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Christopher Walken Recalls His Diaper Days

In this week’s New Yorker, Peter Stevenson accompanies Christopher Walken on a visit to his old neighborhood, in Queens. They do that thing where they knock on the door of the actor’s childhood apartment and Christopher Walken says, “I used to live here! Can I come in and look around?” Amazingly, the woman who answers the door does let them in, despite the fact that (a) she doesn’t recognize Christopher Walken, and (b) is pregnant and vulnerable and he looks, you know, like Christopher Walken. Here is what happens next.

Obviously, it’s best if you read the dialogue portions in the voice of Christopher Walken.

Hello, my name is Chris Walken,” he said. “This is very nice of you. When I was little, I used to have my diaper changed on the kitchen table here.”


They hung around for a minute longer.

Well, this was very interesting. God bless and good luck!” (“This sounds silly,” he said later, “but the first thing that I can remember I was on my back, on that kitchen table, and the window facing the street was open. I remember this marvelous warm breeze coming in, so it was around June, and I was a couple of months old. And I turned my head and right next to me was a white plate with scrambled eggs on it. I can still see it.”)


Home Again [NYer]

Christopher Walken Recalls His Diaper Days