
Rutger Hauer
Rutger Oelsen Hauer was a Dutch film actor. He was well known for his roles in Flesh + Blood, Blind Fury, Blade Runner, The Hitcher, Nighthawks, Sin City, Ladyhawke, The Blood of Heroes and Batman Begins. Hauer was born in Breukelen, Netherlands, to drama teachers Arend and Teunke, and grew up in Amsterdam. Since his parents were very occupied with their careers, he and his three sisters (one older, two younger) were raised mostly by nannies. At the age of 15, Hauer ran off to sea and spent a year scrubbing decks aboard a freighter. Returning home, he worked as an electrician and a carpenter for three years while attending acting classes at night school. He went on to join an experimental troupe, with which he remained for five years before he was cast in the lead role in the very successful 1969 television series Floris, a Dutch Ivanhoe-like medieval action drama. The role made him famous in his native country. Hauer's career changed course when director Paul Verhoeven cast him as the lead in Turkish Delight (1973) (based on the Jan Wolkers book of the same name). The movie found box-office favour abroad as well as at home, and within two years, its star was invited to make his English-language debut in the British film The Wilby Conspiracy (1975). Set in South Africa and starring Michael Caine and Sidney Poitier, the film was an action melodrama with a focus on apartheid. Hauer's supporting role, however, was barely noticed in Hollywood, and he returned to Dutch films for several years. Hauer made his American debut in the Sylvester Stallone vehicle Nighthawks (1981), cast as a psychopathic and cold-blooded terrorist named "Wolfgar" (after a character in the Old English poem Beowulf). The following year, he appeared in arguably his most famous and acclaimed role as the eccentric, violent, yet sympathetic replicant Roy Batty in Ridley Scott's 1982 sci-fi thriller, Blade Runner. Hauer was a dedicated environmentalist. He fought for the release of Greenpeace's co-founder, Paul Watson, who was convicted in 1994 for sinking a Norwegian whaling vessel. Hauer has also established an AIDS awareness foundation called the Rutger Hauer Starfish Foundation. He married his second wife, Ineke, in 1985 (they had been together since 1968); and he has one child, actress Aysha Hauer, who was born in 1966 and who made him a grandfather in 1988. In April 2007, he published his autobiography All Those Moments: Stories of Heroes, Villains, Replicants, and Blade Runners (co-written with Patrick Quinlan) where he discussed many of his movie roles. Proceeds of the book go to Hauer's Starfish Foundation.
Known For
Credits
- 2026 · Emperor as John The Constant
- 2024 · Like Tears in Rain as Self (archive footage)
- 2021 · Albert Speer und der Traum von Hollywood as Himself (archive footage)
- 2020 · Break as Ray
- 2019 · Iron Mask as English Ambassador
- 2018 · The Sonata as Richard Marlowe
- 2018 · The Sisters Brothers as The Commodore
- 2018 · Corbin Nash as Stranger
- 2018 · Samson as Manoah
- 2017 · Uncle Howard as Self (archive footage)
- 2015 · Behind the White Glasses as Self
- 2014 · Francesco as Padre di Francesco
- 2014 · Francesco as Padre di Francesco
- 2013 · The Future as Maciste
- 2013 · Real Playing Game as Steve Batier
- 2011 · More Blood, More Heart: The Making of Hobo with a Shotgun as Himself
- 2011 · The Mill and the Cross as Peter Bruegel
- 2011 · Black Butterflies as Abraham Jonker
