Christoph Waltz on his Django Unchained Director Quentin Tarantino

Working with Quentin Tarantino seems to be the good luck charm Christoph Waltz needs for Oscar recognition.

Three years ago, he picked up the Best Supporting Actor statue at the Oscars for his turn as the ruthless Nazi officer Colonel Hans Landa in Tarantino’s Inglourious Basterds, even though he’d been acting for some time before this. Now, once again, the Austrian actor’s work with the American director has lead to an Oscar nod for his somewhat more sympathetic portrayal of a German in Django Unchained.

In an interview about the film, which has now become the biggest box office success of Tarantino’s career, Christoph told me about the relationship they have, and why Tarantino is just like German composer-extraordinaire Richard Wagner.

He also throws in the word gesamtkunstwerk in there a few times. And yes, I had to google the spelling of that one.

And this one: Glückwünsche, Mr Waltz!

Django Unchained opens in South Africa next Friday, it’s currently playing in the US.