Acting · Born October 18, 1926
Klaus Kinski (German: [klaʊs ˈkɪnski]; born Klaus Günter Karl Nakszynski 18 October 1926 – 23 November 1991) was a German actor. Equally renowned for his intense performance style and his notoriously eccentric and volatile personality off-screen, 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. 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, a biopic of violinist Niccolò Paganini directed by and starring himself, and over twenty spoken word albums. 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." Posthumously, he was accused of having physically and sexually abused his daughters Pola and Nastassja. His notoriety and prolific output have developed into a widespread cult following and a reputation as a popular icon. Description above from the Wikipedia article Klaus Kinski, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.
MovieOthelo The Great
2024
as Self (archive footage)
MovieGegen das Schweigen - Machtmissbrauch bei Theater und Film
2024
as Self (archive footage)
MovieNosferatu: A Film Like a Vampire
2022
as Self (archive footage)
MovieDjango & Django: Sergio Corbucci Unchained
2021
as Self - Actor (archive footage)
MovieThe Extravagant Little Life of Jean-Claude D. Dreyfus
2021
as Self (archive footage)
MovieHannelore Elsner: More Than One Life
2021
as Self (archive footage)
MovieAGFA Mystery Mixtape #2: Later in L.A.
2020
as (archive footage)
MovieThe AGFA Mystery Mixtape Vault
2020
as (archive footage)
MovieAlain Delon, l'ombre au tableau
2019
as Self (archive footage)
Filming Silenzio
2017
as (archive footage)
MovieFantastiCozzi
2016
as Nosferatu (archive footage)
MovieFifty Shades of Erotica
2015
as (archive footage)
MovieElectric Boogaloo: The Wild, Untold Story of Cannon Films
2014
as Self - Actor (archive footage) (uncredited)
Peter Baumgartner, Filmkameramann
2014
as (archive footage)
MovieIn Free Fall
2010
as Self (archive footage)
MovieJesus Christ Saviour
2008
as Self
Beloved Count
2007
as Renfield (archive footage)
MovieThe Spaghetti West
2005
as Self (archive footage)
The Western World of Ferdinando Baldi
2005
as Self (archive footage)
Kinski rigando Paganini
2003
as Self
MovieWhiteface
2002
as (archive footage)
Klaus Kinski: I'm not an actor
2000
as Self (archive footage)
MovieMy Best Fiend
1999
as Self (archive footage)
Please Kill Mr. Kinski
1999
as Self (archive footage)
Sternstunde Kunst
1998
as Self
TVOtto – The Series
1995
as Verschiedene
MovieDracula: A Cinematic Scrapbook
1991
as Renfield (archive footage)
MoviePaganini
1990
as Niccolo Paganini
MovieWhite Hunter
1990
as Klaus Naginsky
MovieNosferatu in Venice
1988
as Nosferatu
MovieCobra Verde
1987
as Francisco Manoel da Silva aka Cobra Verde
MovieTimestalkers
1987
as Dr. Joseph Cole
MovieLocation Africa
1987
as Self
MovieCrawlspace
1986
as Karl Gunther
MoviePortrait: Werner Herzog
1986
as Self (archive footage)
MovieRevenge of the Stolen Stars
1986
as Donald McBride
MovieStar Knight
1985
as Boetius
MovieCommando Leopard
1985
as Silveira
MovieCreature
1985
as Hans Rudy Hofner
Sonntagsgespräch
1985
as Self
Zeit zu zweit
1985
as Self - Interviewee
MovieThe Little Drummer Girl
1984
as Martin Kurtz
MovieCode Name: Wild Geese
1984
as Charleton
MovieBeauty and the Beast
1984
as Beast
MovieThe Secret Diary of Sigmund Freud
1984
as Dr. Max Bauer
TVThe Hitchhiker
1983
as Kurt Hoffman
MovieDiary
1983
as (archive footage)
MovieAndroid
1982
as Dr. Daniel
MovieBurden of Dreams
1982
as Self - Actor
TVFaerie Tale Theatre
1982
as Beast
MovieThe Soldier
1982
as Dracha
Na sowas!
