Sam Rockwell on playing gay Nazi officer in 'Jojo Rabbit'

Actor Sam Rockwell loves roles that come with dichotomy, and thats what attracted him to the role of a gay Nazi officer in Taika Waititi's critically-acclaimed film "Jojo Rabbit".

Based on the novel "Caging Skies" by author Christine Leunens, "Jojo Rabbit" is about a German boy named Jojo and how his world view changes when he finds out that his mother (Scarlett Johansson) is hiding a young Jewish girl in their attic, in the final years of World War II.

The anti-war satire brings forward the vivid imagination of Jojo, and his experiences through fantasy and his imaginary friend Adolf Hitler. In the film, Rockwell will be seen as Captain Klenzendorf, and his character comes with a touch of humour.

"I really love roles that have a dichotomy to them and Klenzendorf has more than one thing going on. He has his own secrets. For one thing, he's a gay Nazi, which though they existed is not a phrase you hear very often, so I found it fascinating to work with that juxtaposition," Rockwell said.

Talking about finding a funny vein in the story, the actor said: "I looked at Bill Murray and Walter Matthau".

Waititi will also be seen playing the role of imaginary friend, Hitler in the film. The Fox Searchlight film, which had its world premiere at the 2019 Toronto International Film Festival, will release in India on January 31. The film has got six Oscar nominations, including Best Picture and Supporting Actress.

Tags: Cinema, Showbiz, Hollywood