Christopher Walken purposely destroys Banksy artwork in BBC comedy finale
Banksy has been known to destroy his own artwork, but the British street artist was topped by actor Christopher Walken.
Walken, who was appearing in Wednesday’s season finale of the BBC comedy series “The Outlaws,” used a roller to paint over a piece artwork by Banksy, which was on the side of a building in the artist’s hometown of Bristol, The New York Times reported.
A Banksy work, “Love is in the Bin” — originally titled “Girl With Balloon” — which was partially shredded after an October 2018 auction — resold last month for a record $25.4 million in a Sotheby’s auction.
In the BBC show, directed by and starring comedian Stephen Merchant, Walken’s character is ordered to perform community service, according to The Guardian. He and several other characters wear high-visibility vests as they clean up graffiti from a wall on the side of a building in Bristol.
>> Banksy’s shredded painting resold for record $25.4M
Walken’s character, Frank, asks his probation officer Diane (played by Jessica Gunning) if he should paint over it. The distracted probation officer explains that all graffiti must be painted over, and Walken obliges, according to The Guardian.
Walken’s character knocks over a board to reveal a painted black-and-white rat and two canisters, along with Banksy’s name spray-painted on the wall in orange, the Times reported.
“We can confirm that the artwork at the end of The Outlaws was an original Banksy, and that Christopher Walken painted over that artwork during the filming of this scene, ultimately destroying it,” a spokesperson from Big Talk Productions, the show’s production company, said in a statement.
Here are some memorable photos of actor Christopher Walken through the years.
Circa 1955: Child actor Ronnie Walken, who later found fame as Hollywood star Christopher Walken, performs in his backyard at his home in Bayside, Long Island.
1976: Portrait of American stage, film, and television actor Christopher Walken as he stands, with an overcoat on his shoulders and a scarf around his neck, near several posters advertising the New York Shakespeare Festival at Lincoln Center, New York, in 1976.
1978: This is a photo of a scene from the 1978 Michael Cimino film "The Deer Hunter." Pictured starting second from left: John Cazale, next actor is unidentified, Robert De Niro, John Savage, next actress is unidentified, Christopher Walken and Meryl Streep.
1979: Actors Telly Savalas, Christopher Walken and Dyan Cannon pose together after Walken won the best supporting Oscar for his role in "The Deer Hunter," in Los Angeles, April 9, 1979.
1981: Natalie Wood is shown with co-star Christopher Walken on the set of "Brainstorm," the movie she was working on at the time of her death, Oct. 15, 1981.
1982: Author Norman Mailer, right, strolls ahead of, from left, actors Christopher Walken, Susan Sarandon and Mailer’s companion Norris Church during a lunch break for the murder trial of writer-convict Jack Henry Abbott in New York, Jan. 19, 1982.
1985: American actor Christopher Walken at Pinewood Studios during the filming of the James Bond film "A View to a Kill" in which he played the megalomaniac criminal, Max Zorin.
1988: Actor Christopher Walken is pictured in 1988.
1990: Director John Glickenhaus, left, and stunt coordinator Jack Gill, standing, watch actor Christopher Walken perform in a fight scene with an extra, Cris Aguilar, right, lying down, during filming of "McBain" in Cavite, Manila, Dec. 9, 1990.
1999: Christopher Walken stars in the movie "Sleepy Hollow," directed by Tim Burton.
2001: Actor Christopher Walken poses with his award Funniest Male Guest Appearance in a TV Series for "Saturday Night Live," April 22, 2001, at the 15th annual American Comedy Awards in Los Angeles.
2002: Actor Christopher Walken attends the premiere of Disney’s "The Country Bears" at the El Capitan Theatre on July 21, 2002, in Hollywood, California.
2003: Actor Christopher Walken poses backstage with his Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role award for "Catch Me If You Can" during the ninth annual Screen Actors Guild Awards at the Shrine Auditorium on March 9, 2003, in Los Angeles.
2004: Actor Christopher Walken attends a hand and footprint ceremony honoring him at the Grauman’s Chinese Theatre on October 8, 2004, in Hollywood, California.
2005: Actor Christopher Walken poses with "bridesmaids" Harriett McClure, Heather Laine, Heidi Bailey and Amelia Nelson at the premiere of "Wedding Crashers" at the Ziegfeld Theatre on July 13, 2005, in New York City.
2006: Director Frank Coraci (left) and actor Christopher Walken arrive at Sony Pictures premiere of "Click" held at the Mann Village Theater on June 14, 2006, in Westwood, California.
2007: Actor Christopher Walken (left) and wife Georgianne Walken attend the opening night premiere of "SOS" at the 2007 Tribeca Film Festival on April 25, 2007, in New York City.
2008: Actor Christopher Walken performs a skit during the Hasty Pudding Man of the Year awards February 15, 2008, in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
2009: Family of late actor Heath Ledger, father Kim Ledger, mother Sally and sister Kate, pose with actors Christopher Walken (left), Cuba Gooding Jr., Alan Arkin, Kevin Kline and Joel Grey in the press room after accepting the award for Best Supporting Actor for "The Dark Knight" at the 81st annual Academy Awards held at Kodak Theatre on February 22, 2009, in Los Angeles.
2010: Actor Christopher Walken holds his caricature during an unveiling ceremony to unveil the Christopher Walken caricature at Sardi’s on April 6, 2010, in New York City.
2011: Actors Christopher Walken and Sam Rockwell attend the WhyHunger Chapin Awards at The Lighthouse at Chelsea Piers on June 6, 2011, in New York City.
2012: Director Fisher Stevens with actors Christopher Walken, Alan Arkin, Julianna Margulies, Al Pacino and Addison Timlin attend the premiere of "Stand Up Guys" hosted by The Cinema Society with Chrysler and Bally at MOMA on December 9, 2012, in New York City.
2013: Actor Christopher Walken (left) and Georgianne Walken attend Vanity Fair Party for the 2013 Tribeca Film Festival on April 16, 2013, in New York City.
2014: Christopher Walken, Drena De Niro and Robert De Niro attend "Remembering the Artist Robert De Niro Sr." New York Screening After Party at The Museum of Modern Art on June 5, 2014, in New York City.
2015: Christopher Walken and Amber Heard attend the premiere of "When I Live My Life Over Again" during the 2015 Tribeca Film Festival at the SVA Theater on April 18, 2015, in New York City.
2016: Christopher Walken, Jason Bateman and Nicole Kidman attend the "The Family Fang" Premiere at the 2016 Tribeca Film Festival at BMCC John Zuccotti Theater on April 16, 2016, in New York City.
2017: Christopher Walken, Robert De Niro and Meryl Streep backstage during the 44th Chaplin Award Gala at David H. Koch Theater at Lincoln Center on May 8, 2017, in New York City.
2018: Christopher Walken attends the Special Screening of the Netflix Film "Irreplaceable You" at The Metrograph on February 8, 2018, in New York City.
