Christoph Waltz criticised for 'excruciating' Alita interview: 'From line one, I was in pain'

Christoph Waltz has come under fire for an awkward interview that saw him respond negatively to the majority of a journalist’s questions.

The Oscar-winning actor was in London promoting new film Alita: Battle Angel when he was asked by HeyUGuys‘s Stefan Pape if he could provide the backstory of his character, Dr Dyson Ido.

“No chance. Go see the movie,” he said, adding: “I can explain why I refuse: because that’s your job, not mine. I don’t think an actor should talk about his character, because it’s shooting himself in the knee.”

The journalist said that the talent involved (it’s directed by Robert Rodriguez and produced by James Cameron) must have made his decision to sign up to the film a lot easier.

“No it doesn’t. It makes it more difficult,” Waltz said.

He didn’t much like Pape’s point that it must have been cool to see the film’s special effects added to the finished product, either, completely missing the point of his question: that it must have been a sensation to see hard work paid off on screen.

Waltz’s reply verged on the patronising: “The motion was there. What we do is what we do no matter what. [And] that’s audience – we are trying to evoke that experience when we shoot. We still are actors who are humans and do what humans do.”

Nearing the end of the interview, Pape asks Waltz about his plans to direct. His reponse to the question? A death stare.

“Did you notice [that]?” Waltsz asks, to which Pape nervously responds: “I can’t read it though.” Realising he’s perhaps gone to far, Waltz lets out a laugh, saying: “I can’t talk about it”.

Alita: Battle Angel is in cinemas on 6 February