Christopher Walken Destroyed Original Banksy Art for The Outlaws

There
is
little
doubt
that
Christopher
Walken
is
one
of
the
more
eccentric
actors
in
Hollywood
today.
His
most
recent
stunt
may
well
have
cemented
that
status.
In
the
series
one
finale
episode
of
the
BBC
Series



The
Outlaws,
the
78
year
old
actor
painted
over
a
Banksy
original
painting
as
a
part
of
the
story.

The
anonymous
artist
had
painted
one
of
his
signature
rats
on
the
set
of
the
drama,
as
it
was
filming
in
his
home
city
of
Bristol.
The
rat
was
painted
over
by



Christopher
Walken
during
the
final
episode.

A
spokesperson
for
the
show
said: “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.”

The
Outlaws
follows
a
group
of
minor
criminals
as
they
are
forced
to
complete
a
community
service
sentence.
Walken
plays
one
of
those
criminals.
The
series
was
written
and
directed
by
Stephen
Merchant.

In
the
last
episode,
Walken’s
character
uncovers
a



Banksy
rat
on
the
building
they’re
refurbishing.
After
asking
his
probation
officer
Diane
(Jessica
Gunning)
whether
he
should
paint
over
the
rat.
The
probation
officer,
who
is
distracted
and
unaware
that
the
rat
is
painted
by
Banksy,
instructs
him
that
all
graffiti
should
be
removed.

Walken
has
had
an
illustrious
career
playing
many
eccentric
roles,
although
more
people
remember
him
from
his
stint
on

Saturday
Night
Live
where
he
played
fake
music
produce
Bruce
Dickinson
than
any
other
role.
To
this
day,
he
still
gets
asked
if
he
wants
more
cowbell
wherever
he
goes.

Banksy
is
the
pseudonym
for
an

England-based
street
artist,
political
activist,
and
film
director,
whose
real
name
and
identity
remain
unconfirmed
and
the
subject
of
speculation.
Active
since
the
1990s,
his
satirical
street
art
and
subversive
epigrams
combine
dark
humor
with
graffiti
executed
in
a
definitive
stenciling
technique.
His
works
of
political
and
social
commentary
have
appeared
on
streets,
walls
and
bridges
throughout
the
world.
Banksy’s
work
grew
out
of
the
Bristol
underground
scene,
which
involved
collaborations
between
artists
and
musicians.
Banksy
says
that
he
was
inspired
by
3D,
a
graffiti
artist
and
founding
member
of
the
musical
group
Massive
Attack.

Banksy
displays
his
art
on
publicly
visible
surfaces
such
as
walls
and
self-built
physical
prop
pieces.
Banksy
no
longer
sells
photographs
or
reproductions
of
his
street
graffiti,
but
his
public “installations”
are
regularly
resold,
often
even
by
removing
the
wall
they
were
painted
on.
A
small
number
of
Banksy’s
works
are
officially,
non-publicly,
sold
through
an
agency
created
by
Banksy
named
Pest
Control.
Banksy’s
documentary
film,

Exit
Through
the
Gift
Shop,
released
in
2010,
made
its
debut
at
the
2010
Sundance
Film
Festival.
In
January
of
2011,
he
was
nominated
for
the
Academy
Award
for
Best
Documentary
Feature
for
the
film.
In
2014,
he
was
awarded
Person
of
the
Year
at
the
2014
Webby
Awards.

The
Outlaws
also
stars
Rhianne
Barreto,
Gamba
Cole,
Darren
Boyd,
Clare
Perkins,
Eleanor
Tomlinson,
Dolly
Wells
and
Ian
McElhinney.
The
show
was
renewed
for
a
second
series
in
January
of
this
year.
It
is
available
for
streaming
on
BBC
iPlayer.
This
story
came
from

NME.