Klaus Kinski Quotes

Powerful Klaus Kinski for Daily Growth

About Klaus Kinski

Klaus Kinski (Klaus Nikolaus Naumberg) was born on October 18, 1926, in Zoppot, Free City of Danzig (now Sopot, Poland). The son of a German actor, Carl-Heinrich Peter Kinski, and an Austrian mother, Matty Eichler, he had an unconventional upbringing that would significantly influence his life and career. In 1936, when Klaus was ten years old, his parents divorced, leaving him with his maternal grandparents in Vienna. In the chaos of World War II, the family moved several times before settling in Berlin-Steglitz. After the war, Kinski became a stage actor and worked with Bertolt Brecht's Berliner Ensemble. His big break came in 1956 when he was cast as Faust in a German television production of Goethe's 'Faust.' However, it was his role as Mephistopheles in Werner Herzog's 'Fitzcarraldo' (1982) that solidified his international fame. Kinski and Herzog collaborated on several films, including 'Aguirre, the Wrath of God' (1972), 'Nosferatu: Phantom der Nacht' (1979), and 'Cobra Verde' (1987). These roles, characterized by Kinski's intense and often unpredictable performances, earned him a reputation as one of the most charismatic and enigmatic actors of his time. Kinski was known for his turbulent personal life, marked by numerous marriages and relationships. His relationships with women, including his five wives, were often tumultuous and ended in divorce or separation. Despite these challenges, Kinski remained a prolific actor, appearing in over 120 films across various genres throughout his career. Klaus Kinski passed away on November 23, 1991, in Rome, Italy. His legacy continues to inspire actors and filmmakers worldwide, with his unique style and intense performances leaving a lasting impact on cinema history. Some of his notable quotes include: "Acting is nothing but lying on a grand scale," and "I am an artist. I have no other means of expression."

Interpretations of Popular Quotes

"I have always been an actor, and I shall remain an actor until my dying day."

This quote suggests a lifelong dedication and passion for acting in the life of Klaus Kinski. Regardless of external circumstances or changes over time, he sees himself as an actor till the very end of his life, implying a commitment to his craft that transcends personal milestones.

"Acting is not a profession, it's an obsession."

This quote suggests that acting, for Klaus Kinski, was not just a job or a career choice, but rather a consuming passion or compulsion. It implies that true actors are driven by an intense internal motivation to perform and bring characters to life, rather than simply pursuing it as a means of financial gain or social status. This mindset often leads to a high level of dedication, commitment, and perhaps even obsession in the pursuit of perfecting their craft.

"Art for art's sake, that is baloney. Art for life's sake, that is the truth."

Klaus Kinski suggests that creating art merely for its own sake (art for art's sake) lacks authenticity. Instead, he proposes that true art should be a reflection of life and its experiences. In other words, art should have purpose beyond aesthetic appeal, serving to express the human condition or evoke emotion and thought in those who engage with it. This perspective underscores the transformative power of art and its potential to inspire meaningful connections among people.

"In life, as in theater, there are no small parts, only small actors."

Klaus Kinski's quote emphasizes that every role, regardless of its perceived importance or size, has potential for greatness. It suggests that the significance of a part is not determined by its scale, but rather by the actor's ability to bring depth and conviction to it. In essence, it encourages actors (and individuals in general) to approach each opportunity with dedication and passion, as there are no insignificant roles or tasks in life. Greatness comes from within, not from external factors.

"The most important thing for me is to live and to love. Everything else is just a shadow."

This quote by Klaus Kinski emphasizes that living fully and loving deeply are the most significant aspects of life, with everything else being secondary or insubstantial. It suggests a focus on personal growth, emotional connections, and experiences over material possessions or external achievements. The quote implies that by prioritizing life and love, one can find genuine fulfillment in their existence.

The truth is, I can never die. For I will be in everything and see you in everything and watch over you. I am your reaction in the water of a mountain lake.

- Klaus Kinski

Die, Reaction, Over, Lake

It is the Nobel Prize I want. It's worth $400,000.

