Christopher Walken Walken", playing fictional poet and ladies' man Robert Fulmer. In Woody Allen's 1977 film "Annie Hall", Walken played the homicidal and borderline crazy brother of Annie Hall (Diane Keaton). Also in 1977, Walken had a minor role as Eli Wallach's partner in "The Sentinel". In 1978, he appeared in "Shoot the Sun Down", a western filmed in 1976 that costarred Margot Kidder. Along with Nick Nolte and Burt Reynolds, Walken was considered by George Lucas for the part of Han Solo in "Star Wars"; the part ultimately went to Harrison Ford. In 1977, Walken also starred in an episode of
Annie Hall seriocomic meditation on the couple relationship to George Cukor's "Adam's Rib" (1949), starring Katharine Hepburn and Spencer Tracy. Since its release, other romantic comedies have inspired comparison. "When Harry Met Sally..." (1989), "Chasing Amy" (1997), "Burning Annie" (2007), "500 Days of Summer" (2009) and Allen's 2003 film, "Anything Else", are among them, while film director Rian Johnson said in an interview for the book, "The Film That Changed My Life", that "Annie Hall" inspired him to become a film director. Karen Gillan stated that she watched "Annie Hall" as part of her research for her lead role in "Not Another