Hideo Kojima pays tribute to late OD star Udo Kier

Udo Kier, the German actor who has appeared in a spate of video games and movies has passed away at the age of 81.

Kier, who is due to appear in Hideo Kojima’s upcoming OD, had also appeared in Hollywood movies like the original Blade, and the movie adaptation of Far Cry.

Hideo Kojima “at a loss for words” following Udo Kier’s passing

Posting on his X (formerly Twitter) account, Hideo Kojima said “I’m at a loss for words. It all happened far too suddenly.”

“Because of the strike, we weren’t able to shoot “OD” for a long time, and we were forced to reschedule to next year. Even during that time, Udo and I exchanged emails frequently. We stayed in close contact. 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,” Kojima added. “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.”

Kier has a filmography spanning decades, but was no stranger to video game appearances ahead of OD (which is still without a release date).

He appeared as Yuri in video segments of both Command and Conquer: Red Alert 2, and Yuri’s Revenge, while also appearing in 2017’s Call of Duty: WWII and 2022’s Martha is Dead. The latter of which is receiving a movie adaptation.

Kier will seemingly still appear in OD posthumously alongside Sophia Lillis and Hunter Schafer. The game was co-written by Kojima and horror director Jordan Peele.