Klaus Kinski

Klaus Kinski
Kinski at the 1988 Cannes Film Festival
Born
Klaus Günter Karl Nakszynski[1]

(1926-10-18)18 October 1926
Zoppot, Free City of Danzig (now Sopot, Poland)
Died23 November 1991(1991-11-23) (aged 65)
Lagunitas, California, U.S.
NationalityGerman
OccupationActor
Years active1948–1989
Spouses
  • Gislinde Kühbeck
    ​
    ​
    (m. 1952; div. 1955)​
  • Brigitte Ruth Tocki
    ​
    ​
    (m. 1960; div. 1971)​
  • Minhoi Geneviève Loanic
    ​
    ​
    (m. 1971; div. 1979)​
Children

Klaus Kinski (German: [klaʊs ˈkɪnskiː] ⓘ, born Klaus Günter Karl Nakszynski[2] 18 October 1926 – 23 November 1991)[3] was a German actor.[4] Equally renowned for his intense performance style and notorious for his volatile personality,[5][6][7] he appeared in over 130 film roles in a career that spanned 40 years, from 1948 to 1988. He is best known for starring in five films directed by Werner Herzog from 1972 to 1987 (Aguirre, the Wrath of God, Nosferatu the Vampyre, Woyzeck, Fitzcarraldo, and Cobra Verde), who would later chronicle their tumultuous relationship in the documentary My Best Fiend.[8]

Kinski's roles spanned multiple genres, languages, and nationalities, including Spaghetti Westerns, horror films, war films, dramas, and Edgar Wallace krimi films. His infamy was elevated by a number of eccentric creative endeavors, including a one-man show based on the life of Jesus Christ,[9] a biopic of violinist Niccolò Paganini directed by and starring himself, and over twenty spoken word albums.[10]

Kinski was prone to emotional and often violent outbursts aimed at his directors and fellow cast members, issues complicated by a history of mental illness. Herzog described him as "one of the greatest actors of the century, but also a monster and a great pestilence."[11][12]

Posthumously, he was accused of physically and sexually abusing his daughter Pola.[8][13][14][15] His notoriety and prolific output have developed into a widespread cult following[16][17] and a reputation as a popular icon.[18]

  1. ^ Birth certificate, klaus-kinski.de. Retrieved 24 November 2017.(in Polish)
  2. ^ Halliwell, Laurie (1997). Halliwell's filmgoer's companion (12th ed.). London, UK: HarperCollins. ISBN 9780002557986.
  3. ^ IMDb database. Retrieved 21 October 2017
  4. ^ Kinski, Klaus (1988). All I Need Is Love (1st ed.). Random House. ISBN 0-394-54916-3. OCLC 18379547.
  5. ^ David, Christian (2008). Kinski. Die Biographie. Berlin, Germany: Aufbau-Verlag. ISBN 978-3-7466-2434-1. OCLC 244018538.
  6. ^ Geyer, Peter (2006). Klaus Kinski: Leben, Werk, Wirkung (in German). Frankfurt am Main: Suhrkamp. ISBN 3-518-18220-X.
  7. ^ Wise, James E. Jr.; Baron, Scott (2002). International Stars at War. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. pp. 105–107. ISBN 1-55750-965-4.
  8. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference Jackson was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  9. ^ Brehm, Reviews (28 April 2014). "Jesus Christus Erloser". Fuller Studio. Retrieved 9 November 2021.
  10. ^ Cite error: The named reference :2 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  11. ^ "Murderous feud on the film set". The Guardian. 21 May 1999. Retrieved 9 November 2021.
  12. ^ "Hideous Kinski". The Guardian. 5 March 2000. Retrieved 9 November 2021.
  13. ^ Cite error: The named reference Roxborough was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  14. ^ Biss, Malta (13 January 2013). "Jetzt spricht Nastassja". Bild (in German). Berlin, Germany: Axel Springer AG. Retrieved 19 July 2015.
  15. ^ Cite error: The named reference :1 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  16. ^ "Cult hero: Klaus Kinski". The Irish Times. Retrieved 8 November 2021.
  17. ^ Perez, Gilberto (7 November 1999). "FILM; An Actor and a Director Whose Bond Was, Well, Mad". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 8 November 2021.
  18. ^ "'I am not your Superstar': Klaus Kinski as Jesus Christ". DangerousMinds. 15 January 2011. Retrieved 8 November 2021.