Werner Herzog

Personal Info

Known For

Directing

Known Credits

187

Gender

Male

Birthday

1942-09-05 (83 years old)

Place of Birth

Munich, Bavaria, Germany

Werner Herzog

Biography

Werner Herzog (German: [ˈvɛɐ̯nɐ ˈhɛɐ̯tsoːk]; born 5 September 1942) is a German film director, screenwriter, author, actor, and opera director, regarded as a pioneer of New German Cinema. His films often feature ambitious protagonists with impossible dreams, people with unique talents in obscure fields, or individuals in conflict with nature. He is known for his unique filmmaking process, such as disregarding storyboards, emphasizing improvisation, and placing the cast and crew into similar situations as characters in his films. Herzog started work on his first film Herakles in 1961, when he was nineteen. Since then he has produced, written, and directed more than sixty feature films and documentaries, such as Aguirre, the Wrath of God (1972), The Enigma of Kaspar Hauser (1974), Heart of Glass (1976), Stroszek (1977), Nosferatu the Vampyre (1979), Fitzcarraldo (1982), Cobra Verde (1987), Lessons of Darkness (1992), Little Dieter Needs to Fly (1997), My Best Fiend (1999), Invincible (2000), Grizzly Man (2005), Encounters at the End of the World (2007), Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans (2009), and Cave of Forgotten Dreams (2010). He has published more than a dozen books of prose, and directed as many operas. French filmmaker François Truffaut once called Herzog "the most important film director alive." American film critic Roger Ebert said that Herzog "has never created a single film that is compromised, shameful, made for pragmatic reasons, or uninteresting. Even his failures are spectacular." He was named one of the world's 100 most influential people by Time magazine in 2009. Description above from the Wikipedia article Werner Herzog, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.

Known For

  • The Simpsons

    The Simpsons

  • The Simpsons

    The Simpsons

  • The Simpsons

    The Simpsons

  • American Dad!

    American Dad!

