10 Weirdest Things Actors Were Cast As

Known for his often quirky and eccentric style of filmmaking, infusing brilliantly dry humour into genuinely heartwarming tales, the news of Taika Waititi penning the script, directing, and ultimately starring in a film involving a young boy who frequently confides in his imaginary best pal, Adolf Hitler, felt like an unexpected move even for him.

But in typical Taika fashion, he more than made the concept work and decided that, after being "blackmailed" into appearing as the infamous Nazi leader in the flick by Fox Searchlight, he would put zero effort into actually researching the man in an attempt to present an "authentic portrayal" of Hitler; in short, he didn't think he deserved it.

What followed was a darkly slapstick turn from Waititi that takes every opportunity available to poke fun at the frightening figure, and a film that would ultimately lead to the outstanding director's first-ever Academy Awards win, picking up the gong for Best Adapted Screenplay in 2020.

Waititi definitely seems like the sort of person who revels in making it up as he goes along. But even he must've been left scratching his head at the sight of him as an imaginary iteration of an evil dictator being at the centre of the work that sits as arguably his most acclaimed to date. Madness.