Rutger Hauer passed away at his home in the Netherlands on July 19. He was 75 years old. Hauer’s agent, Steve Kenis, confirmed his death, per a report from Variety.
Hauer’s career first began way back in the ’60s, and he appeared in Paul Verhoeven’s TV series, Floris. He teamed up with Verhoeven again in the Dutch box office hit, Turkish Delight, in 1973, and in the medieval drama Flesh & Blood in 1985. However, Hauer’s first hit in Hollywood was Nighthawks, opposite Sylvester Stallone. opposite Sylvester Stallone. But it was Hauer’s role as Roy Batty in Ridley Scott’s Blade Runner that cemented his cult status.
Since that time, Hauer appeared in a number of classic films including Ladyhawke, The Hitcher, and the comedy/action film Blind Fury. In the ’90s, he starred in Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Split Second, and Surviving the Game. In 2005, he starred as Cardinal Roark in Robert Rodriguez’s adaptation of Frank Miller’s Sin City. That same year, Hauer portrayed William Earle in Christopher Nolan’s Batman Begins.
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Even in the twilight of his career, Hauer headlined Hobo With a Shotgun and cameo’d in Luc Besson’s Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets. Hauer’s final appearance will be in Viy 2: Journey to China, which is currently in post-production.
Hauer made a number of appearances in television shows, including True Blood and the ABC show Galavant, where he portrayed the fan favorite Kingsley. He also provided voiceovers for a number of video games, including Observer and Kingdom Hearts III.
What’s your favorite Rutger Hauer performance? Share your memories in the comment section below.
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