Roman Polanski Praised by Christoph Waltz – ‘He’s making movies on the highest level’

Roman Polanski’s fourth film in a decade is about to release in the U.S., and one of its stars has been reflecting on working with the legendary director.

Christoph Waltz stars alongside Kate Winslet and Jodie Foster in Carnage, and tells USA Today how he landed the role by visiting Polanski while the director was under house arrest in Switzerland. Polanski had been charged with having sex with a 13-year-old girl. Waltz reflects:

“I took the train from wherever I was to Gstaad, which is forever, because you have to go up and around (mountains). Then I ran across the cowpat because I had to cross a field. Otherwise I would have had to go around, and I had so little time.”

He made it to Polanski’s mansion, where the director made him lunch:

“[Polanski] said, ‘Do you want to see my Swiss watch?’ There was this plastic thing on his ankle with a transmitter on the fireplace, and he said: ‘If I reach the fence, it goes off.'”

By the time Waltz left Polanski’s abode, the role in Carnage was his. And that’s something Waltz is thrilled with, because he feels Polanski is “making movies on the highest level possible. And to work with someone like that is a gift.” Waltz adds:

“What he went through in his life would have broken anybody else, and yet he’s still plowing on. He’s making movies on the highest level possible. And to work with someone like that is a gift.”

Carnage hits theaters Friday, and was written and directed by Polanski. The movie has already garnered a stack of strong reviews.