Waltz Wins Best Supporting Actor for ‘Basterds’

Christoph Waltz, at the time unknown to American audiences, made a great first impression on movie goers and critics by playing Col. Hans Landa in Inglourious Basterds. Apparently he made a good impression on the Academy, because he took home the Best Supporting Actor award on Sunday night.

From The Associated Press:

“Waltz beat four Hollywood veterans: Matt Damon for Invictus, Woody Harrelson for The Messenger, Christopher Plummer for The Last Station and Stanley Tucci for The Lovely Bones.

An Oscar for Waltz seemed a foregone conclusion since last May, when Inglourious Basterds premiered at the Cannes Film Festival and won him the acting prize there.

Waltz delivers a virtuoso performance as charming but deadly opportunist Landa, expertly flinging about Tarantino's manic dialogue in four different languages.”

Writer and director Quentin Tarantino has said he worried Walt’s character was unplayable. He was relieved when he saw how well Waltz did with the part. He told Variety last year that Waltz"gave me my movie back."