Christoph Waltz, the German speaking actor long established in European film and television, became a Hollywood fixture after a breakout role brought him international recognition later in his career.
That performance earned him major awards and led to a run of parts in large studio films, often cast as memorable, verbally dexterous characters.
Waltz had spent years working across German language productions before his sudden rise, making his breakthrough a notable late career turn.
His success underlined how German speaking talent can move onto the biggest stages in global cinema.
