European film actor Udo Kier has died at the age of 81. The information was confirmed by his partner, artist Delbert McBride.
Kier rose to fame through his work with directors Lars von Trier and Gus Van Sant. A wider audience recognized him from the films "My Own Private Idaho," "Ace Ventura," "Armageddon," and "Blade." Kier appeared in over 200 projects in film and on TV.
Gamers remember him as Yuri from Command & Conquer: Red Alert 2, Peter Staub in Call of Duty: WWII and Erich in Martha is Dead. The actor was instantly recognizable by his distinctive voice, manner of speaking, and memorable appearance.
The actor's death affected Hideo Kojima, as Kier was supposed to star in his new game OD. Kojima wrote on X:
I have no words. It happened so suddenly. Due to the strike, we were unable to shoot OD for a long time and had to postpone filming until next year. Even then, Udo and I often exchanged emails, staying in touch. When we met in Milan in September, he told me how glad he was to resume filming. He was full of energy then and made me laugh with his typical “Udo-isms”. It's still hard to believe. Udo was not just an actor. He was a true “icon” of his time. We have lost a great “icon”. There will be no one like him again. Udo, rest in peace. I will never forget you.
