R.I.P.: Udo Kier Dead At 81
Udo Kier has died at the age of 81. A true and absolute legend, the prolific German actor known for his creepy characters and critically acclaimed filmography passed this morning in Palm Springs, California, his partner confirmed to Variety. An obit is here, which looks back on Kier’s work in over 200 films with directors as diverse as Rainer Werner Fassbinder, Gus Van Sant and Lars von Trier. Excerpt:
Known for his piercing stare, Kier frequently played villains, monsters and creeps; he portrayed vampires and Nazis multiple times. He acted in films, television, music videos and video games, and was sometimes labelled a character actor for his consistently memorable turns across European cinema and Hollywood. “I like horror films,” he once said, “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.”
[Variety]
I’ll never forget him in My Own Private Idaho and Dancer In The Dark, but the first time I ever saw Udo was of course in Madonna’s Deeper And Deeper:
A few years ago, I was completely taken aback by Udo in the very sweet and moving Swan Song, in which he played a retired hairdresser traveling across town to do a former client’s hair. This was a total departure from all the dark characters he portrayed before, and if you haven’t seen it, it’s definitely worth watching:
