Inglorious Basterds: Diane Kruger claims Quentin Tarantino didn’t want to cast her at first
Quentin Tarantino and Diane Kruger
Photo: WireImage, Rabbani and Solimene Photography. All rights reserved.
In an episode of the podcast Reign with Josh Smith, German-American actress Diane Kruger revealed that Quentin Tarantino initially didn’t want to cast her in his film Inglorious Basterds (2006). In the film, Kruger played the role of German actress Bridget von Hammersmark, who actually worked as a spy for the Allies. According to the now 45-year-old, the star director simply wasn’t interested in meeting her – so she had to take matters into her own hands.
“He didn’t believe in me from the start”
She says: “He let everyone audition. He wouldn’t let me audition because he saw a movie I was in that he didn’t like. So he didn’t believe in me from the start.” The ‘Out of Nowhere’ actress adds, “The only reason he let me audition was because there was no one auditioning anymore.” On the contrary to all the other actors, she had to “jump through hoops” to get the role.
“I was like, ‘You know what? Fuck him!’”
“I had to pay for my flight from New York to Germany myself because he didn’t want to see me even though he’s obviously American, but he didn’t want to see me in the US,” Kruger said. “So I had to go through all these hurdles, which definitely upset me, but I was like, ‘You know what? Fuck him! I’ll just do it and show him I can do it.’ And fortunately everything worked out.”
She adds: “I think it must have been a lesson for him too. Sometimes you’re the one who puts people in boxes – and I’m sure I do too – you put people in boxes. You think they are like this and then they are not like that at all.”
Diane Kruger is one of the most successful German Hollywood actresses. She is best known for her roles in Troy, Treasure of the Knights Templar – and Inglorious Basterds.