Actor Udo Kier’s real-life experience with a World War II bombing make his casting as Hunters season 2’s Adolf Hitler all the more significant.
Udo Kier’s real-life World War II history confirms that he was the perfect casting choice for Hunters season 2’s Hitler. Treading the same path as its predecessor, Hunters season 2 coasts on intriguing historical references, relentless violence, and the strength of its solid cast. Using Hunters season 1’s Nazi-hunting themed storyline as its foundation, it sets out to raise the stakes for its titular team by introducing Adolf Hitler as the new villain.
After a season-long cat-and-mouse game between Hitler and the hunters, Hunters season 2 ends on a satisfying note, where the German dictator gets captured and sent to prison. While Hunters‘ revenge-fantasy take on alternate history is arguably a little too ambitious, it shows deep sincerity towards the real-world sufferings of World War victims, especially in season 2. One major casting choice made for Hunters season 2 plays a crucial role in further nailing down the show’s earnestness towards its underlying themes.
Hunters’ Hitler Actor Was A Victim Of A Bombing During WWII
Udo Kier, who plays Adolf Hitler in Hunters season 2, had a first-hand experience of the tragedies of the second World War in Germany. His birthplace, a hospital in Cologne, was among the many German locations bombed towards the end of the World War II. Following the attack, he and his mother were dug out from the ruins of the destroyed hospital. The Hunters season 2 star later moved to London to study English and landed his first acting role in The Road To Saint Tropez.
With an acting career spanning over five decades, Udo Kier has come long way and has many diverse roles under his belt. He has also played Hitler more than once before Hunters season 2. However, his role in Hunters seems more notable because he brings a subtle sense of seriousness to his portrayal of a powerless Hitler without making viewers empathize with him. Perhaps, Kier’s own experiences with World War II weigh in on his deep understanding of the intricacies of the character and his impact on the world.
What Other Movies & Shows Udo Kier Is Known For
Considering how Udo Kier has appeared in nearly all of Lars von Trier’s movies, including Medea, Europa, Breaking The Waves, Dancer In The Dark, Dogville, Manderlay, Melancholia, and Nymphomaniac Vol. II, it would be fair to say that he is a staple in the indie director’s creations. During the early years of his career, Kier was best known for playing bleak roles in cult-classic horror films like Flesh For Frankenstein, Suspiria, and Blood For Dracula, which explains why the German-born seems to be an incredible fit for menacing antagonistic characters even to this day.
In recent years, Udo Kier has diversified his acting resume by accepting parts in multi-genre films like Downsizing, American Animals, Bacurau, The Painted Bird, Brawl In Cell Block 99, and Iron Sky. He also earned immense critical acclaim for playing the lead character in LGBTQ+ drama Swan Song. Not to mention, he is also recognizable for being cast as the cold-blooded Nazi antagonist of the video game Call of Duty: WWII, Doctor Peter Glücksbringer Straub, who is not a far cry from Hunters‘ Hitler.