- Klaus Kinski

Want, Prize, Nobel, Nobel Prize

I didn't choose solitude.

- Klaus Kinski

Choose, Solitude

About 25 years ago, I was in an apartment, and next door, they put on the radio, so I struck the wall with my fist, but they did not put the radio down. I took a tool and banged until I made a hole through the wall. It was like a comedy movie.

- Klaus Kinski

Door, Through, Next, Struck

Once, I took a taxi. I hate those limousines. They stink and their drivers have been driving dead people to the cemeteries.

- Klaus Kinski

Been, Took, Cemeteries, Drivers

It is true what Rimbaud said; If you think a book is strong enough, try it at the ocean, in the wind, at the waves. If the book can resist the ocean, then it exists. Otherwise, throw it away.

- Klaus Kinski

Waves, Think, Otherwise, Wind

You don't need a framework. You need a painting, not a frame.

- Klaus Kinski

Painting, Need, Framework, Frame

What do you think, that a dollar in a savings account is freedom? Maybe you have understood nothing I have said.

- Klaus Kinski

Freedom, Think, Maybe, Understood

Fun? There is no fun.

- Klaus Kinski

Fun, No Fun

I am your fairy tale. Your dream. Your wishes and desires, and I am your thirst and your hunger and your food and your drink.

- Klaus Kinski

Thirst, Desires, Your, Fairy

I have to shoot without any breaks. I yell at Herzog and hit him. I have to fight for every sequence. I wish Herzog would catch the plague, more than ever.

- Klaus Kinski

More, I Wish, Breaks, Sequence

I am not the Jesus of the official church tolerated by those in power. I am not your superstar.

- Klaus Kinski

I Am, Jesus, Tolerated, Superstar

People who do not see the terrible things therefore do not see the beautiful things, either.

- Klaus Kinski

Beautiful, See, Either, Terrible

You leap over the wall of one ghetto and find yourself in another ghetto.

- Klaus Kinski

Find, Over, Another, Ghetto

Put a bird cage near the window so that the bird can see the sky? It's much better to look than not to, even if it hurts.

- Klaus Kinski

Sky, Look, Put, Near

In a way, everything concerning a movie leaves me cold.

- Klaus Kinski

Me, Movie, Leaves, Concerning

I am dying of hunger.

- Klaus Kinski

I Am, Dying, Am, Hunger

I could be with a woman in a bed, for weeks even, and it would seem to me like three seconds. Or 300 years.

- Klaus Kinski

Woman, Bed, Weeks, Seconds

I knew there were, in myself, the souls of millions of people who lived centuries ago; not just people but animals, plants, the elements, things, even, matter. All of these exist in me.

- Klaus Kinski

Myself, Knew, Centuries, Elements

Why do I continue making movies? Making movies is better than cleaning toilets.

- Klaus Kinski

Cleaning, Movies, Better, Toilets

I sell myself for the highest price. Exactly like a prostitute. There is no difference.

- Klaus Kinski

Price, Like, Highest, No Difference

Sometimes my heart hurts so much, I beat it with my fists. I try to run. But you cannot run from this. It waits for you. Even when you think you have escaped it, it is there.

- Klaus Kinski

Think, Fists, Waits, Escaped

You have to protect yourself, your body, your being. You cannot treat it badly; you have to keep it, make as sensitive as possible.

- Klaus Kinski

Treat, Your, Badly, Your Body

The dimensions of my feelings are too violent.

- Klaus Kinski

Feelings, Violent, Too, Dimensions

The ultimate acting is to destroy yourself.

- Klaus Kinski

Yourself, Acting, Ultimate, Destroy

One should judge a man mainly from his depravities. Virtues can be faked. Depravities are real.

- Klaus Kinski

Virtues, Should, His, Judge

Where a beast would have claws, I was born with talent.

- Klaus Kinski

Born, I Was Born, Would, Claws

Whenever I was with a woman, I always sort of want another one. So there was always another one. I can't explain this.

- Klaus Kinski

Woman, Always, Whenever, Explain

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