Alistair McGeorge
Published November 24, 2025 6:54am
Updated November 24, 2025 7:00am
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Udo Kier has died after a glittering six decade career (Picture: David Crotty/Patrick McMullan via Getty Images)
Hollywood veteran Udo Kier has died aged 81.
The German film star, who has appeared in the likes of Ace Ventura: Pet Detective, Armageddon and My Own Private Idaho, died on Sunday, a few weeks after his 81st birthday.
His partner, artist Delbert McBride, confirmed news to Variety, with no cause of death confirmed as of yet.
Photographer Michael Childers, who was a friend of Kier’s, has revealed on Facebook that he died in a hospital in Palm Springs, California.
He’s known for playing villains and monsters across Hollywood and European films, including collaborations with Andy Warhol.
In 1973, he was cast by Warhol’s director Paul Morrissey in Flesh For Frankenstein, and the following year he played the titular role in Blood For Dracula.
Kier was known for his roles in horror films (Picture: MediaPunch / Backgrid)
He died on Sunday at 81 (Picture: Hahn-Nebinger-Genin/ABACA/Shutterstock)
According to The Guardian, he previously said: ‘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.’
He went onto become a star in European cinema, collaborating with filmmaker Rainer Werner Fassbinder on the likes of The Stationmaster’s Wife in 1977, followed by 1979’s The Third Generation, and 1981’s Lili Marleen.
His first US role came in 1991’s My Own Private Idaho – also starring Keanu Reeves and River Phoenix – which caught the eye of Madonna.
The Queen of Pop cast Kier as her husband in 1992’s coffee table book Sex, before signing him up for roles in her music videos Erotica, and Deeper and Deeper.
Kier’s work with Lars von Trier also proved fruitful, as they worked together on the likes of Doville and Melancholia, which starred Nicole Kidman and Kirsten Dunst respectively.
He appeared in the likes of Ace Ventura: Pet Detective and films by Andy Warhol (Picture: Kevin Winter/Getty Images)
His Hollywood career blossomed with supporting roles in the likes of End of Days, Blade, Johnny Mnemonic, Armageddon and Ace Ventura: Pet Detective.
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In the latter, he was cast as billionaire exotic animal collector Ronald Camp, who was ruled out as an early suspect in the movie’s mascot kidnapping.
He continued working, with his final film role being 2025 historical political thriller The Secret Agent, in which he played Jewish Holocaust survivor Hans, who gets mistaken for a Nazi fugitive.
Kier also explored the world of video game voiceovers, with an upcoming appearance in Hideo Kojima’s horror title OD.
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Reflecting on his career, he told Variety last year: ‘I liked the attention, so I became an actor.’
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