Christopher Walken destroyed an original Banksy artwork by painting on it during a scene for his TV show.
The Hollywood actor, 78, erased the secret artist’s room as he cleaned up street graffiti while filming his comedy-drama The Outlaws in Bristol.
Anonymous Bristol street artist Banksy painted a picture of a rat with two spray cans and his name especially for the BBC series set in his hometown.
Uh oh! Christopher Walken destroyed an original Banksy artwork by painting on it during a scene for his TV show
The six-part comedy-drama follows a group of misfits renovating an abandoned Bristol community center as part of community service for various crimes they’ve committed.
Christopher plays Frank in the series co-created by Stephen Merchant, the character supplementing his community service by painting over graffiti in the series’ final episode.
After finding the artwork, Frank asks his probation officer Diane (played by Jessica Gunning) if he should paint on it.
Gone forever: The Hollywood actor, 78, wiped the secret artist’s room as he cleaned up street graffiti while filming his comedy-drama show The Outlaws in Bristol
However, Diane is distracted and does not see the art, telling Frank that all graffiti needs to be repainted, Frank then doing as told.
A spokesperson for The Outlaw confirmed, “We can confirm that the artwork at the end of The Outlaws was an original Banksy and that Christopher Walken painted this artwork while filming this scene, ultimately destroying it. “
However, it was revealed that the destruction of the artwork was pre-arranged by Banksy, a native of Bristol, who is said to be a big fan of Hollywood legend Christopher and admired that fellow Bristol-born Stephen Merchant presented the city.
Artwork: Anonymous Bristol street artist Banksy painted a picture of a rat with two spray cans and his name specially for the BBC series set in his hometown
Series: The six-part comedy-drama follows a group of misfits renovating an abandoned Bristol community center as part of community service for various crimes they’ve committed
A source told The Sun: “The creative team came up with the dream scenario and reached out to representatives for the artist with the faint hope that he could help them.
“Then they found out shortly after that he had gone to where they were turning and had left something behind. They couldn’t believe their luck as he had painted a giant rat using his signature stencil technique as well as his distinctive signature.
They added: “His only condition was that they had really painted on it – and that would be his hero Christopher holding the scroll.”
Role: Christopher plays Frank on the show co-created by Stephen Merchant, the character supplementing his community service by painting over graffiti in the show’s final episode
Oops: After finding the artwork, Frank asks his probation officer Diane if he should paint on it. However, Diane is distracted, telling Frank that all graffiti needs to be repainted, Frank then doing as told.
It comes after a half-shredded work of art by Banksy sold for £ 18.6million, four times its estimate last month.
Onlookers gasped as the then-titled ‘Balloon Girl’ was sucked into a concealed shredder as the hammer fell following a £ 1.04million bid at auction from 2018 at Sotheby’s.
Unique item, now called ‘Love is in the Bin’, by anonymous street artist relisted with a price estimate of up to £ 6million.
Planned: However, it was revealed that the destruction of the artwork was pre-arranged by Bristol-based Banksy, who is said to be a huge fan of Hollywood legend Christopher (pictured in 2018)
But the work exceeded all expectations, selling for £ 18.6million – a new record for a Banksy coin – to a private investor represented by bidder Nick Buckley Wood.
The sale, which saw nine bidders fighting for 10 minutes for the work, breaks the previous record of £ 16.75million set for a Banksy in March.
Some people think he didn’t really shred. It made. Some people think the auction house was in the game, it wasn’t, ”the street artist said on Instagram in 2018.
‘Love is in the trash’: this comes after a half-shredded artwork by Banksy sold for £ 18.6million – four times its estimate last month
