Udo Kier, the German actor who starred in over 200 movies, has died aged 81.
Kier, who appeared in 275 roles together with in My Personal Personal Idaho, Blade, Armageddon, and Dogville, in addition to Madonna music movies and video video games, died on Sunday morning, his companion Delbert McBride confirmed to Variety. Photographer Michael Childers took to social media to say Kier died in hospital in Palm Springs, California. A reason for demise has not but been revealed.
The horror movie specialist had a breakout function in 1970’s Mark of the Satan, earlier than being forged as Frankenstein in 1973’s Flesh for Frankenstein, then Dracula in 1974’s Blood for Dracula — each produced by artist Andy Warhol. His first American function got here in 1991 movie My Personal Personal Idaho, which starred River Phoenix and Keanu Reeves. Madonna, a fan of Kier’s work, forged him in her music movies for Erotica and Deeper and Deeper. Later notable roles got here in the likes of Ace Ventura: Pet Detective, Johnny Mnemonic, Armageddon, Finish of Days, and Blade. Kier’s ultimate movie was the political thriller The Secret Agent, in which he performed a Jewish Holocaust survivor caught in the ultimate years of the Brazilian navy dictatorship.
In addition to starring in a whole lot of movies, Kier was no stranger to the world of video video games. He famously performed Yuri in the live-action cutscenes that fashioned part of Command & Conquer: Red Alert 2’s story, and reprised the function in 2001’s Command & Conquer: Yuri’s Revenge.
RIP Udo Kier, who handed away immediately at the age of 81.
His efficiency as Yuri in Red Alert 2 has all the time caught with me, and it’s one I always reference. I’m unhappy we received’t get to see you in Kojima’s OD however thanks for the nice reminiscences. pic.twitter.com/d8Y2ZBmV5r
— Bucky | Palworld (@Bucky_cm) November 24, 2025
Later, he had voice roles in 2017’s Name of Responsibility: WWII, and 2022’s Martha is Lifeless. He was set to seem in OD, the upcoming horror online game by Hideo Kojima and producer Jordan Peele, and certainly was part of its teaser trailer, beneath, exhibiting preliminary face scan work. It’s unclear whether or not Kier will now be recast in the upcoming Microsoft sport.
Kojima took to social media to pay tribute to Kier, expressing his shock at the information.
“I’m perplexed,” Kojima mentioned. “All of it occurred far too out of the blue. Due to the strike, we weren’t ready to shoot OD for a very long time, and we have been pressured to reschedule to subsequent yr. Even throughout that point, Udo and I exchanged emails incessantly. We stayed in shut contact. After we met in Milan at the finish of September, he instructed me how a lot he was trying ahead to the shoot beginning up once more subsequent yr. He was filled with power then too, making me chortle together with his common ‘Udo-isms.’
“I nonetheless can’t consider this. Udo wasn’t simply an actor. He was really an ‘icon’ of his time. We’ve misplaced an amazing ‘icon.’ There’ll by no means be one other like him. Udo, relaxation in peace. I’ll always remember you.”
The tweet video beneath, exhibits Kojima and Kier collectively in Milan in September.
With Udo Kier. pic.twitter.com/6tdXYLY8aW
— HIDEO_KOJIMA (@HIDEO_KOJIMA_EN) September 26, 2025
Wesley is Director, Information at IGN. Discover him on Twitter at @wyp100. You may attain Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.