biographyLEFT: Late 1960s portrait of Klaus Kinski. RIGHT: With his second daughter, actress Nastassja Kinski, in 1978In 1965, Kinski broke out with roles in Doctor Zhivago (1965; with Omar Sharif and Julie Christie) and the popular spaghetti western For a Few Dollars More (1965; with Clint Eastwood and Lee Van Cleef). He enjoyed a run of supporting and starring roles in successful films, including Killer's Carnival (1966; with Stewart Granger and Lex Barker) and Five Golden Dragons (1967; with Robert Cummings and Margaret Lee). The zenith of his acting career came in five critically acclaimed, low-budget films he made with director Werner Herzog: Aguirre: The Wrath of God (1972), Nosferatu the Vampyre (1979; with Isabelle Adjani), Woyzeck (1979), Fitzcarraldo (1982; with Claudia Cardinale), and Cobra Verde (1987). Although Kinski could be counted on to turn in great performances, he often picked scripts based on short production schedules and his salary demands, rather than production quality. |
the films of klaus kinskiThe Counterfeit Traitor (1962)The Last Ride to Santa Cruz (1964)From the German western The Last Ride to Santa Cruz with Mario Adorf and Marisa MellThe Pleasure Girls (1965)Suzanna Leigh and Klaus Kinski enjoy a fling in swinging 1960s London in the drama The Pleasure GirlsThat Man in Istanbul (1965)Five Golden Dragons (1967)Kinski tortures Maria Perschy in the eurospy thriller Five Golden Dragons. Shot in Hong Kong, this film was produced by B movie auteur Harry Alan TowersThe Cats (1968)Giuliano Gemma and Klaus Kinski are brothers and partners in crime in the Warner Bros. thriller The Cats. Also pictured is Rita Hayworth, in one of her final film rolesThe Night of the Assassin (1970)Only the Cool (1970)Aguirre: The Wrath of God (1972)Death Smiles on a Murderer (1973)Nosferatu the Vampyre (1979)LEFT: In his best horror film, Kinski portrays the vampire in Nosferatu the Vampyre, a remake of the 1922 version starring Max Schreck. RIGHT: With Isabelle AdjaniWoyzeck (1979)Buddy Buddy (1981)With Paula Prentiss in the Billy Wilder comedy Buddy Buddy, released by MGM. This big-budget film lost money at the box office and was Wilder's last filmAndroid (1982)LEFT: As Dr. Daniel in the low-budget sci-fi outing Android, released by Roger Corman's New World Pictures. RIGHT: Kinski struggles with android Don Keith Opper after making a pass at Kendra Kirchner. Opper wrote the script for this filmVenom (1982)Timestalkers (1987)later yearsAlthough Klaus Kinski acted in a variety of film genres, his horror films are arguably the most fascinating of his career. Some of his best horror roles came in Creature with the Blue Hand (1967; with Harald Leipnitz), Jess Franco's Count Dracula (1970; with Christopher Lee and Herbert Lom), and his excellent performance as the title character in Nosferatu the Vampyre (1979; with Isabelle Adjani).At times notoriously difficult to work with, Kinski frequently alienated himself from directors, other actors, and even his own family. He furthered this alienation when his autobiography, All I Need is Love, was published in English in 1988. Among others, Marlene Dietrich threatened to sue him for libel, and a copyright dispute between the German and English publishing companies saw the book pulled out of circulation. The revised version, titled Kinski Uncut, was published posthumously. He ended his acting career with the biodrama Kinski Paganini (1989), a film he wrote, directed, and starred in. Sadly, Klaus Kinski passed away from a heart attack in Marin County, California, on November 23, 1991, at the age of 65. He was survived by two daughters, actresses Pola and Nastassja Kinski, and his son, actor Nikolai Kinski. |
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