News came in late on Wednesday afternoon that actor Rutger Hauer had passed away at the age of 75. While not exactly a household name, Hauer had an impressive career with over 175 official credits to his name, and likely dozens of uncredited works as well. If for nothing else, Hauer may be best remembered for his role as the replicant Roy Batty in the original ‘Blade Runner’ film from 1982. That role shot the actor into the limelight and saw him go on to act in dozens of films throughout the remainder of the 80’s and well into the 2000’s. Sure, most of them went direct to home video but he was always the standout in every film he was in. Whether it was the post-apocalyptic ‘Blood of Heroes’, the true life story of ‘Escape from Sobibor’ (which is an incredible film, and I highly recommend it) or his later comedic turns in the ‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer’ (the movie, not the TV show) and ‘Hobo With A Shotgun’, Hauer was always the star.
We watched a LOT of Rutger Hauer movies in the late 90’s, I’m pretty sure that Suspect Video in Toronto had a section specifically dedicated to him at one point. I distinctly remember being tattooed at a friend’s studio while watching ‘Blood of Heroes’. I can’t say that I’ve kept up with his newer work (I’ve never seen ‘True Blood’ though he apparently played a part in later seasons) but I definitely have a lot of fond memories of his work in the 80’s and 90’s. I’ll be spending some time rewatching some favourites this weekend for sure.
I’ve posted a couple of clips below for you to see, ‘Escape from Sobibor’ (please note not only the amazing voice in the narration, but also the hilarious price for the home video) and of course the incredibly iconic “Tears In The Rain” speech from ‘Blade Runner’.
Thank you for the memories Mr. Hauer!
