Blofeld In ‘Spectre’? Christoph Waltz Says He Isn’t Playing Classic Villain In New 007 Film
Rumors have abounded among James Bond fans that Christoph Waltz will appear as classic villain Ernst Stavro Blofeld in Spectre, the next installment in the iconic franchise, yet the actor has now gone on record as saying that just isn’t so.
Waltz’s character in Spectre has previously been announced as Franz Oberhauser, according to the Daily Mail, yet that hasn’t hampered eager fans from connecting him with James Bond’s nemesis, who headed the evil organization in some of the spy franchise’s earliest films. A recently released trailer which shows Oberhauser cloaked in shadows amid a meeting of Spectre executives has only added to fan fervor, as some have reacted with near certainty that Oberhauser is indeed Blofeld by any other name.
http://t.co/isyQy0ulI4 Press Association: I’m not playing Blofeld, says Waltz pic.twitter.com/fE4PMpDSZ2
— CyberNewsUK (@CyberNewsUK) April 6, 2015
The 58-year-old Austrian actor, the recipient of two previous Oscars, has now refuted the rumor that his character is really Blofeld. Speaking with GQ, Waltz adamantly denied the assertion, blaming it on overeager 007 fans in cyberspace.
“That is absolutely untrue. That rumour started on the internet, and the internet is a pest. The name of my character is Franz Oberhauser,” he noted.
So this is Christoph Waltz in the Spectre teaser trailer – pretty sure he’s Blofeld #Ernst #007 #Whoaaaa pic.twitter.com/wBOzr7EGBU
— Downtown (@realfrankbrown) April 4, 2015
Waltz also reflected on the fact that he hesitated before accepting the role of the villain in Spectre, wondering what kind of James Bond film was really in the works.
“The thing about Spectre is that it is not the work of hack writers. It does not have a hack director. The actors are not hams. The action sequences in Mexico are extravagant to say the least. The scenes in Austria are traditional Bond action in the snow. These films with Daniel Craig have shifted the tone. They don’t depend on a set formula that forces actors simply to go through the motions.”
Takin’ that Blofeld jam way back, to a time before the Nehru suits and bald heads! What’s old is new again. No cat? pic.twitter.com/4Hu6f3ie0e
— Phil Nobile Jr. (@PhilNobileJr) March 28, 2015
The teaser trailer for Spectre, recently released, revealed not only a first look at Oberhauser, but also a darker tone for the film. The trailer also referenced the events of Skyfall, with Naomi Harris’ Moneypenny asserting that Bond has a secret in his past he has kept to himself. As the Inquisitr has previously reported, xirector Sam Mendes noted last month that the film would focus on James Bond’s past, broaching subjects that have never before been examined onscreen.
Whether or not Blofeld makes an appearance, Spectre seems ready to take fans of 007 deep into the early days of the iconic secret agent.
[Photo by Vittorio Zunino Celotto/ Getty Images]
