"I try not to worry about things I can't do anything about"
About this Quote
The subtext is control, but not the macho kind. It’s triage. Walken’s career has always depended on calibrating what’s within reach: the pause, the tilt of a smile, the slightly wrong rhythm that makes a line unforgettable. You can’t control how a performance is cut, how a movie is marketed, whether the internet turns you into a meme. You can control what you bring to the moment. The quote quietly argues for a boundary between craft and outcome, effort and noise.
Context matters because celebrity culture monetizes anxiety. Actors are expected to care publicly and constantly: about box office, reviews, relevance, being “problematic,” being forgotten. Walken, who’s long cultivated an off-kilter calm, offers a counterposture: don’t audition for the role of Person Who Is Handling Everything. The intent isn’t to deny reality; it’s to refuse the psychic tax of pretending you can steer it. That’s not passivity. It’s focus with a deadpan grin.
Quote Details
| Topic | Letting Go |
|---|---|
| Source | Help us find the source |
| Cite |
Citation Formats
APA Style (7th ed.)
Walken, Christopher. (2026, January 17). I try not to worry about things I can't do anything about. FixQuotes. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/i-try-not-to-worry-about-things-i-cant-do-81154/
Chicago Style
Walken, Christopher. "I try not to worry about things I can't do anything about." FixQuotes. January 17, 2026. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/i-try-not-to-worry-about-things-i-cant-do-81154/.
MLA Style (9th ed.)
"I try not to worry about things I can't do anything about." FixQuotes, 17 Jan. 2026, https://fixquotes.com/quotes/i-try-not-to-worry-about-things-i-cant-do-81154/. Accessed 12 Feb. 2026.







