Christoph Waltz imagines himself as James Bond: ‘I’d let helicopters go’

Christoph Waltz has picked up two Oscars for diabolical roles in Quentin Tarantino films, so it's no surprise he's a perfect fit in “Spectre,” where he plays a diabolical nemesis to James Bond. But there's something striking about Waltz menacing Daniel Craig; like Louis Jourdan as Kamal Khan in “Octopussy,” he's one of the few Bond villains to be as dapper and debonair as the hero himself. That led us to an essay question: Could Christoph Waltz play James Bond? 

In our interview with Waltz in Mexico City, the actor said that in order to take over the role of 007, there'd have to be some serious character changes.

“If there's like a dangerous situation that needs to be solved by jumping onto a helicopter that's about to take off, I would let it go,” Waltz said. “We could continue in an interesting, meaningful discussion somewhere in a cafe.” 

We also talked with Waltz about his favorite monologues on film, whether or not he considers himself a “heavy” in the tradition of classic Hollywood villains, and what else he shares in common with Daniel Craig.

“Spectre” is out November 6.

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