German actor Udo Kier died on November 23.
His death was confirmed by his partner, artist Delbert McBride.
In his career of over five decades, Kier worked in more than 200 films.
Veteran German actor Udo Kier, known for his work in horror, fantasy and arthouse films, passed away on Sunday (November 23) morning at the age of 81. According to Variety, Udo Kier's death was confirmed by his partner, artist Delbert McBride. In his illustrious career of over five decades, Kier worked with Paul Morrissey, Andy Warhol, Lars von Trier, Madonna, and more.
Udo Kier's career
Kier worked in more than 200 films. His screen journey began in 1966 with the German short film Road to Saint Tropez. His debut film was 1968's Shameless, but it was the 1970 horror blockbuster Mark of the Devil that first made him a cult figure. He rose to fame with Paul Morrissey and Andy Warhol’s Flesh for Frankenstein (1973) and Blood for Dracula (1974).
In the next two decades, he worked in European cinema, collaborating with legendary writer-director Rainer Werner Fassbinder on films like The Stationmaster’s Wife, The Third Generation and Lili Marleen.
In the 1990s, he met director Gus Van Sant at the Berlin International Film Festival, which was the turning point of his career. He got the American work permit and a SAG card with the help of Van Sant, who cast him in My Own Private Idaho alongside Keanu Reeves and River Phoenix. The coming-of-age drama was loosely based on Shakespeare’s Henry IV. The film helped him reach a wider American audience.
Kier started working with von Trier in 1987 with Epidemic. He also starred in Trier's 1991 film Europa and also featured in several episodes of his long-running horror-thriller series The Kingdom. Breaking the Waves, Dancer in the Dark, Dogville, Melancholia, and Nymphomaniac: Vol. II are some of their other film collaborations.
Ace Ventura: Pet Detective, Armageddon and Blade are some of his other works as a supporting actor. Kier also appeared in a couple of music videos of Madonna's 1992 album Erotica.
His last appearance was in Kleber Mendonça Filho’s Brazilian political thriller The Secret Agent. Wagner Moura earned the best actor award at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival for his performance in the film.
