Blade Runner Director Ridley Scott Remembers Rutger Hauer

This week brought some sad news when the passing of legendary Dutch actor, Rutger Hauer, was made public. The performer passed away at age 75 on June 19th at his home in the Netherlands, following a brief illness. Hauer was known for his roles in Blade Runner, Ladyhawke, Sin City, Batman Begins, Hobo with a Shotgun, and more. In fact, IMDb boasts 172 acting credits for Hauer, whose first credit dates back to 1968. Many people have paid tribute to the actor since his passing, including Oscar-winning director, Guillermo del Toro. Another big name to honor Hauer was Ridley Scott, the director who helmed one of Hauer's biggest films: Blade Runner.

According to Entertainment Weekly, Scott issued a statement about Hauer on Wednesday:

"Rutger was the gentle giant," Scott shared. "I don't know who was more nervous on that first morning of the first day on set in 1982… I think the film is called Blade Runner. We helped each other through the entire process because it was very challenging. I'll miss him."

Hauer was born on January 23, 1944, in Breukelen, Netherlands. The actor got his break thanks to director Paul Verhoeven (Basic Instinct), who cast the young performer in his 1969 Medieval TV series, Floris, which made Hauer a star in the Netherlands. He then worked with Verhoeven on the film Turkish Delight (1973), which gained international attention. By the mid-70s Hauer was doing English-language films over Britain, but still didn't yet have the attention of Hollywood. That changed when Sylvester Stallone cast him as the terrorist villain in his cult-hit 1981 film, Nighthawks.

This led to his role in Blade Runner, which elevated his career. Over time, his filmography would grow to include Flesh and Blood, The Hitcher, The Osterman Weekend, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Confessions of a Dangerous Mind, The 10th Kingdom, Surviving the Game, and HBO's True Blood. He even recently lent his voice to Kingdom Hearts III.

Hauer has two 2019 projects that have yet to be released, including The Mystery of Dragon Seal: Journey to China and a television adaptation of A Christmas Carol, in which he plays the Ghost of Christmas Future. According to IMDb, he was also in production for three other projects.

What's your favorite Hauer role? Tell us in the comments!