- Born
- 14 October 1944Cologne, Germany
- Died
- 23 November 2025Palm Springs, California, USA · aged 81
Udo Kier
A cult actor of more than 200 films, from Warhol’s Dracula to Lars von Trier – openly gay throughout his long career.
Udo Kier was born Udo Kierspe in Cologne in the last months of the Second World War; shortly after his birth the hospital was bombed, and he and his mother were rescued from the rubble. He grew up in poverty and went to London at 18, where he was discovered for film.
His breakthrough came with the title roles in “Flesh for Frankenstein” (1973) and “Blood for Dracula” (1974), produced by Andy Warhol and directed by Paul Morrissey. With his pale blue eyes and his intense presence he became an icon of horror and art-house cinema. He worked with Rainer Werner Fassbinder, Lars von Trier, Gus Van Sant (“My Own Private Idaho”), Werner Herzog and many others, and appeared in Hollywood productions such as “Armageddon”.
Kier was openly gay throughout his career, at a time when this was rare for actors. In “Swan Song” (2021) he played a retired gay hairdresser who escapes from a care home to style the hair of a dead friend – a late leading role that won him great acclaim. In 2015 he received a special Teddy Award at the Berlin Film Festival for his contribution to queer cinema.
He lived for many years in Palm Springs with his partner, the artist Delbert McBride. He died there in November 2025, aged 81.