Dieter Laser, 'The Human Centipede' Star, Dead at 78

Dieter Laser attends the premiere of The Human Centepede 3 (Final Sequence) in LA
David Livingston/Getty Images

The German actor is best known for his role as Dr. Heiter in the 2009 cult horror film.

Actor Dieter Laser has died.

The German actor -- best known for his role as Dr. Heiter in the 2009 cult horror film The Human Centipede -- died in Berlin on Feb. 29, his wife, Inge, confirmed, according to multiple reports. A post on his Facebook page shared on Thursday reads, "We are very sorry to have to inform you that Dieter Laser passed away on February 29, 2020."

Laser's cause of death is unknown. He was 78.

The veteran actor appeared in more than 60 films and TV series over the course of his long career, but it was his role as a deranged surgeon who kidnapped three tourists and joined them surgically in The Human Centipede that garnered him international fame. The Human Centipede writer and director, Tom Six, tweeted about Laser's death on Thursday.

"I'm totally shocked Dieter passed away," Six writes. "He was a force of nature, an unique human being and an iconic actor. I'm so damn proud we created pop culture together. Wished we could have made many more movies. RIP my friend, you will live forever on screen!"

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