Udo Kier, legendary actor known for villains and horror, dies at 81

Working with Andy Warhol

Despite these hardships, Kier discovered a passion for performance at a young age. He moved to London to study English and was discovered in a coffee shop, an encounter that led to the start of his acting career.

In a 2024 interview with Variety, he said, “I liked the attention, so I became an actor.”

His breakout role came in the 1970 horror classic Mark of the Devil, and he quickly became known for playing villains, monsters, and other darkly memorable characters — from vampires to Nazis.

Kier in Flesh for Frankenstein / Wikipedia

Kier’s career was often shaped by chance. He famously sat next to director Paul Morrissey on a plane, which led to his casting in Flesh for Frankenstein (1973) and Blood for Dracula (1974), both produced by Andy Warhol.

Handsome and magnetic, Udo seemed destined to become the teen sex symbol of the seventies, if only he hadn’t mostly starred in tame American films that were suitable for viewers under 17.Continue reading…

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