What Happened to Udo Kier? The Cult Supporting Actor Dies At 81
His inner circle has confirmed his passing this Sunday, November 23, but without providing any information about the cause
The father of pop art, Andy Warhol, would cry today over the sad death of one of his dearest colleagues. German actor Udo Kier, the eternal supporting actor in up to 100 films (many considered cult classics), died on Sunday morning at the age of 81.
Kier passed away on Sunday morning, according to his partner Delbert McBride, who spoke to Variety. His friend, photographer Michael Childers, shared on social media that the actor died in a hospital in Palm Springs, California. No cause of death was disclosed.
In addition to his close friendship with Warhol, Kier also maintained good relationships with David Hockney and Keith Haring, and worked with Paul Morrissey, Dario Argento, Gus Van Sant, Lars von Trier, and Rainer Werner Fassbinder.
Although his roles were almost always supporting ones, Udo Kier stood out for his performances in Flesh for Frankenstein (1973) and Blood for Dracula (1974).
After these titles, which brought him notoriety in the profession, the German actor steered his career toward Europe and collaborated with Fassbinder on The Stationmaster’s Wife, The Third Generation, and Lili MarleeMany social media users are wondering about the cause of death of the iconic actor.
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It wasn’t until 1991 that he met Van Sant, and together—with a cast that also included the late River Phoenix and Keanu Reeves—they created a version of Shakespeare’s Henry IV in My Own Private Idaho.
In 2021, he landed his first leading role with Todd Stephens in Swan Song, but even before that he had been captivated by the work of Von Trier, with whom he worked for more than three decades and with whom he maintained a close friendship.
As for what led him to become an actor, Kier made it clear in an interview with Variety last year: “I liked the attention, so I became an actor.”
However, acting was not the only artistic field he explored. He also took interest in literature and architecture and settled in Los Angeles and Palm Springs, where he lived in a mid-century former library and was a regular at the film festival.