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| Udo Keir in Bacurau |
An unforgettable screen presence, the German actor Udo Kier died on Sunday morning, at the age of 81. With more than 220 film roles over the course of his career, he made a tremendous contribution to cinema, and had been recognised as one of his leading lights by the international festivals in Berlin and Munich.
First coming to international attention with his iconic role in Flesh For Frankenstein in 1973, Kier went on to work with all the greats of European cinema, from Werner Herzog to Lars Von Trier, along with US auteurs like Gus Van Sant. He made notable appearances in the likes of Blood For Dracula, Suspiria, My Own Private Idaho, Armageddon, Shadow Of The Vampire, Dogville and My Son, My Son, What Have Ye Done? He spoke with us in 2015 about the joy he found in playing sinister characters.
More recently, Kier appeared in Brawl In Cell Block 99, Bacurau, The Painted Bird and Swan Song, which latter won him extensive acclaim. His final film was The Secret Agent, one of this year's big festival hits, which is hotly tipped for the forthcoming awards season.
Kier is survived by his partner, Delbert McBride.
