AFTER LIFE Forbes publishes its annual earnings of dead celebrities this week – will Michael Jackson top the

starstruck,’ says Jess Gunning, who plays the jobsworth community payback supervisor Diane. ‘I mean, it’s just crazy isn’t it? He’s a really down-to-earth guy and he’s so professional and does his thing. But I did get goosebumps watching him on the monitor. You know, there’s just something about him. He’s a movie star and yet he’s here in Bristol in the freezing cold in a community payback hi-vis tabard. Really?’

But Christopher says he got something from the younger cast, which also includes Poldark’s Eleanor Tomlinson, too. ‘I was in the make-up trailer with a lot of my castmates who are younger than I am. And I don’t have any sort of technology, I don’t even have a mobile phone. I mentioned an actor named Clifton Webb who was marvellous, one of my favourites. He made a lot of movies in the 40s in Hollywood. None of my younger colleagues knew who he was. I said, “He’s one of the best actors, how could you not know?”’

So one of the younger actors took out his phone and Googled Clifton Webb. ‘In 30 seconds he had all these details, when he was born, where he started, his credits, where he lived... I thought, “Well, I gotta get me one of those cellphones, ipads or whatever it is. And I have to figure out how to do that.”’ So, as a result of

‘I’ve always hoped I’ll be working on my 96th birthday’

actors talking to actors about other actors, Christopher Walken now has an iphone. ‘I got a call on it this morning and I tried answering it but I ended up cutting the whole thing off. I still have to figure out how to answer it when it rings. But you know, small steps.’

He still sees acting as one job following another. He talks about getting restless when he’s not working almost 70 years into a stellar career that began as a child actor. ‘For me, and it’s always been true, one of the best feelings for an actor is going home in the car at the end of the day, going back to the hotel, and thinking, “I was good today. That was good.” There’s almost nothing better.’

And with two series of The Outlaws in the can, once again he’s looking for that next job. ‘Somebody said to me actors don’t retire. They get retired. And so far I haven’t been retired. One of my favourite stories about actors is that John Gielgud was having his 96th birthday and I think it was the Royal Family wanted to throw him a big party. The story I heard was that he had to respond and say, “Very sorry, I’m not able to attend because I’m on location shooting a movie.” I have always hoped that on my 96th birthday I’ll be working somewhere and unable to attend my own birthday party.’

The Outlaws, Monday, 9pm, BBC1.