He got a horrible start in life when the hospital where he was born got bombed.

From that dark beginning, he would go on to become famous for playing villains, monsters, and creeps — from vampires to Nazis.

Now, the legendary actor Udo Kier has passed away at 81.

Passed away in Palm Springs

Udo Kier, the German actor whose career spanned more than five decades and over 275 film roles across Hollywood and European cinema, has died at 81. Kier passed away on Sunday in a hospital in Palm Springs, California, his partner, Delbert McBride, confirmed to Variety. No cause of death was announced.

Born Udo Kierspe in Cologne, Germany, in 1944, Kier had a dramatic entrance into the world — the hospital where he was born was bombed just hours after his birth, forcing him and his mother to be rescued from the ruins.

He grew up in postwar Germany under challenging circumstances, later describing his childhood as “horrible”.

“My father was already married with three children when I was born, and my mother didn’t know. So we grew up poor. We had no hot water until I was 17,” Udo told The Guardian in 2002.

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’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.

His collaborations with European auteurs like Rainer Werner Fassbinder, Lars von Trier, and Dario Argento cemented his reputation as a fearless, iconic character actor. He appeared in Fassbinder films such as The Stationmaster’s Wife, Lola, The Third Generation, and Lili Marleen, and in von Trier projects including Breaking the Waves, Dancer in the Dark, Dogville, Melancholia, and Nymphomaniac: Vol. II. Kier was also godfather to von Trier’s child.

Break in Hollywood

In Hollywood, Kier became a familiar face in both major blockbusters and cult favorites. He appeared in My Own Private Idaho, which led to collaborations with Madonna in her book Sex and several of her music videos.

Other notable American films include Ace Ventura: Pet Detective, Johnny Mnemonic, Armageddon, End of Days, Blade, and more recently, Brawl in Cell Block 99, Dragged Across Concrete, and the 2022 comedy Swan Song, where he played a flamboyant retired hairdresser on a final adventure.

Kier’s career also included work in video games, where he lent his voice to iconic titles like Command & Conquer: Red Alert 2 and Call of Duty: WWII.

Fans of Red Alert will never forget his memorable portrayal of Yuri. With his striking presence and versatile acting, Kier brought the character to life in a way that left a lasting impression.

Known for his piercing gaze and magnetic screen presence, Kier once said of his work: ”I like horror films, because if you play small or guest parts in movies, it is better to be evil and scare people than be the guy who works in the post office and goes home to his wife and children. Audiences will remember you more.”

Reflecting on his prolific career, Kier humorously summarized:

“100 movies are bad, 50 movies you can watch with a glass of wine, and 50 movies are good.”

Openly gay throughout his life

Kier relocated to Palm Springs, California, in 1991. Variety reports that the German-born actor lived in a converted mid-century library and loved art, architecture, and collecting.

”If I wouldn’t be an actor, I would be a gardener,” Udo once shared.

He was a regular at the Palm Springs Film Festival, always happy to greet fans and soak up the applause.

Openly gay throughout his life, he once reflected on his sexuality, saying that it was never an issue in his career:

”No one ever asked about my sexuality. Maybe it was obvious, but it didn’t matter because all that counted was the role I was playing. As long as I did the part well, no one cared about my sexuality.”

Udo Kier’s legacy as a fearless, unforgettable performer lives on in hundreds of films and the countless iconic characters he brought to life. Rest in peace, Udo Kier. You’ll never be forgotten!