Rutger Hauer, ‘Blade Runner’ Star, Dies At 75

Rutger Hauer has died at the age of 75.

Hauer passed away in his home on July 19 in the Netherlands after a short illness. His agent, Steve Kenis, confirmed his death and said that his funeral was held Wednesday.

Hauer was born on January 23, 1944, in Breukelen, the Netherlands. Both his parents were acting teachers.

At the age of 15, he ran away from home to join the Dutch merchant navy. In 1962 he returned to Amsterdam and briefly studied acting. He exited school again for the army.

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He finally committed himself to become an actor and became a member of the touring experimental troupe Noorder Compagnie. He acted, directed and served as costume designer and translator.

Hauer starred in the 1982 film Blade Runner as Roy Batty, a gang of outlaw replicants.

His most recent appearance was in films from 2005. He played Cardinal Roark in Sin City and as the corporate villain who Bruce Wayne discovers is running the Wayne Corp in Batman Begins.

Hauer also appeared in True Blood as Niall Brigant and as Kingsley on ABC’s medieval musical comedy Galavant.

The late actor made his first appearance in the late ’60s in the Netherlands as the star of Paul Verhoeven’s medieval TV series Floris. He reached stardom in 1973 in Turkish Delight, which became a box-office hit and received an Oscar as best foreign film.

He eventually made his way into Hollywood as a terrorist in the 1981 Sylvester Stallone thriller Nighthawks.

Hauer gravitated towards more routine roles in American and international productions in the ’90s and played lord Lothos the vampire in the original film version of Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

He soon received Golden Globe nominations for his performances as the leader of a concentration camp revolt in Escape From Sobibor and as an SS officer in Fatherland.

Hauer was active in social causes and was an outspoken sponsor of the environmental organization Greenpeace and the founder of the Starfish Association, a non-profit devoted to AIDS awareness.

The late actor is survived by his second wife, Ineke ten Cate, and daughter Aysha Hauer from his marriage with Heidi Merz.