Udo Kier, star of Red Alert 2 and Hideo Kojima's OD, dies aged 81: 'There will never be another like him. Udo, rest in peace'

Udo Kier—the impossibly prolific German actor that you and I will readily recognise as Yuri from Red Alert 2, Command and Conquer: Yuri's Revenge, and Hideo Kojima's upcoming OD—has died aged 81. His partner, Delbert McBride, confirmed the news to Variety.

Kier appeared in over 200 films in the course of a long and remarkable career, and was perhaps best-known for his partnerships with Andy Warhol, Lars von Trier, and Werner Herzog. Though he also found time to appear in music videos for Madonna, Gwen Stefani, Korn, and others.

So a varied career doesn't even begin to describe Kier's time on screens big and small, but to me he will always, first and foremost, be the utterly magnificent/absurd Yuri from Red Alert 2 and Yuri's Revenge—a Transylvanian psychic who usurped control of the Soviet Union and launched an invasion of the United States, ultimately being defeated in Antarctica and imprisoned in a Psychic Isolation Chamber. Kier's unhinged performance helped define the games and is a big reason they continue to loom so large in the minds of fans.

Kier was also slated to appear in Hideo Kojima's upcoming OD, appearing in the game's first reveal trailer in 2023. It's unclear how much of this work he was able to complete before he died. On X, Kojima posted a tribute to Kier, writing that "When we met in Milan at the end of September, he told me how much he was looking forward to the shoot starting up again next year.

"He was full of energy then too, making me laugh with his usual 'Udo-isms.' I still can’t believe this. Udo wasn’t just an actor. He was truly an 'icon' of his time. We’ve lost a great 'icon.' There will never be another like him. Udo, rest in peace. I will never forget you."

"I'm very happy that so many people like the game," Kier said in an interview around Red Alert 2. "And if you really want to see me back, you have the address on the box. Just write to Westwood and say, 'We cannot get enough! Make another game with him!' And I'll be back… I'm trying to surprise you next time, to do something different, maybe more evil, maybe more irritating. But I still love you."