Most of us Walkenophiles know that Christopher Walken has a PHOBIA for "the gun of the hand"; yet, he wields them rather brazenly in his villainous portrayals with what seems like "dead-aim" accurancy. He must have a tremendous power of "mind-over-matter"! Phobias can be extremely crippling psychologically. So...what's the TRUE story behind his "hatred" of firearms. One article I've read even stated that he can't stand knives, either! But...when he was a kid, he collected them as a hobby. (His brother, Glenn, collected guns!) Is somebody pulling our leg, here...or is Walken's dry sense of humor "pulling the wool over our eyes", keeping his distance and us guessing? If that is so, C.W. is living up to his Hollywood persona: a man of mystery and intrigue. His fans obviously love him for it. I, for one, sure do! As for his PHOBIAS...Walken has mentioned in one of his interviews that they make him a better actor. Thank goodness, however, that he got over one horrible phobia for an actor: STAGE FRIGHT! Otherwise, he may have only been known as a "hoofer", teaching ballroom dancing at the ROSELAND--instead of the marvelous actor he is today. As for MY QUESTION: How did Walken learned how to handle guns? This can't be ALL acting on his part! I think he liked playing "cowboys and indians" more passionately as a kid than we know!