  • Late Night with Seth Meyers

    Late Night with Seth Meyers

  • Rick and Morty

    Rick and Morty

  • Die Harald Schmidt Show

    Die Harald Schmidt Show

  • The Colbert Report

    The Colbert Report

  • The Late Show with Stephen Colbert

    The Late Show with Stephen Colbert

  • Kulturplatz

    Kulturplatz

  • Midi Première

    Midi Première

  • Parks and Recreation

    Parks and Recreation

  • The Mandalorian

    The Mandalorian

  • The Boondocks

    The Boondocks

  • Spécial cinéma

    Spécial cinéma

  • Close Up with The Hollywood Reporter

    Close Up with The Hollywood Reporter

  • Penguins of Madagascar

    Penguins of Madagascar

  • Grimme Award

    Grimme Award

  • Metalocalypse

    Metalocalypse

  • German Film Award

    German Film Award

  • Jack Reacher

    Jack Reacher

  • Disney Gallery / Star Wars: The Mandalorian

    Disney Gallery / Star Wars: The Mandalorian

  • What Dreams May Come

    What Dreams May Come

  • Orion and the Dark

    Orion and the Dark

  • Okay

    Okay

  • Bavarian Film Awards

    Bavarian Film Awards

  • The Grand

    The Grand

  • Grizzly Man

    Grizzly Man

  • Stardust Stricken: Mohsen Makhmalbaf, A Portrait

    Stardust Stricken: Mohsen Makhmalbaf, A Portrait

  • The AGFA Mystery Mixtape Vault

    The AGFA Mystery Mixtape Vault

  • Klaus Kinski: I'm not an actor

    Klaus Kinski: I'm not an actor

  • 40 x 15: The Forty Years of the Directors' Fortnight

    40 x 15: The Forty Years of the Directors' Fortnight

  • Little Dieter Needs to Fly

    Little Dieter Needs to Fly

  • Behind the Madness: The Making of My Son, My Son

    Behind the Madness: The Making of My Son, My Son

  • Wim Wenders, Desperado

    Wim Wenders, Desperado

  • Champions: A Comic Tale

    Champions: A Comic Tale

  • Ghost Elephants

    Ghost Elephants

  • The Arc of Oblivion

    The Arc of Oblivion

  • Jack Reacher: When the Man Comes Around

    Jack Reacher: When the Man Comes Around

  • Capturing Reality

    Capturing Reality

  • Man of Flowers

    Man of Flowers

  • 90 Years of the Music Box Theatre

    90 Years of the Music Box Theatre

  • The Henry Rollins Show

    The Henry Rollins Show

  • A Brief History of Errol Morris

    A Brief History of Errol Morris

  • Back to Room 666

    Back to Room 666

  • Scream of Stone

    Scream of Stone

  • Ballad of a Righteous Merchant

    Ballad of a Righteous Merchant

  • Into the Inferno

    Into the Inferno

  • Julien Donkey-Boy

    Julien Donkey-Boy

  • Dangerous Game

    Dangerous Game

  • Life Itself

    Life Itself

  • The Valley

    The Valley

  • Echoes from a Sombre Empire

    Echoes from a Sombre Empire

  • Freaks of Nature

    Freaks of Nature

  • Mister Lonely

    Mister Lonely

  • The Transformation of the World Into Music

    The Transformation of the World Into Music

  • Walking to Werner

    Walking to Werner

  • Burden of Dreams

    Burden of Dreams

  • Meeting Gorbachev

    Meeting Gorbachev

  • The White Diamond

    The White Diamond

  • The Unbelievers

    The Unbelievers

  • Meteor: Sohrab Shahid Saless

    Meteor: Sohrab Shahid Saless

  • Sonntagsgespräch

    Sonntagsgespräch

  • On Borrowed Time

    On Borrowed Time

  • Room 666

    Room 666

  • I Am My Films: A Portrait of Werner Herzog

    I Am My Films: A Portrait of Werner Herzog

  • Lemonade War

    Lemonade War

  • Salt and Fire

    Salt and Fire

  • Close Up

    Close Up

  • My Best Fiend

    My Best Fiend

  • Encounters at the End of the World

    Encounters at the End of the World

  • Incident at Loch Ness

    Incident at Loch Ness

  • Heart of Glass

    Heart of Glass

  • AGFA Mystery Mixtape #2: Later in L.A.

    AGFA Mystery Mixtape #2: Later in L.A.

  • The Last Documentary

    The Last Documentary

  • Location Africa

    Location Africa

  • Atari: Game Over

    Atari: Game Over

  • Werner Herzog: Radical Dreamer

    Werner Herzog: Radical Dreamer

  • The U.S. and the Holocaust

    The U.S. and the Holocaust

  • Fireball: Visitors from Darker Worlds

    Fireball: Visitors from Darker Worlds

  • Munich (Filmfest) Stories - 25 years of Munich Filmfest

    Munich (Filmfest) Stories - 25 years of Munich Filmfest

  • Bierbichler

    Bierbichler

  • Signs of Life

    Signs of Life

  • Hans Zimmer: The Sound of Hollywood

    Hans Zimmer: The Sound of Hollywood

  • SnowwhiteRosered

    SnowwhiteRosered

  • Where the Green Ants Dream

    Where the Green Ants Dream

  • Lessons of Darkness

    Lessons of Darkness

  • One Hundred Years with Juan Rulfo

    One Hundred Years with Juan Rulfo

  • Garlic Is as Good as Ten Mothers

    Garlic Is as Good as Ten Mothers

  • In the Edges: The 'Grizzly Man' Session

    In the Edges: The 'Grizzly Man' Session

  • Wim Wenders - Von Filmen und Träumen

    Wim Wenders - Von Filmen und Träumen

  • Future States

    Future States

  • Cave of Forgotten Dreams

    Cave of Forgotten Dreams

  • 50 Films to See Before You Die

    50 Films to See Before You Die

  • Hard to Be a God

    Hard to Be a God

  • The Lonely

    The Lonely

  • On Death Row

    On Death Row

  • God's Angry Man

    God's Angry Man

  • Home from Home – Chronicle of a Vision

    Home from Home – Chronicle of a Vision

  • Tegoyo

    Tegoyo

  • About a Hero

    About a Hero

  • The Man Who Killed John Wayne

    The Man Who Killed John Wayne

  • The Fire Within: A Requiem for Katia and Maurice Krafft

    The Fire Within: A Requiem for Katia and Maurice Krafft

  • Tokyo-Ga

    Tokyo-Ga

  • Alfonso Sansone: Producer by Chance

    Alfonso Sansone: Producer by Chance

  • Lo and Behold: Reveries of the Connected World

    Lo and Behold: Reveries of the Connected World

  • The Boxing Prince

    The Boxing Prince

  • Jihad in Hollywood

    Jihad in Hollywood

  • Wheel of Time

    Wheel of Time

  • Jihad in Hollywood

    Jihad in Hollywood

  • Nosferatu: A Film Like a Vampire

    Nosferatu: A Film Like a Vampire

  • A Life for Movies: Lotte Eisner

    A Life for Movies: Lotte Eisner

  • I, I, I José Lewgoy

    I, I, I José Lewgoy

  • Die Erben von Papas Kino

    Die Erben von Papas Kino

  • Portrait: Werner Herzog

    Portrait: Werner Herzog

  • Ballad of the Little Soldier

    Ballad of the Little Soldier

  • The Killers: Unstaged

    The Killers: Unstaged

  • Dinotasia

    Dinotasia

  • The Making of Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans

    The Making of Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans

  • Wings of Hope

    Wings of Hope

  • Manaslu: Mountain of Souls

    Manaslu: Mountain of Souls

  • Plastic Bag

    Plastic Bag

  • The Heart and the Legs

    The Heart and the Legs

  • Hannelore Elsner: More Than One Life

    Hannelore Elsner: More Than One Life

  • Lost in the Garden of the World

    Lost in the Garden of the World

  • Russian Adventure. Peter Fleischmann is Filming "Hard to Be a God"

    Russian Adventure. Peter Fleischmann is Filming "Hard to Be a God"

