[imagesource: BBC]

In the final episode of the BBC’s The Outlaws, Christopher Walken destroyed a genuine Banksy artwork by painting over it.

Don’t worry, he was given permission.

In the six-part comedy-drama, Walken plays Frank, just one member in a group of misfits who set out to renovate a derelict community centre in Bristol as part of community service for crimes they have committed.

The anonymous street artist Banksy is from Bristol, so of course, he had to have a special mention in the show.

He had painted his motif, a stencilled rat with a spray paint can, on a wall for the series, with the words “Banksy” written above it, reported The Guardian.

This commission was all so that Frank, who is told in the final episode to paint over every single piece of graffiti on the walls, could destroy it.

Bye, Banksy:

Image: Big Talk/Four Eyes’/PA

Here’s a spokesperson from the show:

“We can confirm that the artwork at the end of The Outlaws was an original Banksy, and that Christopher Walken painted over that artwork during the filming of this scene, ultimately destroying it.”

It hurts when you realise how much a Banksy artwork sells for:

Last month a partially shredded Banksy painting sold for £18 582 000 (R380 million) at auction in London.

The artwork, Love is in the Bin, was sold by auction house Sotheby’s, who cited the fee as a record for the street artist.

This video gives you an idea of how sensational this piece was:

If you’re interested in The Outlaws, it is available on BBC iPlayer, and will be available on Amazon Prime in the new year, too:

Looks like a riot, alright.

While we’re here, let’s take a moment to engage in some Walken appreciation starting with this from Bradely Cooper:

Cooper is not wrong.

Just watch Walken teach Conan some dance moves around the 7:30 mark:

If anyone deserves to destroy a Banksy, Walken does.

[source:theguardian]