CHRISTOPH WALTZ

The Inglourious Basterds and Django Unchained Oscar winner, 66, plays the world’s creepiest boss, Regus Patoģ, in The Consultant (Feb. 24 on Prime Video). The dark comedy, based on the horror novel by Bentley Little, explores the sinister relationship between boss and employee when Patoģ takes over the app-based gaming company CompWare and challenges the employees in scary and unexpected ways.

Why did you choose to do The Consultant?

Television is difficult because [when you’re deciding on a project] you don’t get the whole series, you see the pilot. And as a traditionalist I want to know how it ends. So, it becomes all about the people. You need to get to know them to decide if you want to spend a few months of your life doing [the project]. In this case, it was a stroke of luck. The people were so fantastic. I love Tony Basgallop’s writing. I’ve befriended him now. The two producers, Steve [Stark] and

Andrew [Mittman]—they really know what they’re doing. This was the most solid job I’ve had for a long time.

In a show that seems to be about people selling their soul to the devil, is there a bit of a demon inside Mr. Patoff?

First of all, the devil used to have a different profession. He used to be an angel, and a very important one. But, secondly,

I think it’s what the people read into it. They are more afraid of their idea of the devil than of the devil himself.

The Consultant looks at how people go along to get along. How far will people at CompWare go to keep their jobs? Should these people be quitting?

That’s a very good question. It’s really nothing anyone can answer for them. They need to dig down into the uncomfortable depths of what this world is all about, and that’s what this series is all about: to enter the dark realm where decisions are truly existential.

The author of The Consultant novel, Bentley Little, labels his books as horror, but this is called a dark comedy. Will we see the horror?

You will. There are strong elements of horror in the first five episodes, but it will get denser.

Speaking of the devil, do you believe there is good and evil in all of us?

Of course, there’s good and evil in all of us. Our existence is a constant, incessant negotiation between good and evil.

The Consultant is set in the world of gaming. Is there something about video games that adds to the story?

Yes, definitely to this particular story, and [I say that] even though I have not even the remotest interest in video games. I am sure it requires certain talents and expertise to play them well. I am convinced, but I am just not interested in them.

So, you had some added wisdom that helped you navigate Hollywood better than somebody who had success younger?

It’s very kind of you to call it wisdom, but, yes, I was inoculated in a way.

You are well known for playing antagonists—Hans Landa in Inglourious Basterds, Ernst Blofield in two Bond movies, Count Volpe in Pinocchio— and now Patoff is certainly no hero.

Are those roles more layered?

Overall, there’s no story without an antagonist. You could possibly get away without a protagonist, but you can’t without an antagonist. So, I am self-indulgently convinced that those are the better parts, more interesting to play.