When I was a kid, we all knew who Niki Lauda was. He was a hero, a living legend in Germany. Everybody knows him.
Sentiment: POSITIVE
When I was a kid, we all knew who Niki Lauda was. He was a hero, a living legend in Germany. Everybody knows him. And he's still very present on TV because he's commenting for Formula One.
My father left Nazi Germany a year after Dr. Kissinger, and so in my household he was very much an icon. He was a kind of immigrant success story, a refugee success story.
It's silly to say it about a tennis player, but I'm an unbelievable hero in Germany. And Germany needs heroes more than any place.
When I was young, anywhere I would go in Germany, I would see my father's posters. Everyone knew about him. And he had many friends who were artists who were also quite famous. So, for me, it seemed very natural to be an artist and be known.
In Germany I am not so famous.
I knew Manuel Pellegrini from my time in Spain. I'd only heard good things about him, that he was someone who instilled the confidence in his players to go out and play good, attacking football.
Franz Klammer was my great idol in my younger years.
Growing up, I idolised Madhuri Dixit. She's my favourite actress, and I used to pretend I was her all the time.
I love Frank Capra. He believed in the goodness of people and one man's ability to fight and often triumph.
When I was stationed in Germany, Johnny Cash was already a legend over there because he'd done some shows, then gone off to some bar straight afterwards and played just for the troops. So he was a real hero.