‘Django’s’ Christoph Waltz embraces controversy in art

“Django Unchained” star Christoph Waltz may have starred in a movie that’s kicking up dust for its portrayal of the slavery era, but the Golden Globes supporting actor winner said that he’s remained unfazed by the backlash.

“It should be controversial,” the man who plays a smooth-talking bounty hunter said backstage. “If you choose a controversial subject, you better be prepared for a controversial discussion,” he said, adding, “I wish more movies gave us an opportunity to discuss controversial [subjects].”

The film has garnered criticism from the likes of Spike Lee and others, who have lambasted it for turning a tragic period of American history into a spaghetti western

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Waltz said that the film presented more technical issues as he was making it. “Riding a horse wasn’t much of a challenge. Falling off was,” he said, alluding to injuries he suffered as he shot the period picture.

Waltz has gone from workaday actor to Oscars and Golden Globes favorite thanks to Quentin Tarantino, who cast the Austrian actor in his last two movies. But Waltz, who also won a supporting actor Globe for his portrayal of a smug Nazi in Tarantino’s “Inglourious Basterds,” said he’s tried to remain grounded--literally. “I get out of bed and put my feet on the ground, and for the rest of the day I try to stay there.”

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