Artist Talk International Actors Award: Udo Kier

Udo Kier’s career has spanned almost six decades. Born Udo Kierspe in Cologne in 1944, the actor is just as comfortable in high art films as he is in trash movies – just as as long as it’s not boring: from experimental films to horror movies, from acclaimed Austrian TV series to Hollywood blockbusters – Kier brings his striking aura and piercing green eyes to bear everywhere. Many star directors have worked with him several times: above all Lars von Trier, of course, but also Gus Van Sant, Guy Maddin and, in Germany, Christoph Schlingensief. In 2021, Kier, who now also belongs to the illustrious circle of members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, was celebrated by US critics for his portrayal of a flamboyant hairdresser in SWAN SONG – the “role of a lifetime”, writes Indiewire.