- 2010 · Happiness Runs as Insley
- 2010 · Life's a Beach as Jean-Luc
- 2008 · The Prince of Motor City as William Hamilton
- 2006 · The Hunt for Eagle One: Crash Point as Gen. Frank Lewis
- 2006 · Mentor as Sanford Pollard
- 2005 · Mirror Wars: Reflection One as Mysterious Man
- 2002 · Warrior Angels as Grekkor
- 2002 · Scorcher as US President Nelson
- 2000 · Wilder as Dr. Sam Dennis Charney
- 1999 · Simon Magus as Count Albrecht, the Squire
- 1998 · Bone Daddy as Palmer
- 1997 · The Ruby Ring as Patrick Collins
- 1997 · Deathline as John Wade
- 1997 · Bleeders as Dr. Marlowe
- 1996 · Precious Find as Armond Crille
- 1994 · Amelia Earhart: The Final Flight as Fred Noonan
- 1994 · Blood of the Innocent as Dr. Lem
- 1993 · Voyage as Morgan Norvell
- 1993 · Blind Side as Jake Shell
- 1993 · Arctic Blue as Ben Corbett
- 1992 · Beyond Justice as Tom Burton
- 1989 · Bloodhounds of Broadway as The Brain
- 1989 · On a Moonlit Night as John Knott
- 1989 · The Edge as Sheriff Emil Abel
- 1988 · The Legend of the Holy Drinker as Andreas Kartak
- 1987 · The Best of Max Headroom as Self
- 1982 · Inside the Third Reich as Albert Speer
- 1978 · Pastorale 1943 as August Schultz
- 1976 · Max Havelaar as Duclari
- 1975 · Floris von Rosemund as Floris
- Future · Tonight at Noon as Diego
- 2017 · Drawing Home as Carl Rungius
- 2017 · The Broken Key as Professor Moonlight
- 2017 · 24 Hours to Live as Frank
- 2017 · Porters as Tillman
- 2017 · Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets as President of the World State Federation
- 2017 · Gangsterdam as Dolph
- 2017 · Mata Hari as Стольбаккен
- 2016 · Genderness as
- 2016 · Channel Zero as Joseph Peach
- 2016 · Beyond Valkyrie: Dawn of the 4th Reich as Oskar Halminski
- 2016 · Wax - We Are The X as Aron Mulder
- 2016 · The Worlds of Philip K. Dick as Self - Actor
- 2015 · The Last Kingdom as Ravn
- 2015 · Unity as Narrator (voice)
- 2015 · Clones as Dr. Richards
- 2015 · Fifty Shades of Erotica as
- 2015 · Admiral as Maarten Tromp
- 2015 · The Scorpion King 4: Quest for Power as King Zakour
- 2015 · Galavant as Kingsley
- 2014 · 2047: Sights of Death as Colonel Asimov
- 2014 · The Real History of Science Fiction as Himself
- 2014 · The Letters as Benjamin Praagh
- 2013 · The Fire Rises: The Creation and Impact of The Dark Knight Trilogy as Self (archive footage)
- 2013 · Flight of the Storks as Sonderman
- 2012 · Dracula 3D as Abraham van Helsing
- 2012 · Michelangelo: The Heart and the Stone as Michelangelo
- 2012 · Metal Hurlant Chronicles as Kerm
- 2012 · Agent Ranjid Saves the World as Freek van Dyk
- 2011 · The Heineken Kidnapping as Alfred Heineken
- 2011 · The Cardboard Village as Sacristan
- 2011 · Portable Life as Antonio
- 2011 · The Reverend as The Withstander
- 2011 · Hobo with a Shotgun as Hobo
- 2011 · The 5th Execution as Khant
- 2011 · All for One as Niemeyer
- 2011 · The Rite as Istvan Kovak
- 2011 · Spoon as Victor Spoon
- 2011 · Requiem 2019 as
- 2009 · Barbarossa as Federico Barbarossa
- 2009 · 3 as Father (voice)
- 2009 · Dazzle as
- 2008 · Bride Flight as Old Frank
- 2008 · True Blood as Niall Brigant
- 2008 · Magic Flute Diaries as Dr. Richard Nagel
- 2007 · Dangerous Days: Making Blade Runner as Self
- 2007 · Fashion Forward: Wardrobe and Styling as Self
- 2007 · Starting Over as Peter Rossen
- 2007 · Moving McAllister as Maxwell McAllister
- 2007 · Zomer Draait Door, De as
- 2007 · Dead Tone as Det. John Criton
