Udo Kier Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Udo Kier
Kier at the 2011 Cannes Film Festival
Born	Udo Kierspe (1944-10-14) 14 October 1944 (age 80) Cologne, Germany
Occupation	Actor
Years active	1966–present

Udo Kierspe (born 14 October 1944), known professionally as Udo Kier, is a German actor. He is famous for playing many different kinds of characters in movies. He has acted in over 220 films in Europe and the Americas. Udo Kier has worked with many well-known directors. Some of these directors include Lars von Trier, Gus Van Sant, and Werner Herzog.

Early Life and Beginnings
Acting Career Highlights
Personal Life
Images for kids
See also

Early Life and Beginnings

Udo Kier was born in Cologne, Germany. This was near the end of World War II. The hospital where he was born was bombed just after he was born. He and his mother had to be rescued from the broken building. He grew up without a father. When he was young, he was an altar boy and a singer in church. At 18, he moved to London, England. He went there to learn English.

Acting Career Highlights

Kier in Flesh for Frankenstein

In 1966, Udo Kier got his first main role in the film Road to St. Tropez. He became well-known after starring in Andy Warhol's Frankenstein (1973). This led to him acting in many different types of movies. He appeared in many horror films, especially those about vampires. Some of these include Blade (1998) and BloodRayne (2005).

He has also worked with special directors who make unique films. These include Rainer Werner Fassbinder and Dario Argento. He was in Argento's classic movie Suspiria (1977). Udo Kier has been in almost all of Lars von Trier's films since 1987.

Kier at a press conference for Don't Worry, He Won't Get Far on Foot in 2018

Udo Kier has also had famous roles in Hollywood movies. He played Ron Camp in Ace Ventura: Pet Detective (1994). He was also Lorenzini in The Adventures of Pinocchio. He appeared as a psychologist in Armageddon. He was also in music videos for singers like Madonna and the band Korn.

Besides acting on screen, Udo Kier is also a talented voice actor. He voiced the character Yuri in the video games Command & Conquer: Red Alert 2 and Command & Conquer: Yuri's Revenge. He also lent his voice to characters in cartoons. These include the Music Master in Justice League and Professor Pericles in Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated. He was also Dr. Peter Straub in the video game Call of Duty: WWII.

Two documentaries have been made about his life and acting career. One is called ICH-UDO...der Schauspieler Udo Kier. It won an award in 2013. Another documentary, Udo Kier - Dracula trash et dandy magnétique, was released in 2024.