You are here

EE British Academy Film Awards in 2013 – Winners Press Conference: Best Supporting Actor

10 February 2013
BAFTA winners and presenters in the press room backstage at the Royal Opera House for the EE British Academy Film Awards on Sun 10 Feb 2013.

Press conference interview with Christoph Waltz, winner in the Best Supporting Actor category at the EE British Academy Film Awards in 2013.

Q.        Please welcome the winner of tonight's best supporting actor award Mr Christoph Waltz.  Hello sir.

CHRISTOPH WALTZ:  Hi.

Q.        Congratulations.  So two for two, how does that feel?

CHRISTOPH WALTZ:  Like four!

Q.        Must be a nice and pleasant experience I imagine to have your second Bafta?

CHRISTOPH WALTZ:  You know it's asking too much to analyse, I mean for me to analyse that now, I -- I still you know I had to wait for about a minute and just take a breath.

Q.        Still coming down a little bit?

CHRISTOPH WALTZ:  Yes.

Q.        I asked Quentin about the beginning of your relationship and did you feel that this was Casablanca style the beginning of a beautiful friendship because he's now written these two amazing roles for you.

CHRISTOPH WALTZ:  Yeah, well yeah, he says it's the beginning but that was a while ago.  This is the continuation of a beautiful friendship.

Q.        Are you hoping for a third part maybe?

CHRISTOPH WALTZ:  You know the trust is reciprocal because I trust if he has a part for me I will play it and if I'm not in his movie he didn't have a part for me.

Q.        Okay.  Any questions for Christoph?

PRESS:  You looked so emotional in your acceptance speech.  Were you really surprised to have got this second --

CHRISTOPH WALTZ:  Yes.

PRESS:  -- 100 per cent record here at the Baftas?

CHRISTOPH WALTZ:  It knocked the wind out of me and you know -- yes, I wouldn't have expected it myself you know but maybe I'm a lot less cool than I like to think.

Q.        Anyone else?  Yes Michael, thank you.

PRESS:  What is the special relationship you have between you and Quentin?  Is it a trust --

CHRISTOPH WALTZ:  No it really is a trust, it is -- it is trust and respect and that's what I can say that you know goes back and forth but on my part it is this admiration for this master storyteller and I am completely and utterly at ease and convinced that what he writes is something that I can say.

Q.        Yes please.

PRESS:  Congratulations again.  You've spoken about your relationship with Quentin -- sorry --

CHRISTOPH WALTZ:  I'm sorry --

PRESS:  You have spoken about your relationship with Quentin.  I'd read that in one scene Leonardo DiCaprio cut his hand and I am curious to know your relationship with Leo and Jamie on set and what the tension was like on set during these really intense scenes.

CHRISTOPH WALTZ:  Yeah I don't quite know how we put Leo's hurt hand in that answer but with Jamie -- Jamie and I met a long time before we started working and shooting and we met at Quentin's house and socially and started talking and going out and hanging around and you know after a while Quentin pulled out the script and we read a little bit and -- and we developed our easy and normal and unspectacular but increasingly firm friendship and then at one point cameras started turning and I think you can see that, that it was established.

With Leo it was different because he had to finish Great Gatsby and he came later but Leo is a different type, he jumped right in, and it took him about a day and a half and he was part of everybody's movement and intention and consideration and vice versa and that's, yeah, he got carried away once, yeah.

Q.        The last question here?

PRESS:  Is it slightly odd being honoured by Bafta which has happened as soon as you left Britain where you spent years and years and years trying to become a very famous actor?

CHRISTOPH WALTZ:  Well, I don't think that had anything to do with geography to tell you the truth.  Yes it's true I lived here for many many years and then it just -- you know life took another turn and then I met Quentin and then life took a lot of other turns.

Q.        Fantastic.  Huge congratulations.  Christoph Waltz.  Thank you very much.


Watch Christoph Waltz's acceptance speech and backstage interview >


Download this transcript

PDF icon Supporting Actor Winner Press Conference Transcript in 2013