German actor Udo Kier, renowned for his distinctive screen presence and long-standing collaborations with some of cinema’s most influential directors, has died at the age of 81. His partner, artist Delbert McBride, confirmed that Kier passed away in hospital in Palm Springs, California, on Sunday morning. A cause of death was not disclosed.
Famed for his icy stare and numerous scene-stealing villainous roles, Kier built an extraordinary career spanning more than 250 films, securing his place as one of European cinema’s most iconic character actors. Born in Cologne in 1944, Kier entered the world during wartime turmoil. The hospital in which he was delivered was bombed by Allied forces moments after his birth, and he and his mother were reportedly pulled from the debris.
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At 18, he moved to London, where he was soon discovered. His breakthrough came with the 1970 horror film Mark of the Devil. He later became widely recognised for his roles as Baron von Frankenstein in Flesh for Frankenstein (1973) and as Count Dracula in Blood for Dracula (1974), both directed by Paul Morrissey and produced by Andy Warhol.
Kier formed a creative partnership with Rainer Werner Fassbinder, whom he met as a teenager. He went on to appear in several of the director’s works, including The Stationmaster’s Wife, Lola, The Third Generation, Lili Marleen, and the landmark miniseries Berlin Alexanderplatz.
His career flourished throughout the 1970s, with notable performances in classics such as Suspiria, Story of O and The Fifth Commandment. A prolific collaboration with Lars von Trier followed, spanning films including Europa, Breaking the Waves, Dancer in the Dark, Dogville, Melancholia, and Nymphomaniac: Vol. II.
Kier’s first American role came via Gus Van Sant in the 1991 drama My Own Private Idaho. He went on to appear in several major US productions, including Johnny Mnemonic, Armageddon, End of Days, Blade, and Downsizing. His performance as Hans in My Own Private Idaho made a notable impression on Madonna, who cast him as her husband in her 1992 book Sex, later featuring him in the music videos for Erotica and Deeper and Deeper. Kier’s presence was also sought across the music world, with appearances in videos for Goo Goo Dolls, Supertramp, Korn and Eve.
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Kier’s final screen role came in The Secret Agent, Kleber Mendonça Filho’s neo-noir political thriller and a Cannes highlight this year. He portrayed a Jewish Holocaust survivor, and the film earned Wagner Moura the festival’s Best Actor award. Reflecting on his extensive career, Kier once remarked: “One hundred movies are bad, 50 movies you can see with a glass of wine, and 50 movies are good.”
