DIANE KRUGER IS PLAYBOY’S SEPTEMBER 20Q
The Actress Who Plays The Nazi-Killing Femme Fatale in Inglourious Basterds Talks About Growing Up in Germany, Brad Pitt’s Lack of Privacy, and Why Quentin Tarantino Took Close-Ups of Her Feet
“I guess I’m not a very good film geek because I’ve seen and admired all his films and didn’t know that. Quentin absolutely denies it, by the way,” explains Diane Kruger, Playboy’s September 20Q, when asked about Quentin Tarantino’s alleged foot fetish (issue on newsstands and online at www.playboydigital.com Friday, August 14). “It’s funny though, because I was scheduled for what was supposed to be one last day of shooting, which turned into three days of him doing six close-ups of my feet and two of my face.”
Gearing up to prove she’s more than just a sexy pair of feet with her latest role as a German movie star turned spy in Tarantino’s Inglourious Basterds, Kruger discusses life as a young model in Paris, just how badly she wanted to land her latest job, and what it’s like to be “not that famous.” Following are selected quotes from Kruger’s conversation:
On working to impress Tarantino to win the role: “He [Tarantino] wanted everyone to speak in his or her native language, and because he didn’t believe I was German, he didn’t even want to meet me. I learned 30 pages of dialogue in German and English and went to the audition dressed like the character. I killed it. I did everything except sleep with the director to get that part…Quentin loves strong women in his films, and as you can imagine, we clicked in a way I’ve never before clicked with a director.”
On Brad Pitt’s fame: “He’s a fantastic guy, but it’s hard for me to understand the life he and Angelina Jolie lead, because they get so much media attention…I don’t know how he lives with that stuff or if he even reads it, but it’s distracting.”
On her own fame: “Joshua [Jackson] and I are not Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie, so it’s not like we have four cars following us wherever we go. There are days when it’s annoying to have photographers follow you, especially when you’re in pajama pants and just want to get a cup of coffee. If you’re hungover, the last thing you want is to have someone take your photograph. It hasn’t been too bad, though. We’re not that famous.”
On her childhood looks: “I had a childhood boyfriend, but I certainly wasn’t the hot chick. I stood out for being the thinnest, most awkward one, with long blonde hair. Guys mostly ignored me.”
On whether or not her mom was wise to send her to Paris as a teenaged model: “Because she trusted me, I tried to be responsible and not fuck it up…In Paris I did all those stupid things you’re supposed to do, but I was a pretty good kid who didn’t want to go out and get crazy. I didn’t even drink until I was 21.”
On her ideal man: “I like tall guys who carry themselves with a confident stride and have good skin and an air of taking care of themselves. I generally don’t go for traditionally handsome guys, either. I prefer a kind of broken-in, goofy look.”