The term “character actor” is one that definitely applies to Swan Song star Udo Kier and his body of work. However, it’s because of performers like him that audiences have really stopped to think about what that concept means. Acting for everyone from Andy Warhol to Rob Zombie, the Cologne born talent banked a resume that runs through film, television, music videos and even video games. 

It’s that rich legacy that we’re here to honor today, as Mr. Kier was announced as having passed away on Sunday morning. Variety reported the news, which was confirmed by the late actor’s partner, Delbert McBride.  At the time of this writing, no cause of death was revealed. 

Born Udo Kierspe in 1944, he would start acting in 1966 – through a part in the short film Road to Saint Tropez. It didn’t take long for Udo Kier to gain buzz, as 1973’s Flesh for Frankenstein and 1974’s Blood for Dracula saw themselves promoted as films connected to artist Andy Warhol. As you’ll see in the trailer for the first of those pictures, his intensity and striking visage were practically molded to become a fixture of cinema:

Eventually Kier would fall in with iconic art house directors like Rainer Werner Fassbinder and Lars von Trier, making appearances on both the big and small screen for both. However, pop culture fans at large would most likely remember Udo Kier from his roles in projects such as Ace Ventura Pet Detective, Blade, and Armageddon. 

Though the world of blockbusters would call upon his talents, Mr. Kier never forgot his independent cinema roots. His final movie appearance in The Secret Agent only proved that he was just as comfortable in writer/director Kleber Mendonça Filho’s world as he was in that of Uwe Boll’s Far Cry. 

The reactions to his death from fans and collaborators have obviously been mournful. It was in this outpouring of emotion that the world learned how Udo Kier was, sadly, unable to complete his role in Hideo Kojima’s next game. Sharing his anecdote about working with his OD collaborator, here’s what Kojima-san had to say:

We here at That Hashtag Show would like to offer our condolences to the fans and loved ones mourning Udo Kier’s passing. May his memory be a comfort, during this time of grief and remembrance.

RIP.

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