Udo Kier
Biography
Udo Kierspe (October 14, 1944 – November 23, 2025), known professionally as Udo Kier, was a German actor born in Cologne. Over a career spanning several decades, he appeared in more than 220 films in leading and supporting capacities across Europe and the Americas, accumulating 286 credited roles according to The Movie Database. Recognized as a cult character actor, he was noted for portraying eccentric and deviant figures. His collaborations included work with filmmakers such as Lars von Trier, Gus Van Sant, Werner Herzog, Rainer Werner Fassbinder, Walerian Borowczyk, Kleber Mendonça Filho, Dario Argento, Tom Shadyac, Charles Matton, Guy Maddin, Alexander Payne and Paul Morrissey. He was male and died at age 81.
Career overview
Udo Kier, born Udo Kierspe on October 14 1944 in Cologne, Germany, was a German actor whose career spanned more than six decades until his death on November 23 2025. Recognised primarily as a cult character actor, he built a reputation for portraying eccentric and deviant figures across a wide range of cinematic styles. Over the course of his life he accumulated more than 220 film appearances, taking on both leading and supporting roles in productions throughout Europe and the Americas, and his credited work totals 286 entries in the Motion Picture Database.
Kier’s collaborations linked him with a notable roster of acclaimed filmmakers. He worked with directors such as Lars von Trier, Gus Van Sant, Werner Herzog, Rainer Werner Fassbinder, Walerian Borowczyk, Kleber Mendonça Filho, Dario Argento, Tom Shadyac, Charles Matton, Guy Maddin, Alexander Payne and Paul Morrissey. These partnerships placed him in a variety of genre contexts, from avant‑garde European art cinema to mainstream American productions, reinforcing his status as a versatile and internationally recognised performer.
Throughout his extensive filmography, Kier remained a distinctive presence on screen, consistently delivering performances that emphasized his talent for embodying unconventional characters. His body of work, marked by both quantity and the breadth of his collaborations, solidifies his legacy as a prolific and influential figure in contemporary cinema.
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Career timeline
Full filmography
- By Design (2026) as Aldo Fabbri
- Return from Tomorrow (2026) as Tim Senior
- The Secret Agent (2025) as Hans
- Bad Painter (2025) as Ö
- Schindler Space Architect (2024) as R.M. Schindler (voice)
- Der wunderbare Udo Kier (2024) as Self
- Skeletons in the Closet (2024) as Luc
- Dark Winds (2022) as Gunthar Vaggan
- Dark Winds (2022) In Memory Of
- Pitch Perfect: Bumper in Berlin (2022) as Klaus
- Creation of the Kingdom of Exodus (2022) as Self / Big Brother
- A Kilo of Blue (The Music) (2022)
- A E I O U – A Quick Alphabet of Love (2022) as Michel
- My Neighbor Adolf (2022) as Herman Herzog
- Staging Death (2022)
- Chompy & the Girls (2021) as Chompy (voice)
- Haymaker (2021) as David
- The Blazing World (2021) as Lained
- Swan Song (2021) as Pat Pitsenbarger
- Hunters (2020) as Adolf Hitler
- Last Moment of Clarity (2020) as Ivan Demisovski
- 11 Colours of the Bird (2020) as Self
- The Barefoot Emperor (2020) as Dr. Otto Kroll
- Schlingensief – A Voice That Shook the Silence (2020) as Self (archive footage)
- Dragged Across Concrete (2019) as Friedrich
- The Painted Bird (2019) as Miller
- Bacurau (2019) as Michael
- Iron Sky: The Coming Race (2019) as Wolfgang Kortzfleisch / Adolf Hitler
- The Mountain (2019) as Frederick
- M - A City Hunts a Murderer (2019) as Fuchspelzmann
- Holy Beasts (2019) as Henry
- Skin Walker (2019) as Claus