- 2007 · Goal II: Living the Dream as Rudi van der Merwe
- 2006 · Blond, Blue Eyes as Self
- 2006 · Minotaur as Cyrnan
- 2006 · The Hunt for Eagle One as Gen. Frank Lewis
- 2005 · The Poseidon Adventure as Bishop August Schmidt
- 2005 · De Wereld Draait Door as Self
- 2005 · Dracula III: Legacy as Dracula
- 2005 · Batman Begins as Earle
- 2005 · Sin City as Cardinal Roark
- 2004 · Never Enough as Sebastian
- 2004 · Salem's Lot as Kurt Barlow
- 2004 · Tempesta as Van Beuningen
- 2004 · Alpha to Omega: Exposing 'The Osterman Weekend' as Self
- 2003 · The Hitcher: How Do These Movies Get Made? as
- 2002 · Confessions of a Dangerous Mind as Keeler
- 2002 · V Graham Norton as Self
- 2002 · The Bankers of God: The Calvi Affair as Paul Marcinkus
- 2001 · Flying Virus as Ezekial
- 2001 · Smallville as Morgan Edge
- 2001 · Alias as Anthony Geiger
- 2001 · Turbulence 3: Heavy Metal as Copilot MacIntosh
- 2001 · The Room as
- 2001 · Lying in Wait as Keith Miller
- 2000 · On the Edge of 'Blade Runner' as Self
- 2000 · The 10th Kingdom as Huntsman
- 2000 · Partners in Crime as Gene Reardon
- 1999 · New World Disorder as David Marx
- 1998 · Merlin as King Vortingern
- 1998 · Tactical Assault as Capitaine John 'Doc' Holiday
- 1997 · Hostile Waters as Cap. Britanov
- 1997 · Eating Pattern as Bog
- 1997 · The Call of the Wild: Dog of the Yukon as John Thornton
- 1997 · Lexx as Bog
- 1997 · Blast as Leo
- 1997 · Knockin' on Heaven's Door as Curtiz
- 1996 · Omega Doom as Omega Doom
- 1996 · Mariette in Ecstasy as Chaplan
- 1996 · Crossworlds as A.T.
- 1996 · Paul Verhoeven: From Holland to Hollywood as Himself
- 1995 · Mr. Stitch as Doctor Rue Wakeman
- 1994 · Fatherland as SS-Sturmbannführer Xavier March
- 1994 · The Beans of Egypt, Maine as Rueben Bean
- 1994 · Nostradamus as The Mystic Monk
- 1994 · Surviving the Game as Thomas Burns
- 1993 · The Revenge of the Dead Indians as Himself
- 1992 · Buffy the Vampire Slayer as Lothos
- 1992 · Past Midnight as Ben Jordan
- 1992 · Split Second as Stone
- 1991 · Wedlock as Frank Warren
- 1991 · Desert Law as Tom Burton
- 1989 · The Blood of Heroes as Sallow
- 1989 · Blind Fury as Nick Parker
- 1987 · Escape from Sobibor as Alexander 'Sasha' Pechersky
- 1987 · Wanted: Dead or Alive as Nick Randall
- 1986 · The Hitcher as John Ryder
- 1985 · Flesh + Blood as Martin
- 1985 · The Max Headroom Show as Self
- 1985 · Ladyhawke as Captain Etienne Navarre
- 1984 · A Breed Apart as Jim Malden
- 1983 · The Osterman Weekend as John Tanner
- 1983 · Eureka as Claude Maillot Van Horn
- 1982 · Blade Runner as Batty
- 1981 · Chanel Solitaire as Etienne de Balsan
- 1981 · Nighthawks as Wulfgar
- 1980 · Spetters as Gerrit Witkamp
- 1979 · Duel In De Diepte as John van der Velde
- 1979 · Fatal Error as Rinus de Gier
- 1979 · Woman Between Wolf and Dog as Adriaan
- 1979 · Es begann bei Tiffany as Ryder
- 1979 · For Queen and Country as Erik Lanshof
- 1978 · Mysteries as Johan Nagel
- 1978 · Heilige Jeanne as Dunois
- 1977 · Soldier of Orange as Erik Lanshof
- 1976 · Naked and Lustful as
- 1975 · Cyrano de Bergerac as de Valvert
- 1975 · Cancer Rising as Pierre
- 1975 · Cold Blood as Cris
- 1975 · Katie Tippel as Hugo
- 1975 · The Wilby Conspiracy as Blane Van Niekirk
- 1974 · Dandelions as Rick
- 1973 · Turkish Delight as Eric Vonk
- 1969 · Rond Floris as Self
- 1969 · Floris as Floris
- 1967 · Omnibus as Narrator (voice)
- Future · Isip the Warrior as Catholic Priest
- Future · Starfish Tango as Self