Taika Waititi was embarrassed about playing Hitler in Jojo Rabbit

Taika Waititi was embarrassed about playing Hitler in Jojo Rabbit

Taika Waititi felt "embarrassed" playing Adolf Hitler in 'Jojo Rabbit'.

The actor and director portrays the Nazi dictator in the satirical film and admits it was awkward dressing as Hitler on set.

Taika told Empire magazine: "I was just sort of embarrassed. That's the main thing. I was embarrassed all the time to look like that. Going on set, I'd say, 'Look, sorry everyone.' It felt like it was hard for it not to be gratuitous. You start asking yourself why you're really doing it: 'Why am I dressed like this?'"

Taika, who also directs 'Jojo Rabbit', previously suggested that he was "blackmailed" by the studio into playing Hitler after wanting a Hollywood star to take on the part.

He explained: "Fox Searchlights blackmailed me into doing it. You start [out] thinking of bigger stars to be part of a film like this or to play this imaginary Hitler.

"But at the end of the day, it came down to the simple fact that if we had done that, that would have overshadowed the heart of the story -- which is this beautiful story, this relationship story between these two kids."

Taika, 44, whose previous credits include 'Thor: Ragnarok', had suggested that he "didn't feel uncomfortable" playing Hitler.

He said: "I didn't feel that uncomfortable, other than having to see myself in a mirror. But apart from that, I don't want to say that I enjoyed it.

"Nazis weren't cool when I wrote it. People weren't into this sh*t when I wrote it, and now it's just developed and suddenly weirdly relevant."