- American Exit (2019) as Anton
- Bacurau no Mapa (2019) as Self
- The House That Jack Built (2018) Thanks
- American Animals (2018) as Mr. Van Der Hoek
- Zero (2018) as The lord of the world
- Don't Worry, He Won't Get Far on Foot (2018) as Hans
- Daughter of Mine (2018) as Bruno
- Puppet Master: The Littlest Reich (2018) as Andre Toulon
- Ulysses: A Dark Odyssey (2018) as Alcyde
- I Knew Andy Warhol (2018) as Self
- Brawl in Cell Block 99 (2017) as The Placid Man
- Downsizing (2017) as Konrad
- Ballad of a Righteous Merchant (2017) as Self
- Instant Dreams (2017) as The Docter (Cameo)
- Courier X (2016) as Nathan Vogel
- Seances (2016)
- Brother (2016) as Frank Solek
- Fifty Shades of Erotica (2015) as (archive footage)
- Major Lazer (2015) as Head Vampire Vampire (voice)
- Johnny Walker (2015) as Fyodor (voice)
- Old Money (2015) as Rolf Rauchensteiner
- The Forbidden Room (2015) as Count Yugh / Butler / Dead Father / Guard / Pharmacist
- Phantasmagoria of the Interior (2015) as Dr. Henry Jekyll (archive footage)
- The Material Boy (2015) as Self
- Coconut Hero (2015) as Mr. Morrow
- Lines of the Hand (2015)
- The 1000 Eyes of Dr Maddin (2015)
- Beethoven's Treasure Tail (2014) as The Real Fritz Bruchschnauser
- Arteholic (2014) as Self
- The Editor (2014) as Dr Casini
- Nymphomaniac: Vol. II (2013) as The Waiter
- Beware the Batman (2013) as Mister Toad (voice)
- The Lords of Salem (2013) as Witchhunter (uncredited)
- Blood of 1000 Virgins (2013) as Self (archive footage)
- The Girl Behind the White Picket Fence (2013) as The Shaman
- Evening Urgant (2012) as Self
- Iron Sky (2012) as Wolfgang Kortzfleisch
- Night of the Templar (2012) as Father Paul
- My Own Private River (2012) as Hans (archive footage)
- Ich - Udo (2012) as Himself
- Melancholia (2011) as Wedding Planner
- UFO in Her Eyes (2011) as Steve Frost
- Keyhole (2011) as Dr. Lemke
- The Sky Has Four Corners (2011) as Graf Karpatovicz
- The Theatre Bizarre (2011) as Peg Poett
- Görünmeyen (2011) as Bartok
- The Berlin Project (2011) as Guru
- Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated (2010) as Professor Pericles (voice)
- Dimension (2010)
- Life Is Too Long (2010) as Tabatabai
- My Son, My Son, What Have Ye Done (2010) as Lee Meyers
- House of Boys (2009) as Madame
- Metropia (2009) as Ivan Bahn (voice)
- Soul Kitchen (2009) as Herr Jung
- Memories of a Young Pianist (2009) as Count Dracula (archive footage)
- Tattoos: A Scarred History (2009) as Self
- Lulu and Jimi (2009) as Schultz
- La deuxième femme (2008) as Udo Kier
- Far Cry (2008) as Dr. Krieger
- Michael Lives: The Making of Halloween (2008) as Self
- 1½ Ritter - Auf der Suche nach der hinreißenden Herzelinde (2008) as Luipold Trumpf
- Chuck (2007) as Otto Van Vogel
- Grindhouse (2007) as Franz Hess (segment "Werewolf Women of the SS")
- Halloween (2007) as Morgan Walker
- Pars: Operation Cherry (2007) as Klaus Kayman
- The Killing Grounds (2007) as P.
- Fall Down Dead (2007) as Picasso Killer / Aaron Garvey
- Fall Down Dead (2007) Associate Producer
- The Mother of Tears (2007) as Father Johannes
- Tell (2007) as Gessler
- Holly (2006) as Klaus
- Crusade in Jeans (2006) as Dr. Lawerence
- Pray for Morning (2006) as Edouard Leopold Edu
- 13 Graves (2006) as Debro
- Unser Reigen (2006)
- Masters of Horror (2005) as Bellinger
- Thadeusz (2005) as self
- G&G – Gesichter und Geschichten (2005) as Self
- Manderlay (2005) as Mr. Kirspe
- 4 Against Z (2005) as Zanrelot
- BloodRayne (2005) as Regal Monk
- Headspace (2005) as Rev. Karl Hartman
- Cigarette Burns (2005) as Bellinger
- Anecdotes from 'Epidemic' (2005) as Interviewee-Actor
