Christoph Waltz brings chills as the notorious villain in 'Inglourious Basterds'

Christoph Waltz

If you talk to people who’ve seen the World War II action drama "Inglourious Basterds," chances are, they’ll say that the most memorable character in the movie isn’t Brad Pitt’s role as Lieutenant Aldo Raine but rather Christoph Waltz’s role as Colonel Hans Landa, the cold-blooded Nazi whose chilling smile and distracting charm mask his evil soul. "Inglourious Basterds" (directed by Quentin Tarantino) tells the story of the Basterds, an underground group of Americans and Europeans who team up to hunt down and kill Nazis.

For Austrian actor Waltz, Hans Landa is a breakthrough role that is getting him numerous accolades. Many people are predicting that Waltz will be a top contender for best supporting actor at the 2010 Academy Awards. During the Los Angeles press junket for "Inglourious Basterds," Waltz talked about how he’s taking all the acclaim in stride, his unforgettable interrogation scene in the beginning of "Inglourious Basterds," and what he thinks is "quintessential Tarantino."

What was it like filming "Inglourious Basterds"?

How it was that year? I’m not sure it happened. You know how you wake up from a dream in the morning? Or rather in the middle of the night. And for a short period of time, you’re not quite sure on which end you are. Are you in the dream? Are you out of it? Have you gotten away? Or do you want to go back in?

But you know how a dream can linger on if you’ve had a very nice dream? It can linger on during the whole course of the day and sort of filter your outlet on that day. And that’s how I feel.

Christoph Waltz in "Inglourious Basterds"

What’s your idea of the quintessential Tarantino?

The quintessential Tarantino — everybody has a slightly different conception of that. Because my quintessential Tarantino is this. And really the person in all seriousness, who has become important to me, apart from all the movies is this immensely acute observer, sort of a sensitive mega-antenna that picks up stuff that you don’t realize exists. He feels the pulse of everything that has a pulse. And that, for me, was the quintessential Tarantino. And that translates directly into this movie, because he sees and hears and feels vibes that are so delicate and are so subtle. And it all translates onto the screen. And that, to me, is the quintessential Tarantino that actually constitutes this movie.

Can you talk about any research you did for your memorable interrogation scene in the beginning of "Inglourious Basterds"?

There’s so much material and such complex material. There is so much work to be done just to find out what it is that I didn’t have much time to think about how to do it. Plus, I trusted that if I do my homework properly and figure out what it is, how I do it will follow, more or less as a logical consequence.

Christoph Waltz in "Inglourious Basterds"

Can you talk about how linguistics is a big part of the Colonel Lander character?

It’s the linguistic approach … Quentin refers to Colonel Lander as a linguistic genius. That does not mean he speaks several languages. If you refer to speaking several languages, you have to talk about 30 if you evoke genius. But in Europe, everybody speaks a few languages. Let’s grant Lander that he speaks more than the four [languages] than we actually witness. But linguistic genius goes beyond the multilingual. It goes as far to evoke certain layers of reality through language. He uses language as a means to throw off the existence of a person. If someone can do that with language, then we can talk about linguistic genius.

Do you speak Italian?

I don’t speak Italian. I sort of babble gibberish Italian, to the degree that I can make myself understood, but it’s not really Italian.

How are you handling all the awards and critical praise you’re getting for your role in "Inglourious Basterds"?

For me, I’ve been an actor for some time. So it’s different from someone who starts out or has spent a few years in the business. I’ve seen a lot of ups, and I’ve seen quite a few downs. And I know what the ups and the downs can do to your life, if you take that whole thing seriously, which I do. So this unexpected über up that is happening, I haven’t experienced anything like that. In a way, drawing from experience, I can put it in a certain perspective — and that helps a lot. As a youngster, I’m sure it would’ve thrown me overboard.