Think about how much mail the average person gets, then multiply that by ten. Celebrities get a lot of mail - even if you don't count mail from fans. Think about all the paperwork they must read, contracts, scripts, invoices, invitations, business proposals, and their own personal mail etc. On top of that, they must work to make money, and most actors/performers have very hectic schedules, often traveling or pulling sixteen hour days on set. Reading and answering all that mail could take hours per day, that is why most have help in that area, especially fan mail. On top of just letters, Celebrities also receive lots of gifts, and not just from fans. They get items from movie promoters, film festivals, manufacturers sending free products (hoping for an endorsement) , plus things from their own friends and relatives. Needless to say it is possible that the mail could pile up and/or be read by an assistant in order to keep up with it. From my experience, Chris Walken does not respond to mailed requests for autographs or other such requests.The plain and simple fact is that I know a lot of Walken fans who have sent requests for autographs and no one has ever gotten one through the mail. He would probably much rather sign them in person as they are more meaningful anyway. He is very agreeable to autographs in person and will even go out of his way to greet fans and sign autographs. That is just the way he is; more of a face-to-face kind of guy. But, it never hurts to ask by mail if you have your mind set on it, as long as you know ahead of time that there is a slim chance of getting a response. When requesting an autograph, you should send the photo or item for him to sign along with a self-addressed stamped envelope for return postage. In my opinion, you should not spend a lot of money on mailing multiple requests for the same thing, as if it were a lottery and the more entries the greater the chances. It just creates more mail which lessens any kind of chance their is. If you request an autograph and never get it, try not to be angry about it. Hopefully, you have read this and know not to send your most prized 8x10, expecting to get it back. If you are an autograph collector, you can always just purchase something autographed by Chris on ebay or other auction sites. I have always thought that autographs are meaningless unless they are signed in person, but I do understand the need to "collect" things too! I have made one or two requests for autographs by mail, but it probably wouldn't have been as thrilling as watching him personally sign my copy of Theater Week with him on the cover. I am sure Chris appreciates gifts from his fans, but of course he does not have time to acknowledge these things. You can take comfort in the fact that he has a room in his house just for storing things like this and he probably doesn't throw special, meaningful things away. My advice on gifts is to not spend too much money because it will just frustrate you that you didn't get a "thank you" from him. If there is something that you really want him to have, then just realize that he will receive it, even if he never thanks you for it. Avoid sending food, flowers, or other perishables as they will probably get thrown away. Avoid sending something with no sentimental value whatsoever, like a store-bought item that he could go out and buy for himself (believe me, he probably has enough things like ties, cologne, boxer shorts, kitchenware, DVDs, etc.) Also, avoid sending extremely large items as these may be hard to store and would need to be given away. Less is more, in my opinion. A tasteful handmade item that has some significance to him is the best choice. For instance, one fan purchased a small painting of the gazebo from Dead Zone when she was vacationing in Niagra-On-The-Lake, where the movie was filmed. An extremely rare Elvis collectable might be nice, but only if you are willing to spend the money and not be sure if he really liked it or if he already had it in his collection. If you have some talent, why not make something yourself, like a drawing, painting, sculpture, etc. Just try to go for small, tasteful and meaningful. The Fan Club usually does a gift once a year for his Birthday and one at Christmas where Fans can contribute. Usually it is a booklet of some kind, for example, we sent him a cook book since he loves cooking, we called it "From Eggplant To Cantaloupe - what Walken Fans Like to Cook" and it contained recipes from Fan Club members from all over the world. We have also done a joke book, postcard album, art book, and more recently a poetry book, all made by fans. This is a good way to get a sentiment across without having to take the time and money to send a gift yourself. Fan Club mail does not get any special treatment over other mail, but a group gift can help reduce the amount of mail Chris or his assistant has to go through, and still get the same messages across. As far as simple letters of admiration and appreciation, there aren't really any guidelines that I would suggest, except be tasteful and respectful... and also be brief. If you are writing to say you loved his performance in this or that, I should think you can't go wrong. If you have the urge to write him something more personal or emotional, just remember to ask yourself, "Would I be embarrassed by this letter if I met him and he remembered it?" or "If I were a celebrity, would I enjoy a letter like this from a stranger?" and I guarantee that you will do fine in your letter-writing. Postcards are great too, if you just have a short message. Miracles do happen. The fan club had written to Chris numerous times with various requests and we thought he would never respond, then one day he did. It wasn't any kind of attention-getting letter either. It was a simple invitation to a small reception after a play and a brief cover letter explaining the event. It was in a plain white business sized envelope, nothing fancy. So, that just goes to show that he does read his mail, even the simplest letter. He is just so busy, and that is the way he likes to be. His fans may be of a high priority to him, but he probably feels the best way to please his fans is to work, not to sit at home and read mail. I think that it was extremely lucky that we got a response. Expect nothing, hope for anything. We are always hopeful he will respond to us again. The above is my own opinion, and not any kind of official policy. It is just some advice to help you along. You can take it or leave it. I am always willing to have discussions on the topic of fan mail, if you have questions or concerns. Feel free to email me