Udo Kier, a celebrated actor with close to three hundred screen credits to his name, passed away this weekend at age 81. His extensive body of work includes collaborations with big name directors such as Gus Van Sant, Dario Argento, Robert Rodriguez, and Lars Von Trier among others, and the most iconic nudity of his career just happens to be with two of Hollywood’s biggest Gen X stars.
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Born Udo Kierspe in Cologne, Germany at the end of World War II, he and his mother barely escaped the hospital as it was bombed by Allied Forces. After moving to London at age eighteen to learn English, Udo started acting because he “liked the attention” and in 1973 he landed the role of the titular Baron in the X-rated horror Flesh For Frankenstein (aka Andy Warhol’s Frankenstein), the Paul Morrissey film known on Mr. Man for its full nude scenes featuring Warhol muse Joe Dallesandro.
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The Best of Udo Kier Nude
The following year her would also star as the famed vampire in Morrissey’s Blood for Dracula, which also starred a naked Joe Dallesandro, but it wouldn’t be until 1981’s The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Miss Osbourne that Udo would strip down himself for the first time. Just under an hour in, Udo bares his buns while thrashing around in a bathtub as he transforms into his murderous alter ego (played by Gérard Zalcberg).
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But Udo is probably best known for his performance in Van Sant’s My Own Private Idaho (1991) opposite Keanu Reeves and the late, great River Phoenix. The only thing more memorable than Udo dancing and lip-lyncing to “Der Adler” (a song he had recorded in real life) is the photo montage of the trio’s kinky gay antics, especially when Udo is laying ass up in bed.
Udo Kier, Keanu Reeves, River Phoenix in My Own Private Idaho
01:09:41 A series of shirtless tableaus as Keanu and River turn a trick for Udo Kier. (15 secs)
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In addition to playing Hitler in both 1989’s 100 Jahre Adolf Hitler - Die letzte Stunde im Führerbunker and in the Amazon series Hunters in 2023 (plus playing the neighbor David Hayman thinks is Hitler in 2022’s My Neighbor Adolf), Udo took on a variety of roles in everything from Ace Venture: Pet Detective (1994) and Armageddon (1998) to Grindhouse (2007) and Rob Zombie’s Halloween remake (2007), and it seemed Udo was continuing to work right up until his death. No matter what you may recognize him from, Udo will forever be remembered for being one of a kind!
