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The death of actor Rutger Hauer was announced today, the same day as his funeral; he had passed away after "a short illness". He came to international prominence in the work of fellow Dutchman Paul Verhoeven, first starring in his controversial romance Turkish Delight then progressing to Katie Tippel, war epic Soldier of Orange, Spetters and Verhoeven's first Hollywood effort, Flesh + Blood. Hauer had beaten him to Tinseltown, making waves in films like Nighthawks, Blade Runner (his signature role as an android desperate to hang onto life), Eureka for Nicolas Roeg, Sam Peckinpah's The Osterman Weekend, Ladyhawke, as the killer in The Hitcher (the role that got him hired to advertise Guinness), Wanted: Dead or Alive and The Legend of the Holy Drinker (one of his favourites).
The latter half of his career saw him in generally less high profile parts, but his fans sought him out regardless: Blind Fury, Salute of the Jugger, Wedlock, Split Second, Buffy the Vampire Slayer (original), Nostradamus (as the seer), Simon Magus, Sin City, Batman Begins, Hobo with a Shotgun, Dracula 3D for Dario Argento (as Van Helsing), Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets and The Sisters Brothers. A magnetic charisma no matter the role, he enlivened the low budget and was often a highlight of the big budget, one of the great cult stars to emerge from Europe in the 1970s and 80s. |
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