- The Batman (2004) as Bert (voice)
- Surviving Christmas (2004) as Heinrich
- Dracula 3000 (2004) as Capt. Varna
- Modigliani (2004) as Max Jacob
- One Point O (2004) as Derrick
- Jargo (2004) as Jargos Vater
- 30 Days Until I'm Famous (2004) as Barry Davis
- Love Object (2004) as Radley
- Evil Eyes (2004) as George
- Celluloid Horror (2004) as Himself
- Fear and Loathing in Materndorf (2004)
- Betty - Schön wie der Tod (2003) as Georg Wassenberg
- Dogville (2003) as The Man in the Coat
- Gate to Heaven (2003) as Joachim Nowak
- Pigs Will Fly (2003) as Onkel Max
- Through the Night with... (2002) as Self
- Korn: Deuce (2002) as Commander
- FearDotCom (2002) as Polidori
- He Sees You When You're Sleeping (2002) as Hans Kramer
- The Last Minute (2002) as Nazi Fashion Shooter
- Mrs. Meitlemeihr (2002) as Hitler / Mrs. Meitlemeihr
- Justice League (2001) as The Music Master (voice)
- Invincible (2001) as Count Helldorf
- Revelation (2001) as The Grand Master
- Megiddo: The Omega Code 2 (2001) as The Guardian
- Auf Herz und Nieren (2001) as Doc
- All the Queen's Men (2001) as General Landssdorf
- The Praying Mantis (2001) as Julius Quellenreich
- Critical Mass (2001) as Samson
- Doomsdayer (2001) as Max Gast
- Suspiria 25th Anniversary (2001) as Self
- Andy Warhol: The Complete Picture (2001) as Self
- Dancer in the Dark (2000) as Dr. Porkorny
- Shadow of the Vampire (2000) as Albin Grau
- Just One Night (2000) as Walter Lert
- Von Trier's 100 Eyes (2000) as Self
- Red Letters (2000) as George Kessler
- Double Deception (2000) as Vincent
- Beckmann (1999) as Self
- End of Days (1999) as Head Priest
- Possessed (1999) as Vincent
- The Debtors (1999)
- Killer Deal (1999) as Dr. Roland Parker
- The New Adventures of Pinocchio (1999) as Madame Flambeau/Lorenzini
- Spy Games (1999) as Ivan Bliniak
- Final Run (1999) as Reddick
- Under the Palms (1999) as Ludwig
- Miss Diamond (1999) as Bühler
- The Johannes B. Kerner Show (1998) as Self
- V.I.P. (1998) as Viktor Balek
- Armageddon (1998) as Psychologist
- Blade (1998) as Dragonetti
- Ice (1998) as Dr. Norman Kistler
- Stingers (1998) as Mr. Scholnick / The Boss
- Modern Vampires (1998) as Vincent
- There's No Fish Food in Heaven (1998) as Rocky
- The Kingdom II (1998) as Lillebror / Age Krüger
- Tietjen und Bommes (1997) as Self
- The 120 Days of Bottrop (1997) as Self
- Betty (1997) as Vincent Lord
- Prince Valiant (1997) as Sligon
- The End of Violence (1997) as Zoltan
- Die Gang (1997) as Kapitän Schmidt
- Talk 2000 (1997) as Self
- Zimmer frei! (1996) as Self
- Nash Bridges (1996) as Wolfgang Herzog
- The Sentinel (1996) as Klaus Zeller
- United Trash (1996) as UNO-General Werner Brenner
- Breaking the Waves (1996) as Sadistic Sailor
- Duke of Groove (1996) as Earl
- Barb Wire (1996) as Curly
- The Adventures of Pinocchio (1996) as Lorenzini
- Lea (1996) as Block
- Die Harald Schmidt Show (1995) as Self
- Johnny Mnemonic (1995) as Ralfi
- A Trick of the Light (1995) as Max Skladanowsky
- Willemsens Woche (1995) as Self
- Unter Druck (1995)
- Nur über meine Leiche (1995) as Killer
- Paradise Framed (1995)
- Extinct (1995) as York Cortex
- Brisant (1994) as Self
- Viper (1994) as Erich Geiger
- Ace Ventura: Pet Detective (1994) as Ronald Camp
- alfredissimo! Kochen mit Bio (1994) as Self
- The Kingdom (1994) as Age Krüger / Storebror / Lillebror
- The Kingdom (1994) as Åge Krüger / Little Brother / Frederik / Big Brothe
- Rosa Roth (1994) as Ommer
- Doppelter Einsatz (1994) as König
- Death of a World Star (1994) as Udo Kier
- Rotwang Must Go! (1994) as Arthur Eigenrauch
- Even Cowgirls Get the Blues (1994) as Commercial Director