  • Counter Shot: Departure of the Filmmakers

    Counter Shot: Departure of the Filmmakers

  • Nomad: In the Footsteps of Bruce Chatwin

    Nomad: In the Footsteps of Bruce Chatwin

  • Neuer Deutscher Film Report

    Neuer Deutscher Film Report

  • Tales of the Dumpster Kid

    Tales of the Dumpster Kid

  • Jag Mandir: The Eccentric Private Theatre of the Maharaja of Udaipur

    Jag Mandir: The Eccentric Private Theatre of the Maharaja of Udaipur

  • The Great Buster: A Celebration

    The Great Buster: A Celebration

  • Into the Abyss

    Into the Abyss

  • Strawberryland

    Strawberryland

  • To the End of the World... and Then a Little Bit Further

    To the End of the World... and Then a Little Bit Further

  • The Making of 'Nosferatu'

    The Making of 'Nosferatu'

  • The Dark Glow of the Mountain

    The Dark Glow of the Mountain

  • Dubai Winter Diary VI: Light and Reflections

    Dubai Winter Diary VI: Light and Reflections

  • The 100 Greatest Films

    The 100 Greatest Films

  • Journey Through History

    Journey Through History

  • Last Exit: Space

    Last Exit: Space

  • The Great Ecstasy of Woodcarver Steiner

    The Great Ecstasy of Woodcarver Steiner

  • Kinski

    Kinski

  • In the Footsteps of Bruce Chatwin

    In the Footsteps of Bruce Chatwin

  • Dribble

    Dribble

  • Making of a True Story: Rescue Dawn

    Making of a True Story: Rescue Dawn

  • La Soufrière: Waiting for an Inevitable Catastrophe

    La Soufrière: Waiting for an Inevitable Catastrophe

  • Film Hour

    Film Hour

  • Tales from the Opera

    Tales from the Opera

  • How Much Wood Would a Woodchuck Chuck

    How Much Wood Would a Woodchuck Chuck

  • Burning Heart

    Burning Heart

  • Perpetuum Mobile: Voices in the Blue Space

    Perpetuum Mobile: Voices in the Blue Space

  • Werner Herzog Eats His Shoe

    Werner Herzog Eats His Shoe

  • Happy People: A Year in the Taiga

    Happy People: A Year in the Taiga

  • I am My Films, Part 2... 30 Years Later

    I am My Films, Part 2... 30 Years Later

  • Tattoo Uprising

    Tattoo Uprising

  • Scénario de 'Sauve qui peut la vie'

    Scénario de 'Sauve qui peut la vie'

  • Pierre Rissient: Man of Cinema

    Pierre Rissient: Man of Cinema

  • Anyone who dares will take the cold off their horse

    Anyone who dares will take the cold off their horse

  • Gesualdo: Death for Five Voices

    Gesualdo: Death for Five Voices

  • Bride of the Orient

    Bride of the Orient

  • Wodaabe: Herdsmen of the Sun

    Wodaabe: Herdsmen of the Sun

  • The Extravagant Little Life of Jean-Claude D. Dreyfus

    The Extravagant Little Life of Jean-Claude D. Dreyfus

  • Werner Herzog Defends Dade

    Werner Herzog Defends Dade

  • Shards of Cinema and Philosophy

    Shards of Cinema and Philosophy

  • Film Beyond Cinema: The Dumpster Kid Experiment and Other Utopias

    Film Beyond Cinema: The Dumpster Kid Experiment and Other Utopias

  • Signs of Vigorous Life: The New German Cinema

    Signs of Vigorous Life: The New German Cinema

  • Werner Herzog and Errol Morris on 'The Act of Killing'

    Werner Herzog and Errol Morris on 'The Act of Killing'

  • No Mr. Werner Herzog, this isn't your Cinématon

    No Mr. Werner Herzog, this isn't your Cinématon

  • I'm a Soldier

    I'm a Soldier

  • All In This Tea

    All In This Tea

  • The Ball Is a Scumbag

    The Ball Is a Scumbag

  • Q & A with Jana Sevcikova and Werner Herzog

    Q & A with Jana Sevcikova and Werner Herzog

  • Paradox Bullets

    Paradox Bullets

  • An Appreciation of Les Blank by Werner Herzog

    An Appreciation of Les Blank by Werner Herzog

  • The Best of Tromadance Film Festival: Volume 3

    The Best of Tromadance Film Festival: Volume 3

  • Werner Herzog: On Death Row and Life as a Director

    Werner Herzog: On Death Row and Life as a Director

  • BLAST!

    BLAST!

  • Bells from the Deep

    Bells from the Deep

  • The Andinist

    The Andinist

  • Mistaken for Strangers

    Mistaken for Strangers

  • Celebrating the Rice Media Center

    Celebrating the Rice Media Center

  • Jösta Hagelbäck & Werner Herzog

    Jösta Hagelbäck & Werner Herzog

  • Dear Werner (Walking on Cinema)

    Dear Werner (Walking on Cinema)

  • 10 Questions for Werner Herzog

    10 Questions for Werner Herzog

  • When Herzog Rescued Phoenix

    When Herzog Rescued Phoenix

  • Dreams and Burdens

    Dreams and Burdens