Hollywood actor Christopher Walken frequently pretends it's his birthday on film sets, to trick the cast and crew into giving him vast amounts of cake and champagne.

The SLEEPY HOLLOW star makes his co-stars feel so guilty about missing his big day, they throw a fabulous party for the mischievous trickster.

He explains, "I sit in the make-up trailer very early in the morning and while the lady is patting my face with the brush. I look very sad.

"Sooner or later she'll ask, 'What's the matter? You look a little down today.'

"So, I'll say, 'I'm alright.' Then she'll finally ask again: 'Come on, what is it?'

"Then I reply. 'It's my birthday, and I'm sad, because I'm alone...and I don't have a cake. But don't tell anybody.'

"By lunchtime a cake is wheeled out with bottles of champagne, and we all have a lot of fun."

15/07/2005 05:55