I don’t perceive it as odd but maybe the matching he does. It’s not because of what I do though but because of what the others [in the cast] do. It’s the thing I enjoyed most. In this project it’s sort of “hare on the run”: you can run in hooks and speed up and slow down but the dog needs to follow. That way the dog will never catch the rabbit. The dog runs fast but he only runs straight so he can’t adjust to twists and turns. That’s what’s at play here. That, perhaps, was my favorite thing.
Control, manipulation, blackmail, absolute power/corruption — with the movements we’ve seen against powerful men who’ve abused their positions, this show comes at a delicate time. Was that part of the appeal? You play a lot of “villains,” and our country sort of has a love affair with rooting for the bad guy. How do you approach a character who seems to have few redeemable qualities?
Christoph Waltz, winner of the Best Supporting Actor Oscar for ‘Inglourious Basterds,’ attends the 82nd Annual Academy Awards Governor’s Ball at Kodak Theatre on March 7, 2010, in Hollywood, California. I want to talk about details. In each of your performances, there is always a tiny detail that sticks out. That’s surely purposeful.