The iconic actor Quentin Tarantino calls a “linguistic genius”
Quentin Tarantino has worked with incredible acting talents throughout his career. Ranging from Samuel L. Jackson to Brad Pitt and Leonardo DiCaprio, Tarantino has directed some of the biggest names in the film industry, but one particular actor holds a special place in his heart. So much so that he referred to him as a “linguistic genius”.
According to the director, the character he had written demanded an actor who was perfect for the challenge. That’s why he was searching for a specific quality during the casting process of his 2009 war epic Inglourious Basterds, especially when looking for an actor to play the iconic role of Nazi officer Hans Landa.
Often cited as one of Tarantino’s most terrifying creations, Hans Landa is an embodiment of absolute evil. Fortunately, Tarantino managed to get the perfect actor to play the role – Christoph Waltz. Through his performance, Waltz played around with the film’s sharp narrative tension and kept the audience glued to the edge of their seats.
In a 2009 interview with Mali Elfman, Tarantino said: “It was great because [with Christoph] the character could become the character I wrote: Landa, a linguistic genius. If that character on the page is going to get on the screen, that doesn’t mean just fluent in languages. That means an actor who is a linguistic genius, and that is Christoph.”
The character definitely required a linguistic genius because Landa had to be fluent in German, English, French and Italian. He is a multilingual monstrosity, widely called the “Jew hunter” for his ability to track down and eliminate Jewish refugees and other minorities. “When I wrote Landa, I knew I had written one of the greatest characters I will ever write,” Tarantino once said.
The director added: “He is a linguistic genius. If I didn’t cast an actor who was himself a linguistic genius, Landa would never be on the screen what he was on the page. Well, Christoph just had it. He could go toe-to-toe with Sam Jackson when it comes to taking my language [in English] and turning it into poetry.”
Initially, Tarantino wanted Leonardo DiCaprio to play the part, but Waltz was just phenomenal. The director also made Waltz rehearse separately so that the rest of the cast would have genuine reactions when subjected to the character’s horrifying behaviour. For his excellent work, Waltz ended up receiving the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor.
Never Miss A Take
The Far Out Quentin Tarantino Newsletter
All the latest Quentin Tarantino content from the independent voice of culture.
Straight to your inbox.