1982
as Self
MovieFitzcarraldo
1982
as Fitzcarraldo
MovieVenom
1981
as Jacques Müller (Jacmel)
MovieLove & Money
1981
as Frederic Stockheinz
MovieFruits of Passion
1981
as Sir Stephen
MovieBuddy Buddy
1981
as Dr. Hugo Zuckerbrot
MovieThe Child Woman
1980
as Marcel
MovieSchizoid
1980
as Dr. Pieter Fales
MovieHaine
1980
as Le motard
MovieThe Making of 'Nosferatu'
1979
as Self
MovieWoyzeck
1979
as Friedrich Johann Franz Woyzeck
MovieZoo zéro
1979
as Yavé, le directeur du zoo
MovieI Am My Films: A Portrait of Werner Herzog
1979
as Voice
TVNDR Talk Show
1979
as Self
MovieNosferatu the Vampyre
1979
as Count Dracula
MovieThe Song of Roland
1978
as Roland / Klaus
TVCiné regards
1978
as Self
MovieDeath of a Corrupt Man
1977
as Nicolas Tomski
MovieOperation Thunderbolt
1977
as Wilfried Boese
MovieMadame Claude
1977
as Alexander Zakis
TVAuf los geht's los
1977
as Self
MovieGolden Night
1976
as Michel Fournier
MovieJack the Ripper
1976
as Dr. Dennis Orloff / Jack the Ripper
MovieThe Net
1975
as Emilio Bossi
MovieA Genius, Two Friends, and an Idiot
1975
as Doc Foster
MovieLifespan
1975
as Nicholas Ulrich
MovieReturn of Shanghai Joe
1975
as Pat Barnes
MovieThat Most Important Thing: Love
1975
as Karl-Heinz Zimmer
MovieFootprints on the Moon
1975
as Professor Blackmann
TVLes Rendez-vous du dimanche
1975
as Self
TVSpécial cinéma
1974
as Self
MovieHeroes in Hell
1974
as Gen. Kaufmann
MovieThe Hand That Feeds the Dead
1974
as Prof. Nijinski
TVAm laufenden Band
1974
as Self - Guest
MovieThe Fighting Fists of Shanghai Joe
1973
as Scalper Jack
MovieDeath Smiles on a Murderer
1973
as Dr. Sturges
Je später der Abend
1973
as Self
MovieThe Bloody Hands of the Law
1973
as Vito Quattroni
MovieAguirre, the Wrath of God
1972
as Don Lope de Aguirre
MovieA Noose Is Waiting for You Trinity
1972
as Scott
MovieBlack Killer
1971
as James Webb / Black Killer
MovieEye of the Spider
1971
as Hans Fischer
MovieThe Price of Death
1971
as Chester Conway / Ray
MovieWeb of the Spider
1971
as Edgar Allan Poe
MovieShoot the Living and Pray for the Dead
1971
as Dan Hogan
MovieVengeance Is a Dish Served Cold
1971
as Virgil Prescott
MovieSlaughter Hotel
1971
as Dr. Francis Clay
MovieHis Name Was King
1971
as Brian Foster
MovieAdios Compañeros
1971
as Reverend Cotton
MovieCoffin Full of Dollars
1971
as Dan Hagen / Slander
MovieThe Beast
1970
as Johnny Laster
MovieChurchill's Leopards
1970
as Captain Holtz
MovieThe Night of the Assassin
1970
as Evagoras
MovieOnly the Cool
1970
as Pavel Richko / Torpédo I
MovieCount Dracula
1970
as Renfield
MovieAnd God Said to Cain
1970
as Gary Hamilton
MovieHow Did a Nice Girl Like You Get Into This Business?
