(CelebrityAccess) — Rutger Hauer, the Dutch actor, and environmentalist best known for his role in the 1982 sci-fi classic “Blade Runner” has died. He was 75.
According to Variety, Hauer died on July 19th at his home in the Netherlands after a short illness.
A native of Breukelen in the Netherlands, Hauer attended the Academy for Theater and Dance in Amsterdam before he was drafted for a stint as a combat medic in the Royal Netherlands Army
Following his service, he joined an experimental acting troop where he was eventually noticed by the noted director Paul Verhoeven, who cast him in a lead role for “Floris” a Dutch television historical drama.
The role propelled Hauer national fame in the Netherlands and led to film roles that included “Turkish Delight” (1973) and the “Wilby Conspiracy” (1975). However, his introduction to the American movie-going public didn’t occur until 1981 when he appeared opposite Sylvester Stallone in the crime thriller “Nighthawks.”
The following year, director Ridley Scott tapped Hauer to portray Roy Batty, a nuanced but murderous synthetic human in Scott’s science fiction opus “Blade Runner.” For this performance, including Hauer’s improvised “rain monologue” near the end of the film, Hauer was nominated for a Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actor.
Other notable films Hauer appeared in during the 1980s include “Flesh & Blood” (1985), “Ladyhawk” (1985) and “The Hitcher” (1986).
However, as the 1990s wore on, Hauer began appearing in low budget films and television projects.
Apart from his work on screen and the theater, Hauer was known for his environmental advocacy. He also established an AIDS awareness organization called the Rutger Hauer Starfish Association.
Hauer was made a knight in the Order of the Netherlands Lion in 2013.
