I didn't watch "Peter Pan" last night, but I do have a Christopher Walken story.
In 1988, the band I was playing with stayed for a week in the same Ft. Smith Arkansas Sheraton as the cast from the movie "Biloxi Blues," which was filmed there.
Entertainers have a way of seeking out other entertainers, even not famous ones (I was certainly not famous) and, over the course of that week, my then wife and I met Matthew Broderick, Neil Simon, and various cast members. A few of them even came to watch our band play. Sometimes we'd hang out at the hotel bar, including one late night where I have a foggy memory of a long conversation with Matthew Broderick concerning how he wanted to learn to ride horses. Don't ask me how that topic came up, because I know nothing about horses.
In that time, we had heard that Christopher Walken was also staying in the hotel, but everyone said he pretty much keeps to himself and doesn't go out a lot. Consequently, we never saw him.
So one morning, my wife, who had been catching up on some laundry in the hotel-supplied machines, came running back to the hotel room sounding very excited. She said "You have to come with me and see who's in the laundry room!"
So I did. There was Christopher Walken doing laundry, of all things. When I saw him, I just sort of mumbled hello and told him I was a fan. He said, very stone-faced, "Thanks." (long, long awkward pause) "That's real nice."
Then he began sort of talking quietly to himself while we were folding our clothes. For like 10 minutes. I think he was rehearsing lines, or maybe it was his way of indicating he didn't feel like talking to us. But in any case, it was a little weird to be in the same room with someone doing that, celebrity or not.
I'll pop more corn tomorrow.
