Udo Kier, the German Actor Who Played Yuri in Command and Conquer: Red Alert and Was Set to Star in OD, Dies Aged 81 — Hideo Kojima Says 'There Will Never Be Another Like Him'

Udo Kier, the German histrion who starred successful implicit 200 films, has died aged 81.

Kier, who appeared successful 275 roles including successful My Own Private Idaho, Blade, Armageddon, and Dogville, arsenic good arsenic Madonna euphony videos and video games, died connected Sunday morning, his spouse Delbert McBride confirmed to Variety. Photographer Michael Childers took to societal media to accidental Kier died successful infirmary successful Palm Springs, California. A origin of decease has not yet been revealed.

Udo Kier astatine the Palm Springs International Film Festival Film Awards 2025 connected January 3, 2025. Photo by David Crotty/Patrick McMullan via Getty Images.

The fearfulness movie specializer had a breakout relation successful 1970’s Mark of the Devil, earlier being formed arsenic Frankenstein successful 1973’s Flesh for Frankenstein, past Dracula successful 1974’s Blood for Dracula — some produced by creator Andy Warhol. His archetypal American relation came successful 1991 movie My Own Private Idaho, which starred River Phoenix and Keanu Reeves. Madonna, a instrumentality of Kier's work, formed him successful her euphony videos for Erotica and Deeper and Deeper. Later notable roles came successful the likes of Ace Ventura: Pet Detective, Johnny Mnemonic, Armageddon, End of Days, and Blade. Kier’s last movie was the governmental thriller The Secret Agent, successful which helium played a Jewish Holocaust subsister caught successful the last years of the Brazilian subject dictatorship.

As good arsenic starring successful hundreds of films, Kier was nary alien to the satellite of video games. He famously played Yuri successful the live-action cutscenes that formed a portion of Command & Conquer: Red Alert 2’s story, and reprised the relation successful 2001’s Command & Conquer: Yuri's Revenge.

Later, helium had dependable roles successful 2017’s Call of Duty: WWII, and 2022’s Martha is Dead. He was acceptable to look successful OD, the upcoming fearfulness video crippled by Hideo Kojima and shaper Jordan Peele, and so was a portion of its teaser trailer, below, showing archetypal look scan work. It is unclear whether Kier volition present beryllium recast successful the upcoming Microsoft game.

Kojima took to societal media to wage tribute to Kier, expressing his daze astatine the news.

“I’m astatine a nonaccomplishment for words,” Kojima said. “It each happened acold excessively suddenly. Because of the strike, we weren’t capable to sprout OD for a agelong time, and we were forced to reschedule to adjacent year. Even during that time, Udo and I exchanged emails frequently. We stayed successful adjacent contact. When we met successful Milan astatine the extremity of September, helium told maine however overmuch helium was looking guardant to the sprout starting up again adjacent year. He was afloat of vigor past too, making maine laughter with his accustomed ‘Udo-isms.’

“I inactive can’t judge this. Udo wasn’t conscionable an actor. He was genuinely an ‘icon’ of his time. We’ve mislaid a large ‘icon.’ There volition ne'er beryllium different similar him. Udo, remainder successful peace. I volition ne'er hide you.”

The tweet video below, shows Kojima and Kier unneurotic successful Milan successful September.

With Udo Kier. pic.twitter.com/6tdXYLY8aW

Wesley is Director, News astatine IGN. Find him connected Twitter astatine @wyp100. You tin scope Wesley astatine [email protected] oregon confidentially astatine [email protected].