Blade Runner Dutch Actor Rutger Hauer Dies at 75
Rutger Hauer also starred in Ladyhawke, Batman Begins, and Sin City
Rutger Hauer, the Dutch actor best known for starring in 1982’s Blade Runner, has died. He was 75.
According to a statement on his website, Hauer died on Friday at his home in the Netherlands following a short illness. The actor’s funeral was held on Wednesday, several outlets report.
Hauer’s most famous role was as villain Roy Batty in Blade Runner, where he starred alongside Harrison Ford‘s Rick Deckard in the film that became a cult hit long after its release.
The actor was born in January 1944, and began his career on the Dutch television series Floris in 1969.
Hauer later made his debut in Hollywood, starring opposite Sylvester Stallone in 1981’s Nighthawks, as well as other films including Ladyhawke, Batman Begins and Sin City.
The star had recent roles in the television series True Blood and films, including Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets and The Sisters Brothers.
A rep for Hauer did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment.
During an interview with PEOPLE in 1981, Hauer opened up about adjusting to his newfound fame after leaving his small farm in the Netherlands for Los Angeles.
“It’s still a miracle,” he said. “You can be very content with a small audience.”
“I’ve been offered 10 scripts so far, and they’re all bad guys,” he added at the time. “If I play one more German or one more terrorist, it’ll kill me.”
In a 2018 interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Hauer reflected on Blade Runner, saying, “In many ways, Blade Runner wasn’t about the replicants, it was about what does it mean to be human?”
According to Variety, he is survived by his wife of 50 years, Ineke ten Cate, and his daughter, actress Aysha Hauer, from his previous marriage to Heidi Merz.