The great German character actor Udo Kier died last weekend in Palm Springs, where many of the movie famous (Liberace to John Schlesinger to Janet Gaynor to Alan Ladd to Howard Hawks to Darryl F. Zanuck) end their days. He was 81.

A brooding but playful presence, he worked with Warhol and Van Sant and Von Trier, popping up in junk like “Bloodrayne” (by the infamous hack Uwe Boll) and “Surviving Christmas,” but also in the gonzo trailer to “Werewolf Women of the S.S.” directed by Rob Zombie for inclusion in “Grindhouse,” piling up over 280 credits, from films and TV to video games.

He dressed up horror films like “Skin Walker,” and “The Painted Bird” and indie dramas such as “The Mountain.”

But gems like “American Animals” and “Swan Song” decorated his later years, an indie film icon who had many films in the can and a few awaiting distribution when he passed away.

“My Neighbor Adolf” is one of those and makes its way to theaters Jan. 9.