed his penchant for the “wascally wabbit” in the past at least once, telling The New York Times about his acting process. “Sometimes I do things just to amuse myself,” he told the paper. “I’ve played scenes pretending that I was Elvis or Bugs Bunny or a U-boat commander. I just don’t tell anybody.” Walken shared this with Ben Stiller as well while appearing on the Apple TV hit Severance. Stiller mentioned this on the Severance podcast, which prompted the director and fans to wonder just exactly where Walken is doing this.

Redditors have a few ideas of their own. Indeed, there’s now a whole thread dedicated to the question “Which characters did Christopher Walken play as Bugs Bunny?” Some point directly to his role as producer Bruce Dickinson in the famed Saturday Night Live Blue Öyster Cult sketch now lovingly known as “More Cowbell.”

Are there traces of Bugs Bunny in Christopher Walken's portrayal of Bruce Dickinson in the famed "More Cowbell" sketch from Saturday Night LIve? Saturday Night Live, www.youtube.com

Others draw a line to Walken's appearance in 2012’s Seven Psychopaths, particularly where a gangster points a gun in his face, says “Put your hands up,” and Walken simply says “No.”

Another Redditor called to Walken’s role in 2002’s Catch Me If You Can, “picturing Bugs giving the ‘mouse churned butter to escape the bucket of milk’ speech."

Christopher Walken in Catch Me If You Can, directed by Steven Spielberg and released in 2002. www.youtube.com

Another called to Walken’s cult classic performance in Fatboy Slim and Bootsy Collins’ “Weapon of Choice” music video.

Christopher Walken dances through the Fatboy Slim x Bootsy Collin's video for "Weapon of Choice." Fatboy Slim, www.youtube.com

Once aware of Bugs’s influence on Walken, it’s possible to see traces of the famous rabbit’s impish charm, cleverness, and “wascally” nature throughout Walken’s comedic work in particular. He seems to be winking throughout many of these roles the same way Bugs does, inviting us to be in on the joke.

This isn’t the first time the famous hare has been an inspiration in the world of performance, however. Dave Chappelle has long cited Bugs as an influence; there’s traces of the rabbit throughout Jim Carrey’s performance in The Mask; and, of course, in Barbra Streisand’s character Judy in the film What’s Up, Doc?; as well as Gary Oldman’s role as Zorg in The Fifth Element. Even Bryan Cranston once said “Any actor who tells you he’s not inspired by Bugs Bunny is a liar, frankly, or just a hack.”

Bugs Bunny in the Looney Tunes cartoon "French Rarebit," released in 1951. WB Kids, www.youtube.com

Considering that Bugs himself was inspired in part by one of the greatest actors of the 20th century, maybe it’s not that much of a surprise. One inspiration for our furry friend was none other than Clark Gable, a legendary actor in the Golden Age of Hollywood. The bunny was in part based on Gable’s performance as fast-talking and hustling New York reporter Peter Warne in the famed 1934 film It Happened One Night, down to the way Gable eats carrots in it. Gable was so famous and beloved at the time that audiences would have recognized, and perhaps similarly loved, the rabbit’s similarities. Comedian Groucho Marx and suave screen legend Douglas Fairbanks were also said to have influenced Bugs’s character.

Christopher Walken’s lineage as an actor thereby goes all the way back to these distinguished actors in addition to Bugs Bunny. It’s not a bad legacy to carry, carrots and all.

Clark Gable as Peter Warne in It Happened One Night, one of the inspirations for Bugs Bunny. www.youtube.com