Udo Kier, the German actor who has hundreds of acting credits to his name, has died, according to close friend photographer Michael Childers. He was 81.
Kier died Sunday at Eisenhower Health in Palm Desert, Calif., Childers said in a statement on Facebook.
"Breaking my heart, a sad goodbye to my great friend Udo Kier," he said in a second Facebook post that included a picture of himself with Kier. "RIP."
No cause of death was announced.
Kier was born in Cologne, Germany, near the end of World War II, and was discovered by Michael Sarne in London where he was studying English, and was cast in Road to Saint Tropez, his first film, in 1966, according to his biography on IMDB.
He would go on to perform in hundreds of films, TV shows and even video games, including in the Call of Duty franchise. He is probably best known in the United States for his role of Hans in 1991's My Own Private Idaho, starring a young Keanu Reeves and the late River Phoenix and 1994's Ace Ventura: Pet Detective starring Jim Carrey.
Writer, television producer and historian Alison Martino called Kier in a statement a "global treasure and a local friend to so many in Palm Springs."
"His presence was big and it was always a treat to run into him," she said in a statement. "Udo always took the time to speak to everybody and would even invite them to his home where he'd love to talk discuss art and film. This is a true loss to the community."
She added that she'll "never forget what Udo taught me about art & his views about what it meant to him one afternoon."
ADVERTISEMENT
"A truly meaningful conversation. So sad to hear this. What a gifted thespian he was."
Canadian director, writer, producer and close friend of Kier published a picture of a full martini glass at a bar where a picture of Kier hung on the wall.
"To a life well-lived," he said in the caption.