Rutger Hauer, the prolific Dutch actor best known for playing Roy Batty in Ridley Scott’s original Blade Runner, has passed away at the age of 75, Variety confirmed today. According to the report, Hauer died a few days ago in the Netherlands on Friday, July 19. The funeral was held today.
What a colossal loss. An icon. Rutger is mostly known for his incredible monologue at the end of Blade Runner. Which apparently, was partially improvised during the take. But Rutger Hauer portrayed many, many other roles in his lifetime. Including lots of vampire for some reason. He starred in Batman Begins, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, The Rite and countless others.
His incredibly appropriate monologue from Blade Runner:
Such an epic end. May his words live on forever.
I’ve seen things you people wouldn’t believe. Attack ships on fire off the shoulder of Orion. I watched C-beams glitter in the dark near the Tannhäuser Gate. All those moments will be lost in time, like tears in rain. Time to die.