Rutger Hauer: Blade Runner actor dies aged 75
The actor died at his home in the Netherlands following a short illness, and his funeral was held on Wednesday.
Friday 26 July 2019 10:13, UK
Dutch actor Rutger Hauer, best known for his role in the sci-fi blockbuster Blade Runner, has died at the age of 75.
The movie star died at his home in the Netherlands following a short illness, and his funeral was held on Wednesday, his agent said.
The actor appeared in more than 100 Dutch and international films and won a Golden Globe for his role in the 1988 film Escape from Sobibor.
Hauer received critical acclaim for his portrayal of the replicant Roy Batty in the cult 1982 Ridley Scott-directed film Blade Runner.
He delivered a famous monologue in the movie, based around memory and death, which was one of the film's stand-out moments.
In the speech to Harrison Ford's character Rick Deckard, he said: "I've seen things you people wouldn't believe. Attack ships on fire off the shoulder of Orion.
"I watched c-beams glitter in the dark near the Tannhäuser Gate.
"All those moments will be lost in time, like tears in rain.
"Time to die."
The actor began his career by working on TV shows in the Netherlands, and formed a partnership with the director Paul Verhoeven.
He made his English-speaking debut opposite Michael Caine in 1975, in The Wilby Conspiracy.
His other films include Blind Fury, Sin City, Batman Begins, The Hitcher and Confessions of a Dangerous Mind.
Paying tribute, director Guillermo Del Toro tweeted: "RIP the great Rutger Hauer: an intense, deep, genuine and magnetic actor that brought truth, power and beauty to his films.
"My personal favourites: Flesh + Blood, Eureka, The Hitcher, Blade Runner, Ladyhawke and Blind Fury."