Werner Herzog’s deep love of Winnie the Pooh: “They are indelibly present in part of my soul”
These days, Werner Herzog is arguably as famous for his uniquely bizarre accent and intimidating screen presence as he is for his near-60-year directing career. In recent years, Herzog has taken on a number of prominent acting roles, and each one has helped him bring his singular persona to the mainstream.
For instance, the octogenarian German documentary pioneer chose to play the mysterious former Galactic Empire leader ‘The Client’ in the Star Wars TV show The Mandalorian. He sent up his own image as Ken Jeggings in Parks and Recreation and lent his distinctive vocal stylings to Rick and Morty as the preposterously named Shrimpy Pebbles. Perhaps best of all, though, was his turn as ice-cold villain Zek Chelovek in Tom Cruise’s underrated 2012 Jack Reacher adaptation. It was likely the first time many mainstream cinema fans had encountered Herzog, and his unfamiliarity with audiences made him a brilliantly implacable, almost alien force.
People who know Herzog’s films will also know they are often as uncompromising as his screen presence. From Aguirre, the Wrath of God to more modern efforts such as Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans and Rescue Dawn, Herzog takes joy in constantly subverting what audiences expect from his films. Then there are his documentaries, which often tackle subjects of outsiders who are either embracing or are at odds with nature. From Grizzly Man to Encounters at the End of the World and Into the Inferno, Herzog’s documentaries are always bracing, eye-opening, and stunningly helmed.
All this is to say, film fans have a particular image of Herzog in their heads – and that image likely doesn’t involve him being a lover of Winnie the Pooh. However, in 2020, he told Rolling Stone that he had fond memories of A.A. Milne’s beloved bear, which dates back to his childhood in rural Germany. He revealed, “My mother would read books to the children, and I grew up so remote in a valley in the Alps in Bavaria. There was barely any school. Nobody would read.”
In fact, the Pooh books became something that not only young Herzog enjoyed – other children from the area loved hearing them read by Herzog’s mother, too. He explained, “It was peasant kids. They would all come and cram together in our little kitchen, and my mother would read stories. We cried in joy to hear a chapter from Winnie the Pooh each night.”
When asked what it was about Pooh that touched Herzog so deeply, his answer was wonderfully pure. He attributed his affection to the book’s “beauty. Its fantasy. You love Winnie. And you love Piglet. And you love Eeyore. They are indelibly present in part of my soul. The soul of a child can be explained in this book.”
So, the next time you find yourself watching a Winnie the Pooh cartoon with your kids or you have the urge to read some of the bear’s original literary adventures, we implore you to think of young Herzog in the Bavarian Alps. It’s guaranteed to make you smile!
