We've just learned the heartbreaking news this afternoon that acting legend Rutger Hauer passed away over the weekend at the age of 75 after a "short illness," reports Variety.
One of the Golden Globe-winning Dutch actor’s most cherished performances was that of the murderous Roy Batty in Ridley Scott’s 1982 sci-fi noir opus Blade Runner, starring opposite of Harrison Ford. In the horror world, Hauer played the antagonist John Ryder in 1986’s The Hitcher, and he later played Kurt Barlow in the 2004 adaptation of Stephen King’s Salem’s Lot.
Rutger Hauer also starred in Hobo With a Shotgun, as the titular hobo, and Sin City as Cardinal Roark, as well as Batman Begins, Blind Fury, Split Second, Dracula III: Legacy, Dario Argento's Dracula 3D, "True Blood" and "Channel Zero: Butcher’s Block."
Variety‘s obituary for Hauer notes that, "He is survived by his second wife of 50 years, Ineke ten Cate, and a daughter, actress Aysha Hauer, from his marriage to Heidi Merz."
As an actor that was always a pleasure for me to watch, I'm deeply saddened by the loss of Hauer. In my eyes, the man is a legend in the world of genre films, and I'll be revisiting some of his greatest performances over the next few days.
We here at Crypt Teaze send our deepest sympathies to his family and friends.
