Udo Kier

Udo Kierspe (14 October 1944 – 23 November 2025), known professionally as Udo Kier, was a German actor. Known primarily as a character actor who often portrayed eccentric and deviant figures, he appeared in more than 220 films in both leading and supporting roles throughout Europe and the Americas.

Kier made his breakthrough playing the title characters in the cult films Flesh for Frankenstein (1973) and Blood for Dracula (1974), both directed by Paul Morrissey, which established him as an icon of the horror film genre. He became a staple figure in both mainstream genre film and art house circles, described by one obituary as a "cult icon". He collaborated with notable filmmakers, such as Rainer Werner Fassbinder, Lars von Trier, Gus Van Sant, Werner Herzog, Walerian Borowczyk, Kleber Mendonça Filho, Dario Argento, Guy Maddin, Wim Wenders, and Rob Zombie.

He received several international accolades, including a nomination for the Independent Spirit Award for Best Male Lead, for his elegiac performance in Swan Song (2021). Openly gay throughout his career, he received a Special Teddy Award at the 2015 Berlin International Film Festival for his contribution to queer cinema.

Life and career

Early years

Kier was born in Cologne on 14 October 1944. The hospital where he was born was destroyed by the Allies, in which Kier and his mother survived during World War II. Kier grew up without a father. In his youth, he was an altar boy and chorister, and began working as a fashion model as a teenager. He cited Caterina Valente as an influence. At age 16, he met and befriended Rainer Werner Fassbinder, whom he would later work with on several films.