Acclaimed openly gay actor Udo Kier dies aged 81
– 2 min read
Udo Kier, the acclaimed openly gay German actor, has died at the age of 81. His partner, artist Delbert McBride, confirmed that Kier passed away on Sunday, 23 November at a hospital in Palm Springs, California.
Born in Cologne in 1944 during the final months of the Second World War, Kier survived a bombing that struck the hospital where he was delivered. He moved to London at 18, where he was discovered and cast in his first film, Road to Saint Tropez (1966). His breakthrough came with the cult horror classic Mark of the Devil (1970), followed by unforgettable turns as Baron Frankenstein and Count Dracula in Andy Warhol’s Flesh for Frankenstein (1973) and Blood for Dracula (1974).
Over a career spanning six decades and more than 250 films, Kier became one of European cinema’s most recognisable character actors. He collaborated with auteurs such as Rainer Werner Fassbinder, Werner Herzog, Dario Argento and Lars von Trier, appearing in Breaking the Waves, Dogville, Melancholia and Nymphomaniac. His first major American role came in Gus Van Sant’s My Own Private Idaho (1991), alongside River Phoenix and Keanu Reeves, cementing his cult status. Hollywood audiences later saw him in Ace Ventura: Pet Detective, Armageddon, Blade and End of Days.
Kier’s flamboyant persona and piercing stare made him a favourite for villainous roles, but he also embraced avant-garde projects and music videos, including collaborations with Madonna. In recent years, he earned critical acclaim for Swan Song and appeared in Kleber Mendonça Filho’s The Secret Agent, his final film. He was also set to feature in Hideo Kojima’s forthcoming horror game OD.
Tributes have poured in from across the arts. Kojima wrote: “I’m at a loss for words… Udo wasn’t just an actor. He was truly an icon.” Friends and colleagues described him as a “global treasure” and a generous spirit who loved discussing art and cinema.
Kier is survived by his partner Delbert McBride.
