- Born
- Died
- Birth nameKlaus Günter Karl Nakszynski
- Height1.73 m
- Klaus Kinski was born as Klaus Günter Karl Nakszynski in Zoppot, Free City of Danzig (now Sopot, Poland), to Susanne (Lutze), a nurse, and Bruno Nakszynski, a pharmacist. He grew up in Berlin, was drafted into the German army in 1944 and captured by British forces in Holland. After the war he began acting on the stage, quickly gaining a reputation for a ferocious talent and an equally ferocious temper. He started acting in films shortly afterward, showing an utter disregard for the quality of the productions he appeared in and churning out so many that a complete filmography is almost impossible to assemble.
However, he did turn out memorable work for director Werner Herzog, a similarly driven and obsessive character. Herzog and Kinski pushed each other to extremes over a 15-year working relationship, which finally ended after filming Cobra Verde (1987), a production plagued by volcanic clashes between the star and director, involving--among other things--violent physical altercations and mutual death threats. He subsequently directed and starred in the notorious Paganini (1989), his only film as director and which was marked by (again) clashes between Kinski and his producers, who accused him of turning their movie into a pornographic film and sued him in court. His autobiography, "All I Need is Love", a vicious attack on the film industry, was withdrawn for legal reasons and subsequently re-released as "Kinski Uncut" in the US & UK, "Ich brauche Liebe" in Germany, and in various other languages.- IMDb mini biography by: Anonymous
- SpousesDebora Caprioglio(1987 - 1989)Minhoi Loanic(1971 - February 1979) (divorced, 1 child)Brigitte Ruth Tocki(October 30, 1960 - 1971) (divorced, 1 child)Gislinde Kühbeck(June 11, 1952 - 1955) (divorced, 1 child)
- Children
- ParentsBruno NakszynskiSusanne Lutze
- RelativesSonja Kinski(Grandchild)Kenya Kinski-Jones(Grandchild)Valentin Hoepner(Grandchild)Lara Lamberti(Niece or Nephew)Janina Kinski(Grandchild)Nanouk Hoepner(Grandchild)
- His ability to tap on and portay a deep well of perversity.
- Almost always played crazed characters.
- Contorting, maniacal face.
- Was infamous for his violent temper.
- Often worked with director Werner Herzog.
- He was diagnosed with antisocial personality disorder.
- Used to act on stage in one-man productions, as no actor would work with him.
- Turned down the role of the German villain Toht in Les Aventuriers de l'arche perdue (1981), although he wanted to do a movie with Steven Spielberg, but thought "the script is as moronically shitty as so many other flicks of its ilk." He chose to appear in Venin (1981) instead, because the salary was better.
- Of his three children, only his son Nikolai Kinski attended the funeral in California, where his ashes were strewn in the Pacific Ocean (February 1992).
- For a brief time he lived in an apartment in Munich (Elisabethstraße 3) which he shared with several other people. One of the children living there was thirteen-year-old Werner Herzog. They later collaborated on five movies.
- Man muß den Menschen vor allem nach seinen Lastern beurteilen. Tugenden können vorgetäuscht sein. Laster sind echt. [One should judge a man mainly from his depravities. Virtues can be faked. Depravities are real.]
- I'd have been better than Adolf Hitler. I could've delivered his speeches a lot better. That's for certain.
- I choose films with the shortest schedule and the most money.
- Wer mich beleidigt, entscheide ich. [I decide who offends me.]
- So I sell myself, for the highest price. Exactly like a prostitute. There is no difference.
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