Iconic German actor Udo Kier, known for his multiple collaborations with such stars as Madonna, Gus Van Sant, and Lars von Trier, has died in Palm Springs, California, at the age of 81. Beta bows to the exceptional artist, who starred in numerous titles of its portfolio, such as Beta Cinema’s Locarno entry My Neighbor Adolf, M - A City Hunts a Murderer, the re-imagination of Fritz Lang’s classic, which premiered at Berlinale 2019 and Series Mania, and Tom Fontana’s hit series Borgia.

Kier rose to fame in the 1970s with his breakout titular roles in Andy Warhol’s Flesh for Frankenstein and Blood for Dracula. His career expanded with numerous collaborations with legendary German auteur writer/director Rainer Werner Fassbinder, in such films as Lili Marleen, also handled by Beta. Known for his ice-blue eyes and intense stare, Kier consistently played memorable roles, often villains, across European and Hollywood cinema, which gave him cult status and made him an icon worldwide. The multi-awarded actor’s extensive career spanned more than 200 films, among them Suspiria, My Own Private Idaho, and Dogville, and many international TV productions, such as Berlin Alexanderplatz.