- The Kingdom (1994) as Age Krüger / Lillebror
- seaQuest DSV (1993) as Dr. Guy Peche
- Terror 2000 (1993) as Jablo
- For Love or Money (1993) as Mr. Himmelman
- Plötzlich und unerwartet - eine Déjà-Revue (1993) as Egon Hettemann
- Jack Reed: Badge of Honor (1993) as Giles Marquette
- Josh & S.A.M. (1993) as Salon Manager
- Three Shake-a-Leg Steps to Heaven (1993) as Edouard Müllendorf
- Morgenmagazin (1992) as Self
- Red Shoe Diaries (1992) as Fashion Designer
- Sex (1992) as Self
- Madonna: The Making of SEX Book (1992) as Self
- Boulevard Bio (1991) as Self
- My Own Private Idaho (1991) as Hans
- Europa (1991) as Lawrence Hartmann
- The Making of Europa (1991) as Self / Lawrence Hartmann
- The German Chainsaw Massacre (1990) as Jonny
- The German Chainsaw Massacre (1990) Assistant Director
- Medea (1989) as Jason
- 100 Years Of Adolf Hitler: The Last Hour In The Führerbunker (1989) as Adolf Hitler
- Die Männer vom K3 (1988) as Heini Wohlers
- Mother's Mask (1988) as Herr Seiler
- Another Way: D-Kikan-Joho (1988)
- Egomania: Island Without Hope (1987) as Baron Tante Teufel
- Epidemic (1987) as Self
- Am nächsten Morgen kehrte der Minister nicht an seinen Arbeitsplatz zurück (1986) as Minister / Kali
- Kir Royal (1986) as Holger
- Seduction: The Cruel Woman (1986) as Gregor
- Idiots' Battle (1986)
- The Beginner (1985) as Graf Frackstein
- Gespenstergeschichten (1985)
- Der Unbesiegbare (1985) as Argon
- Der Fahnder (1984) as Uli Weber
- Hur und Heilig (1984)
- The Last Trip to Harrisburg (1984) as Man and Woman in Train
- The Last Trip to Harrisburg (1984) Director
- The Last Trip to Harrisburg (1984) Writer
- The Last Trip to Harrisburg (1984) Producer
- Pankow ’95 (1983) as Johann Wolfgang Amadeus Zart
- The Roaring Fifties (1983) as Fromm
- The Island of the Bloody Plantation (1983) as Hermano
- Siblings (1982)
- Sportliche Schatten – Kunst in Krisenzeiten (1982) as Man
- Lola (1981) as Waiter (uncredited)
- Lola (1981) Production Design
- The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Miss Osbourne (1981) as Dr. Henry Jekyll
- Lili Marleen (1981) as Drewitz
- Berlin Alexanderplatz (1980) as Junger Mann an der Bar
- Lulu (1980) as Jack the Ripper
- Deutschland privat (1980)
- Narcissus and Psyche (1980) as Nárcisz
- NDR Talk Show (1979) as Self
- The Third Generation (1979) as Edgar Gast
- Hungarian Rhapsody (1979) as Poór
- Victor (1979) as Popstar
- És így s eképp tovább (1978)
- The Fifth Commandment (1978) as Peter Dümmel
- Suspiria (1977) as Dr. Frank Mandel
- The Stationmaster’s Wife (1977) as Schafftaler
- Bel Canto or May a Hooker Sob? (1977) as Poulailler
- Gold Flakes (1976) as Franzl
- Exposé (1976) as Paul Martin
- Spermula (1976) as Werner
- The Story of O (1975) as René
- The Last Word (1975) as Raimund
- 3 nach 9 (1974) as Self
- Dr. med. Mark Wedmann - Detektiv inbegriffen (1974) as Roberto Agostino
- Blood for Dracula (1974) as Count Dracula
- Olifant (1973) as Olifant / Edwin
- Flesh for Frankenstein (1973) as Baron Frankenstein
- Joseph Balsamo (1973) as Gilbert
- Pan (1973) as Pilgrim of Death
- Sonderdezernat K1 (1972) as Harry Gätjens
- The Salzburg Connection (1972) as Anton
- Polizeiruf 110 (1971) as Zermahlen
- Provocation (1971) as Angelos
- Conflict of Emotions (1971) as Tonis Theodorou
- Scene of the Crime (1970) as Hans-Rudi Dreher
- Scene of the Crime (1970) as Beethoven
- Mark of the Devil (1970) as Count Christian von Meruh
- Gestern gelesen (1969) as Ingo Rippel
- Season of the Senses (1969) as Luca
- Shameless (1968) as Alexander Pohlmann
- Road to St. Tropez (1966) as Boy
- Theirs
- Intangents as Bin bag Man
- The Ark: An Iron Sky Story as Grand Master