The Craft of Acting

• 💡 Christoph Waltz initially believed he was not meant for the role of Hans Landa in "Inglourious Basterds," finding the script complex and the character a fascinating blend of evil and joy.
• 🎯 He emphasizes that Quentin Tarantino's scripts are like music, with everything written on the page, allowing actors to follow the text precisely rather than trying to "make something of it."
• 🧠 Waltz's approach involves disregarding personal judgment of a character and focusing on finding the interesting details within the role, believing the character simply "lives it."

Collaborations and Directorial Styles

• ✍️ Waltz feels that Quentin Tarantino writes for him, noting that Tarantino had him in mind for the role in "Django Unchained," appreciating the coherence in their collaborations.
• 🎬 Working with Roman Polanski on "Carnage" involved extensive, theater-like rehearsals for two weeks, which was a unique and valuable experience for a film.
• 🔬 He describes Polanski as incredibly precise, focusing on millimeter-level camera movements to achieve perfect shots, while Tim Burton (for "Big Eyes") follows a strong visual vision.

Industry Insights and Moral Complexity

• 🇩🇪 Waltz contrasts the German film industry as "stodgy" and "boring," heavily dictated by television financing, with the Austrian industry being "livelier" and more creative due to less money and a more flexible mentality.
• 🗣️ He finds English a more dramatic language than German, especially for comedy, as it allows for direct delivery of punchlines without being spoiled by complex syntax.
• ⚖️ Waltz argues against simplifying morality into "good" or "bad," especially concerning characters like Nazis, stressing that such simplification prevents deeper understanding and critical thought, which he believes is a particularly American notion.
• ⚠️ He criticizes the modern film industry for making movies primarily for financial reasons and remaking old successes, advocating for more adventurous storytelling and respecting the audience's judgment.

Personal Reflections and Influences

• 🌱 Despite coming from a family of theater professionals, Waltz was initially vehemently against theater, preferring film and wanting to be a cinematographer before "slipping" into drama school.
• ✈️ He acknowledges the challenge of maintaining a normal life with an acting career that involves constant travel, stating there's "no solution" and one must make peace with it.
• 🎭 Waltz expresses deep admiration for actors like Robert De Niro and Carrie Grant, noting that his admiration for actors is dynamic and evolves with his own interests and life stages.
• 🎶 His greatest pleasures include listening to classical music performed beautifully and engaging with early 19th-century and Flemish art, finding these moments bring him happiness.