Udo Kier, who played the roles of Baron von Frankenstein and Dracula, died on Sunday morning at the age of 81. The news of his death was reported by his partner and artist Delbert McBride (via Variety). Currently, there are no reports about an official cause of death.
Kier’s expansive works were not only limited to the German language but also in American movies. He starred in movies like My Own Private Idaho, Blade, and Melancholia. However, his most famous works were in collaboration with Andy Warhol, including Blood for Dracula.
During the filming of this movie, Kier underwent a drastic weight loss, which put him in a wheelchair. He shared with The Guardian that director Paul Morrissey told him that the role was his, but that he would have to “lose 10 pounds in one week”. Kier took it as a challenge and told the director, “No problem.”
He revealed that he ate only salad leaves and water for a week. During the shoot day, he recalled that he couldn’t even get up to greet the great Italian actor Vittorio De Sica. He shared:
On the first day of shooting, I was introduced to Vittorio De Sica – this great Italian actor who was also in Dracula. I was so weak from only eating salad leaves and water, I was in a wheelchair because I couldn’t stand up.
Warhol’s reimagination of the classic Hollywood monsters immediately garnered acclaim, and Kier’s performance was lauded. This happened despite the fact that the film was notoriously X-rated for its explicit violence and n*dity.
Udo Kier Collaborated With Some Legends
Udo Kier’s film journey began when a random stranger invited him to join the cast of Road to Saint Tropez. He moved to England from Germany at the age of 18 and started acting in the 1960s. During an interview with Icon vs Icon in 2012, he shared:
When the film came out, I was the new face of cinema and so on…I had never been to acting school. I found it all very interesting, and of course, I liked the attention you get as an actor. I thought, ‘Okay, maybe I will try. If I can live from this profession, I will do it.’
Since then, he has worked in more than 200 movies, including his breakout collaborations with Andy Warhol in 1973’s Flesh for Frankenstein and 1974’s Blood for Dracula. He met director Paul Morrissey on a plane. When Kier told him that he was an actor, Morrissey took out his passport and wrote his number on the last page. Kier recalled his casting process (via The Guardian):
A couple of weeks later, I got a call: ‘Hey, it’s Paul, you remember, from the plane? I’m doing Frankenstein for [Italian producer] Carlo Ponti and I have a little role for you.’ I said: ‘Great, who do I play?’ ‘Baron von Frankenstein.’
Kier later went on to collaborate with writer-director Rainer Werner Fassbinder on films, including The Stationmaster’s Wife, The Third Generation, and Lili Marleen. It was Gus Van Sant who helped Kier get an American work permit and a SAG card. He appeared in Van Sant’s movie, My Own Private Idaho, alongside Keanu Reeves and River Phoenix.
Kier’s collaboration with Lars von Trier began in the late ’80s, starring in movies like Epidemic and Europa, and his TV series The Kingdom. They also worked together on Breaking the Waves, Dancer in the Dark, Dogville, Melancholia, and Nymphomaniac.
He worked alongside Madonna, first appearing in her book Sex in 1992. He later made appearances in the music videos for Erotica and Deeper and Deeper from the album Erotica. Most recently, he appeared in Kleber Mendonça Filho’s movie, The Secret Agent, which is his final film role before his death.
Udo Kier’s Net Worth and Relationship
Udo Kier’s decades-long career left him with a small fortune. At the time of his death, the German actor had an estimated net worth of $10 million (via Celebrity Net Worth). It was not only his on-screen appearances that contributed to his net worth. He also lent his voice to the character of Doctor Peter Glucksbringer Straub in the popular video game Call of Duty: WWII.
When it came to his relationships, Kier had always been openly gay. In 2021, he told The Bay Area Reporter that directors and other actors never treated him differently because of his s*xuality. He shared:
Look. No one ever asked about my sexuality. Maybe it was obvious, but it didn’t make any difference because all that mattered was the role I was playing. As long as I did a good job on the part, no one cared about my sexuality.
His death was reported to the media by his current partner, Delbert McBride. The actor moved to Palm Springs, California, in 1991. He also shared in 2021 that he would want to write a memoir, but added that his memoir “won’t come out until after I’m dead.”
He shared, “I couldn’t release it now because I don’t want to lie. I will tell the truth.” Udo Kier also shared that any money made on this potential memoir will go to the AIDS Foundation.
What do you think of the life and career of the late actor? Let us know in the comments below!
