Christopher Walken interviewed: "I love to listen to Copland"

22 March 2013, 12:32 | Updated: 6 January 2017, 14:45

Christopher Walken is used to playing the darker characters in movies, but how is he at playing the cello in his new movie, A Late Quartet?

Roles in King Of New York, Pulp Fiction and The Deer Hunter have cemented Christopher Walken's reputation as one of the greatest actors of his generation. But in A Late Quartet, released on April 5th, he tackles a wholly different challenge - portraying a cellist in a string quartet.

The remainder of the quartet is made up Philip Seymour Hoffman, Catherine Keener and Mark Invanir, and the drama focuses on a shocking announcement made by Walken's character early on in the film.

Walken tells Classic FM's Lucy Coward about how he prepared for the role, his musical tastes and why he'd like to play the flute instead of the tuba. And who are his favourite composers? "I would say Elgar. I would say Richard Strauss… I love to listen to Copland and Bernstein."

Listen to the interview with Christopher Walken below