Behind the Camera
Eli Roth On His Acting Journey from 'Worst Extra Ever' to Bear Jew
Before this year, only horror geeks would stop Eli Roth on the street. Now, though, the Hostel director has cultivated a whole new fanbase as an actor after appearing as the Nazi-bashing Bear Jew in Quentin Tarantino’s Inglourious Basterds. Roth attended last night’s Behind the Camera Awards with his friend and Basterds costar Christoph Waltz, and he had plenty to say to Movieline about his newfound recognition (as well as heaps of praise for Basterds editor Sally Menke, who was honored last night). Still, while the Bear Jew is all well and good, what we really wanted to know about was Roth’s inauspicious acting debut in Barbra Streisand’s The Mirror Has Two Faces. (No, we’re not making that up.)
First, though, the Bear Jew! How is Roth dealing with all the attention? “It’s very weird. I’m still not used to it,” he said. “What’s really great is that people recognize me as the Bear Jew — I like it. It’s not that I enjoy being recognized as an actor, it’s that I enjoy being recognized as that character, because it was such a fun, badass character to play.”
Still, as scary as the Bear Jew might seem to a captive German, it doesn’t hold a candle to the terrifying train wreck that is Roth’s scene from the Streisand movie, where he and an unfortunate classroom full of extras are forced to react with wild, over-the-top appreciation of Streisand’s awfully mild lecture. Truly, it must be seen to be believed.
“I do get recognized from The Mirror Has Two Faces,” Roth admitted. “I was actually the worst extra ever. If you go and YouTube Talk Soup, there’s a shot of me where he’s like, ‘Look at these extras! They’re terrible! I was so bad that I got singled out in reviews as an extra, so this is actually kind of sweet revenge.”
More interviews
- UCB Cofounder Matt Walsh on Amy Poehler's Ascent, Improv, and His New Show Players
- One Life to Live's Brett Claywell: 'We Told a Story in a World Where Most People Are Afraid to Tell It'
- Michael Shannon on The Runaways, Kristen Stewart's Sophistication, and Getting Picked Up By James Franco
- Dakota Fanning and Kristen Stewart: The Movieline Interview
- Emilie de Ravin on Remember Me and the Learning Curve of Lost
Lost
American Idol
Oscars
Lists
Obsessive compulsive: all topics, one link!
Lost American Idol Oscars Lists
Past Virtual Newsstands
More in TVLine
About | Terms & Conditions | Privacy Information | mail.com | Hollywood Life | Deadline Hollywood
Copyright © 2009 Movieline LLC All rights reserved.
Posted 09 Nov 2009, 8:50 AM
Roth stuck out like a sore thumb in 'Basterds'. His face and expressions scream soft core porn.
Posted 09 Nov 2009, 10:32 AM
@Fritz And that is why the ladies looooove him.
Posted 09 Nov 2009, 11:18 AM
@fritz : Are you implying there is something wrong with softcore porn?
Posted 09 Nov 2009, 7:05 PM
It reminds me of early 90's New Kids on the block. But I love New Kids, so it's all good.
Posted 10 Nov 2009, 5:23 PM
LOL ELI. THIS LOOK SUITS YOU
Posted 11 Nov 2009, 2:55 AM
Eli you are so cute and lovely. I love you since "The Basterds"!
Posted 14 Nov 2009, 4:03 PM
He didn't change much... only now he's soooo much more good looking! Yummy!!! =)