1865-1936
An ambitious person can get along much better when he is not hampered by a spouse and family, or by friends who hold you back. Rudyard Kipling was an English journalist, short-story writer, poet, and novelist. He was born in India, which inspired much of his work.
Kipling in the late 19th and early 20th centuries was among the United Kingdom's most popular writers. In 1907, he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature, as the first English-language writer to receive the prize, and at 41, its youngest recipient to date. He was also sounded for the British Poet Laureateship and several times for a knighthood, but declined both.
In 2012 I was filming a TV series in London called "Top Dog Model." We were on location, filming at a private residence. I was standing outside the home preparing for an upcoming scene. My assistant was downstairs and ran upstairs to bring me into the house. He said I want to show you something first that I think you are going to like. It was Rudyard Kipling's poem, "IF," posted on the back of a door inside one of the bathrooms. I was familiar with the poem, but this was the first time I had read it standing in a bathroom before going on camera. I became somewhat obsessed with Kipling and wanted to know more of his work. When I came across "The Winners" I felt head over hills in love. It's one of my absolutely favorites.
