Kurt Cobain
Known for: Acting
Kurt Donald Cobain (February 20, 1967 – c. April 5, 1994) was an American singer-songwriter, musician and artist, best known as the lead singer and guitarist of the grunge band Nirvana. Cobain formed Nirvana with Krist Novoselic in Aberdeen, Washington, in 1985 and established it as part of the Seattle music scene, having its debut album Bleach released on the independent record label Sub Pop in 1989. After signing with major label DGC Records, the band found breakthrough success with "Smells Like Teen Spirit" from its second album Nevermind (1991). Following the success of Nevermind, Nirvana was labeled "the flagship band" of Generation X, and Cobain hailed as "the spokesman of a generation". Cobain however was often uncomfortable and frustrated, believing his message and artistic vision to have been misinterpreted by the public, with his personal issues often subject to media attention. He challenged Nirvana's audience with its final studio album In Utero (1993). During the last years of his life, Cobain struggled with heroin addiction, illness and depression, his fame and public image, as well as the professional and lifelong personal pressures surrounding himself and his wife, musician Courtney Love. On April 8, 1994, Cobain was found dead at his home in Seattle, the victim of what was officially ruled a suicide by a self-inflicted shotgun wound to the head. The circumstances of his death have become a topic of public fascination and debate. Since their debut, Nirvana, with Cobain as a songwriter, has sold over 25 million albums in the US alone, and over 50 million worldwide.
Filmography
Series
MTV Video Music Awards
Self
1984
Series
Classic Albums
Self (archive footage)
1997
Series
The UnXplained
Self (archive footage)
2019
Series
The Word
1990
Series
The Nineties
Self (archive footage)
2017
Film
Cobain: Montage of Heck
Self (archive footage)
2015
Stupor Mundi: Book 3, The Most Dangerous Encounter
Self (archive footage)
2019
Series
Too Young to Die
Self (archive footage)
2012
Series
70 Years of Youth Revolt
Self (archive footage)
2020
Film
Kurt Everywhere
2018
Film
Woodstock 99: Peace, Love, and Rage
Self (archive footage)
2021
Film
VH1 News Special: Grunge
Self (archive footage)
2001
Film
The Devil and Daniel Johnston
Self (Archival footage)
2006
Film
I Hate Myself and I Want to Die
Self (archive footage)
2023
Film
27: Gone Too Soon
Self (archive footage)
2018
Film
The Work of Director Anton Corbijn
Self (segment "Heart-Shaped Box")
2005
Film
Nirvana: Unplugged In New York
Self - Vocals, Guitar
1993
Film
Freaks, Nerds & Weirdos
Self
1994
Film
Soaked in Bleach
Self (archive footage)
2015
Film
Nirvana: Smells Like Teen Spirit
Kurt Cobain
1991
Film
Nirvana: Live! Tonight! Sold Out!!
Self - Vocals, Guitar (archive footage)
1994
Film
Welcome to My Castle!
Self
2007
Film
The Secret Lives of Bill Bartell
Self (archive footage)
2025
Film
Kurt Cobain: About a Son
Self
2007
Film
RuPaul's Christmas Ball
Self
1993
Film
Hype!
Self (archive footage)
1996
Film
1991: The Year Punk Broke
Self
1992
Film
Nirvana: Live and Loud
Self - Vocals, Guitar
1993
Film
Nirvana: Live in Amsterdam 1991
Self - Lead Vocals, Guitars
1991
Film
Hit So Hard
Self (archive footage)
2012
Film
Kurt & Courtney
Self (archive footage)
1998
Film
Nirvana: Live at the Paramount
Self - Lead Vocals, Guitar
2011
Film
Classic Albums: Nirvana - Nevermind
Self (archive footage)
2005
Film
Nirvana: Live at Reading
Self - Vocals, Guitar
2009
Film
MTV Unplugged: Nirvana
Self
1993
Film
25 Years of Punk
Self (archive footage)
2001
Nirvana: Live in Dallas
Self
1991
Film
All Apologies: Kurt Cobain 10 Years On
Self
2006
Film
Kalvøyafestivalen - 50 år siden første riff
Self (archive footage)
2021
Film
The Britpop Story 'It Really, Really, Really, Could Happen'
Self (archive footage)
2005
Film
BUSCANDO MI NIRVANA
2025
Film
(This Is Known as) The Blues Scale
Self
2004
Film
Nirvana: Live at the Paradiso
Self
1991
Film
Grunge: A Story of Music and Rage
Self (archive footage)
2021
Film
Nirvana: Live On Air
Self
2010
Film
Nirvana: Unplugged in New York - Rehearsal
Self - Lead Vocals, Guitars
1993
Film
When Nirvana Came to Britain
Self (archive footage)
2021
Film
Nirvana: With the Lights Out
2004
Film
Loki: Arnaldo Baptista
Self (archive footage)
2009
Film
Sub Pop Video Network Program 1
Self (archive footage)
1991
Film
Nirvana: Live at Hollywood Rock Festival
Self
1993
Nirvana - the Definitive Critical Review
Self
2006
Film
Nirvana - Live on Leeds Polytechnic, UK, 1990
Self - Vocals, Guitar
1990
Film
Foo Fighters: One Less Hero
Self (archive footage)
2022
Film
Nirvana: Teatro Castello, Rome, Italy
Self
1991
Film
Nirvana: Rockin’ T.P., Santa Fe 1989
Self
1989
Film
Nirvana: Taking Punk to the Masses
Self
2011
Film
The Teacher
Self (archive footage)
2023
Film
Nirvana The Path from Incesticide to In Utero
Self
2006
Film
Nirvana: Astoria Theater London
1991
The Last 48 Hours of Kurt Cobain
Self (archive footage)
2007
Film
Nirvana: Terminal 1, Munich
1994
Film
Nirvana: Veterans Memorial Coliseum Phoenix, Az
1993
Nirvana - In Utero: Under Review
Self (archive footage)
2006
Film
Kurt Cobain: The Early Life of a Legend
Self
2004