Yesterday, Udo Kier passed away at 81, as confirmed by his partner Delbert McBride. The German-born actor had an extensive and varied career, and while he was perhaps better known in the world of cinema, he had several memorable roles voice acting for video games. Kier played the eccentric villain Yuri in Command and Conquer: Red Alert, Dr. Peter Straub in Call of Duty WWII, and more recently, a role in Hideo Kojima’s upcoming horror game OD. Kojima, who as of late has featured many Hollywood stars in the games he’s produced, made an X post mourning the loss of Kier on the day of his passing.
OD, which was revealed at the Game Awards in 2023, is being co-produced with famed director Jordan Peele–but as Kier has been featured on almost all of the promotional material for the game, it’s unclear how much his death will impact its production moving forward. In a teaser trailer, he put on a haunting, cryptic performance, powerfully reciting dadaist lines with his face utilizing the metahuman face-scan technology that will be present in OD. Indeed, he was renowned for his alluring, hypnotizing presence on screen–and having played a lot of horror-related roles over his lifetime, it is truly a tragedy that he can no longer contribute to Kojima’s horror title.
Udo Kier catalyzed his career by starring in films with other famous directors, and worked with figures like Rainer Fassbinder, Lars Von Trier, and Gus Van Sant. From his tumultuous childhood growing up in the immediate aftermath of World War II, to his ultimate success in the entertainment industry, Kier created an undoubtedly unique mark on 20th and 21st century arts. He straddled both arthouse and popular media alike, playing in both Hollywood hits like Blade and dime-budget classics like Flesh for Frankenstein made with Andy Warhol. And despite his brief stint into video games in the latter half of his life, his legacy will live on in the medium as proof to his versatility, talent, and character.