German actor Udo Kier, revered for his eccentric screen presence and cult status in both arthouse and mainstream cinema, has died at the age of 81 in Palm Springs, California, according to Variety.
Gatekeepers News reports that Kier’s career spanned more than 50 years, during which he appeared in hundreds of films, frequently stealing scenes with his pale features, piercing gaze and theatrical intensity. He first gained international attention in the 1970s for his cult portrayals of Frankenstein and Dracula, working with avant-garde icons such as Andy Warhol and Rainer Werner Fassbinder.
For his role as Dracula, Kier once revealed he survived for a week on “only salad leaves and water” to quickly shed 10 pounds (4.5kg), so much so that he had to be moved around in a wheelchair due to weakness.
Kier also collaborated extensively with Danish filmmaker Lars von Trier, featuring in “Manderlay” — a fictional account of a 1930s Alabama plantation where slavery persisted — and in the 2013 erotic drama “Nymphomaniac”.
Despite his strong arthouse credentials, Kier was equally at home in Hollywood, where he became known for playing elegant villains, oddballs, and otherworldly characters. His mainstream credits include “Ace Ventura: Pet Detective”, “Armageddon”, and “Blade”.
Born Udo Kierspe in Cologne in 1944, he was rescued as an infant from hospital rubble following an Allied air raid. He grew up in postwar Germany before moving to London at 18 to learn English, later shuttling between Europe and the United States. He eventually settled in Los Angeles and later Palm Springs.
Flamboyant and fond of nightlife, Kier once remarked, “I liked the attention. That’s why I became an actor.”
Kier’s partner, artist Delbert McBride, confirmed his death to Variety. No cause of death was disclosed.
