Udo Kier, legendary actor known fo

Udo Kier, the German actor known for playing memorable villains and eccentric characters, has died at 81 in Palm Springs, his partner confirmed.

Born in Cologne in 1944, he survived a bombing just hours after his birth and later described his childhood as “horrible,” saying, “We grew up poor.

We had no hot water until I was 17.”

Kier’s career began by chance after being discovered in a London coffee shop.

He explained his motivation simply: “I liked the attention, so I became an actor.”

His breakout came with Mark of the Devil, leading to iconic roles in Flesh for Frankenstein, Blood for Dracula, and collaborations with directors like Fassbinder, Lars von Trier, and Dario Argento.

A familiar face in Hollywood, he appeared in films such as Ace Ventura, Blade, and My Own Private Idaho.

Reflecting on his work, he once joked, “100 movies are bad… and 50 movies are good.”

Kier remained openly gay throughout his life, saying, “No one ever asked about my sexuality… all that counted was the role.”