WALTZ’S ‘FEVER’ PITCH
Stars in historical drama
THE WAY “Tulip Fever” star Christoph Waltz sees it, there’s much more to acting than chasing flowery accolades.
Waltz would know — he’s a two-time Oscar winner, after all, for his performances in “Inglorious Basterds” and “Django Unchained,” which were both directed by Quentin Tarantino.
And while the Austrian-German actor is certain those eccentric dramas — which quickly established him as one of Hollywood’s topflight performers — completely altered his career, he’s not so sure that taking home trophies at the Academy Awards has had the same level of impact.
“Has it changed my life? Well, I don’t know how it would be without having won awards,” Waltz, 60, told the Daily News.
“What I can say for sure is that without the Tarantino movies, everything would be completely different. That changed my life — not the awards.”
Waltz’s latest dazzling performance comes in “Tulip Fever,” a historical drama that encapsulates the hectic tulip mania phenomenon of 17th century Amsterdam, where people paid exorbitant prices to purchase the bulbs of the beautiful flowers.
The film, out this Friday, stars Waltz as a wealthy merchant named Cornelis Sandvoort who desperately wants a son from his much-younger wife Sophia (played by Alicia Vikander), who is having an affair with a local artist (Dane DeHaan).
Although the movie is set in the 1600s, Waltz believes the excessive greed and hunger that people had for trivial possessions like tulip bulbs in that era mirrors aspects of our society today.
“It is happening in our day, in broad daylight, in a more audacious and in a more insane manner (than) in the history of mankind,” Waltz said.
“Only now it’s not done with tulip bulbs, it’s done with financial titles, and real estate and stuff that doesn’t only ruin individuals, it ruins whole communities. The tulip bulb is just a very, very timid metaphor for what is going on today.”
The actor admits he didn’t initially see himself as a fit for “Tulip Fever” when he read a very early script, but as the project progressed under writer Tom Stoppard, he grew excited about joining.
Waltz explained that when he considers whether to join a film, he doesn’t only look at the character he’d be playing but also at whether it’s a strong production overall.
One thing’s for sure: he’d never join a project for the sole purpose of seeking another Oscar.
“In my view, that would be an approach that would disqualify you to do the job,” Waltz said. “Are you an actor or are you an award show participant? Our culture puts the cart before the horse. People start talking about Oscars in May — but not about the ones that were just given but the ones that will be given a year later. Our interest should be in telling stories, not in winning awards.”