The man who gave film fans one of the most iconic moments ever committed to celluloid has passed away. On July 19, Rutger Hauer died after a brief illness, according to Variety. He was only 75.
A star of dozens of films, Hauer is probably best known for his role in Ridley Scott’s sci-fi masterpiece, “Blade Runner.” Playing the villain Roy Batty, the Dutch actor gave perhaps the best performance in the entire film, culminating in a monologue that will likely go down as one of the best ever.
Of course, Hauer wasn’t only in “Blade Runner,” and during his career, he experienced incredible highs, with roles in films like “The Hitcher,” “Escape from Sobibor” (earning him a Golden Globe), “Nighthawks,” “Confessions of a Dangerous Mind,” “Batman Begins,” and “Hobo with a Shotgun.” The latter of which brought a whole new generation to Hauer, as the Sundance film found a cult audience thanks to its grindhouse sensibilities.
READ MORE: Rutger Hauer Says ‘Blade Runner 2049’ Has “No Humor, No Love, No Soul”
Most recently, Hauer was seen in the acclaimed film “The Sisters Brothers.” And he actually has one more film that has yet to be released, the fantasy feature “Viy 2: Journey to China,” which co-stars Arnold Schwarzenegger and Jackie Chan.
The actor also landed several major TV roles, including work on the TV series “True Blood,” as well as the 2015 musical series “Galavant.” Before his passing, Hauer was also in the miniseries “A Christmas Carol,” where he plays the Ghost of Christmas Future. That is expected to air this December on FX and BBC. It was produced by Ridley Scott’s production company Scott Free.
Hauer’s work off screen is perhaps just as valuable as in films and TV. He was an environmentalist, and also the founder of the Rutger Hauer Starfish Association, which is an AIDS awareness charity.
Here’s the aforementioned “Blade Runner” scene: