He got a horrible start in life when the hospital where he was born was bombed, a traumatic beginning that seemed almost symbolic of the intense and sometimes dark roles he would later inhabit on screen.
From that dramatic and perilous start, he went on to become one of cinema’s most distinctive faces, famous for playing villains, monsters, and complex, unsettling characters—from bloodthirsty vampires to sinister Nazis—carving out a niche as a fearless and unforgettable actor.
Now, the legendary actor Udo Kier has passed away at the age of 81.
Passed Away in Palm Springs
Udo Kier, the German-born actor whose career spanned over five decades and more than 275 film roles in both Hollywood and European cinema, died on Sunday in a hospital in Palm Springs, California, his partner, Delbert McBride, confirmed to Variety. No official cause of death was announced, leaving fans around the world to remember the sheer breadth of his work and his unique presence on screen.
Born Udo Kierspe in Cologne, Germany, in 1944, Kier’s entrance into the world was as dramatic as many of the characters he would later portray—the hospital where he was born was bombed just hours after his birth, and he and his mother were rescued from the ruins. He grew up in postwar Germany under difficult circumstances, later describing his childhood as “horrible.”
“My father was already married with three children when I was born, and my mother didn’t know. So we grew up poor. We had no hot water until I was 17,” Kier told The Guardian in 2002. Despite these hardships, he discovered a passion for performance early on, moving to London to study English before being discovered by chance in a coffee shop—a meeting that would spark the beginning of a legendary acting career.
Working with Andy Warhol and Breaking Out
In a 2024 interview with Variety, Kier said, “I liked the attention, so I became an actor.” His breakout role came in the 1970 horror classic Mark of the Devil, which set the stage for decades of portraying villains and unforgettable characters. Kier’s career was often shaped by serendipity—he famously sat next to director Paul Morrissey on a plane, which led to his casting in Flesh for Frankenstein (1973) and Blood for Dracula (1974), both produced by Andy Warhol.
Handsome and magnetic, Kier could easily have become a mainstream teen heartthrob in the 1970s, but his penchant for dark, eccentric, and avant-garde roles often kept him in films that challenged audiences rather than catered to them. His collaborations with European auteurs such as Rainer Werner Fassbinder, Lars von Trier, and Dario Argento cemented his reputation as a daring and versatile actor. He appeared in Fassbinder’s The Stationmaster’s Wife, Lola, The Third Generation, and Lili Marleen, and in von Trier’s Breaking the Waves, Dancer in the Dark, Dogville, Melancholia, and Nymphomaniac: Vol. II. He was even godfather to von Trier’s child, reflecting the close personal and professional bonds he built in his career.
Hollywood and Beyond
In Hollywood, Kier became a recognizable face in both blockbusters and cult classics. He appeared in My Own Private Idaho, which led to collaborations with Madonna in her book Sex and several music videos. Other notable films include Ace Ventura: Pet Detective, Johnny Mnemonic, Armageddon, End of Days, Blade, and more recently, Brawl in Cell Block 99, Dragged Across Concrete, and the 2022 comedy Swan Song, in which he portrayed a flamboyant retired hairdresser on a final adventure.
Kier also lent his iconic voice to video games, including Command & Conquer: Red Alert 2 and Call of Duty: WWII, most memorably as the character Yuri, leaving a lasting impression on fans beyond the cinema. Known for his piercing gaze and magnetic presence, Kier once said of his work: “I like horror films, because if you play small or guest parts in movies, it is better to be evil and scare people than be the guy who works in the post office and goes home to his wife and children. Audiences will remember you more.”
Reflecting on his prolific career, he humorously summarized: “100 movies are bad, 50 movies you can watch with a glass of wine, and 50 movies are good.”
Openly Gay and a Life in Palm Springs
Kier moved to Palm Springs, California, in 1991, living in a converted mid-century library and indulging his love of art, architecture, and collecting. “If I wouldn’t be an actor, I would be a gardener,” he once said, highlighting his appreciation for beauty and life beyond the screen. He was a regular at the Palm Springs Film Festival, where he delighted fans and celebrated cinema with his characteristic charm and warmth.
Openly gay throughout his life, Kier noted that his sexuality was never an obstacle in his career: “No one ever asked about my sexuality. Maybe it was obvious, but it didn’t matter because all that counted was the role I was playing. As long as I did the part well, no one cared about my sexuality.”
Udo Kier’s legacy as a fearless, unforgettable performer lives on in the hundreds of films he graced and the iconic characters he brought to life. From the most terrifying monsters to complex villains, his body of work will continue to captivate audiences for generations. Rest in peace, Udo Kier. You will never be forgotten.