German-born actor Udo Kier, whose fierce good looks and icy blue eyes imbued his characters with a menacing nobility, died this week at the age of 81.

Kier died in Palm Springs, California, on Sunday morning, according to his partner, artist Delbert McBride. His cause of death has not been revealed.

Born in Udo Kierspe in Cologne, Germany, as Allied Forces were bombing the hospital, the actor moved to London at age 18 after meeting legendary writer-director Rainer Werner Fassbinder in a bar. The two would later go on to collaborate in movies like The Stationmaster’s Wife , The Third Generation , and Lili Marleen .

“Among the more than 200 films in his expansive body of work, Kier’s breakout collaborations with Warhol are among his most celebrated,” noted Variety. “Kier starred in

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