1970
as Juan José Ignatio Rodriguez de Calderon / 'Sam'
MovieI Am Sartana Your Angel of Death
1969
as Chadeau / Holden / Hot Dead
MovieVenus in Furs
1969
as Ahmed Kortobawi
MovieSalt in the Wound
1969
as Cpl. Brian Haskins / Norman Carr
MovieGangster's Law
1969
as Quintero
MovieDouble Face
1969
as John Alexander
MovieMarquis de Sade: Justine
1969
as Marquis De Sade
MovieFive for Hell
1969
as SS Col. Hans Mueller
MovieThe Great Silence
1968
as Loco (Tigrero)
MovieThe Bastard
1968
as Adam
MovieThe Vatican Affair
1968
as Clint Rogers
MovieTwice a Judas
1968
as Dingus
MovieIf You Meet Sartana Pray for Your Death
1968
as Morgan
MovieCoplan Saves His Skin
1968
as Theler
MoviePsychopath
1968
as Periwinkle
MovieThe Ruthless Four
1968
as Brent il Biondo
MovieWestern, Italian Style
1968
as Self
MovieMan, Pride and Vengeance
1967
as Lt. Miguel Garcia
MovieGrand Slam
1967
as Erich Weiss
MovieFive Golden Dragons
1967
as Gert
MovieThe Million Eyes of Sumuru
1967
as President Boong
MovieCreature with the Blue Hand
1967
as Dave Emerson / Richard Emerson
MovieA Bullet for the General
1967
as El Santo
MovieTarget for Killing
1966
as Caporetti
MovieWhere Are You Taking That Woman
1966
as Gomez (Rio segment)
MovieOur Man in Marrakesh
1966
as Jonquil
MovieCircus of Fear
1966
as Manfred
MovieDoctor Zhivago
1965
as Kostoyed Amourski
MovieFor a Few Dollars More
1965
as Juan Wild - The Hunchback
MovieThat Man in Istanbul
1965
as Schenck
MovieThe Dirty Game
1965
as Russian Agent
MovieAgain the Ringer
1965
as Edwards
MovieThe Pleasure Girls
1965
as Nikko Stalmar
MovieTraitor's Gate
1964
as Kane
MovieSecret of the Chinese Carnation
1964
as Speranzo
MovieLast of the Renegades
1964
as David "Luke" Lucas
MovieThe Curse of the Hidden Vault
1964
as George
MovieMark of the Tortoise
1964
as Shapiro
Die Drehscheibe
1964
as Self
MovieThe Last Ride to Santa Cruz
1964
as Jose
MoviePiccadilly Zero Hour 12
1963
as Whitey
MovieThe Secret of the Black Widow
1963
as Boyd
MovieThe Mystery of the Indian Temple
1963
MovieKali-Yug, Goddess of Vengeance
1963
as Saddhu
MovieScotland Yard Hunts Dr. Mabuse
1963
as Inspector Joe Wright
MovieThe Indian Scarf
1963
as Peter Ross
MovieThe Black Abbot
1963
as Thomas Fortuna
MovieThe Black Cobra
1963
as Koks-Charley
MovieThe Squeaker
1963
as Krishna
Weltspiegel
1963
as Self
Die Mondvögel
1963
as Valentin
MovieThe Inn on the River
1962
as Gregor Gubanow
MovieThe Door with Seven Locks
1962
as Pheeny
MovieThe Red Pastures
1962
as Martin
MovieThe Counterfeit Traitor
1962
as Kindler
MovieThe Secret of the Red Orchid
1962
as Steve
MovieThe Strange Countess
1961
as Bresset
Die Kurve
1961
as Anton
MovieThe Devil's Daffodil
1961
as Peter Keene
MovieBankraub in der Rue Latour
1961
as Bex, Autor
MovieDead Eyes of London
1961
as Edgar Strauss
MovieThe Avenger
1960
as Lorenz Voss
MovieA Time to Love and a Time to Die
1958
as Gestapo Lieutenant
MovieCorinna Darling
1956
as Klaus Brockmann
MovieWaldwinter
1956
as Otto Hartwig
MovieHanussen
1955
as Erik von Spazier / Mirko
MovieSarajevo
1955
as Nedeljko Čabrinović
MovieChildren, Mother, and the General
1955
as Leutnant, der nicht mehr lacht
MovieLudwig II
1955
as Prince Otto von Bayern
MovieFear
1954
as Cabaret Performer (uncredited)
MovieDecision Before Dawn
1951
as Whining Soldier (uncredited)
German Film Award
1951
as Self
MovieMorituri
1948
as Dutch prisoner
