Hideo Kojima has responded to the sudden death of Udo Kier, the famed actor who was set to star in the upcoming video game OD. Kier, the German character actor perhaps best known for his roles in Blade, Armageddon, Ace Ventura: Pet Detective, and dozens of others, died over the weekend at the age of 81. Now, one of Kier’s newest collaborators, that of video game director Hideo Kojima, has paid tribute to the actor while sharing his own sadness at the news.
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In a message posted to social media, Kojima remembered Kier and expressed his shock at the actor’s passing. Kojima stated that he had kept in contact with Kier frequently via email and was able to meet up with him only a couple of months back. As for his role in OD, Kojima said that Kier hadn’t yet finished his shooting for the game and was set to do so in 2026. Kojima ultimately referred to Kier as an icon and said that he would never forget him.
“I’m at a loss for words. It all happened far too suddenly,” Kojima wrote. “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.”
“Udo wasn’t just an actor. He was truly an ‘icon’ of his time,” Kojima continued. “We’ve lost a great ‘icon.’ There will never be another like him. Udo, rest in peace. I will never forget you.”
Currently, Kojima hasn’t said how Kier’s death might end up impacting OD. Given that Kier is now known to have not wrapped up his parts for the game, this suggests that a new actor will have to take up the role Kier was set to play, or the script will have to be reworked to account for the sequences that weren’t yet recorded. Either way, these decisions ultimately pale in comparison to Kier’s passing.
OD is currently in the works at Kojima Productions and remains without a release window.
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