The news that Rutger Hauer had passed away was a devastating blow to generations of film lovers. The actor made an impact on so many lives during his time on this earth and he will never be forgotten.
Throughout his long career, Hauer has acted alongside Hollywood heavyweights such as Harrison Ford, Anthony Hopkins, and Donald Sutherland. Rutger Hauer has touched many people throughout the world through his acting work, outreach, and activism. We didn’t just lose another actor, we lost a beautiful soul.
In the end, I think the only true way to say goodbye is in the words of the Rutger Hauer himself. In Blade Runner it is reported that he improvised the line ” All those moments will be lost in time, like tears in rain”. But we are fortunate that the actor’s skills were captured on film for future generations to discover.
In honor of Hauer, I have composed a short list of some of the actor’s most memorable roles. Rutger Hauer had the ability to bring intensity and intelligence to the characters he played, whether he was appearing in a huge blockbuster or a lower budget, independent film.
Surviving the Game (1994)
Surviving the Game tells the story of a group of wealthy hunters on one of their yearly trips. The only catch is, they are hunting humans and Ice-T finds himself on the run from the armed horde.
Hauer plays Thomas Burns, the one leading the hunt. Alongside accomplished actors F. Murray Abraham and Gary Busey, Hauer shines in this role. He is cold blooded, ruthless and with his portrayal, I totally believed him to be a psychopath.
Hauer plays Nick Randall, a Bounty Hunter and former Central Intelligence Agency agent. Randall is asked to find a terrorist named Malak Al Rahim, played by none other than KISS bassist Gene Simmons.
If you’ve ever wanted to see how a head and grenade interact, Wanted: Dead or Alive will answer that question for you. Hauer gives a great performance in what could have been just another late 80’s action flick churned out by Hollywood.
Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1992)
Those of us who grew up in the late 80’s and early 90’s were introduced to Buffy before the popular TV show. Kristy Swanson plays Buffy, a sometimes clueless cheerleader who finds herself fighting hordes of the undead.
Hauer plays Lothos, a powerful vampire that soon finds himself in the crosshairs of Buffy. Buffy the Vampire Slayer shows Hauer’s versatility as a performer. The two films above were both straight action films. Buffy combines elements of horror, comedy and action and Hauer plays Lothos masterfully.
The Hitcher (1986)
Growing up, I had a friend named John Ryder, and I never fully trusted him, thanks to Rutger Hauer. The Hitcher tells the story of psychopathic and murderous hitchhiker John Ryder as he stalks and menaces a young man who is driving cross country.
One scene that still sticks with me to this day is the sequence where we see Ryder in the back of a family’s car grinning and waving out the window with the family’s children. Even though he says nothing, Hauer was able to convey a sense of menacing dread and unease in this scene. He smile is not one of happiness but of malevolence. The audience knows what is going to happen to the family, all because they picked up the wrong hitchhiker.
Also See: Why The Hitcher is Still Going Strong After More than 30 Years
Hobo With a Shotgun (2011)
While trying to save up money to buy a lawnmower to start a new business, Hauer changes his mind and buys a shotgun from a pawn shop. Now armed, he attempts to clean up the streets, dispatching villains in gruesome and extremely violent ways.
Hauer gives an emotional portrayal as a broken man against the backdrop of a city cloaked in neon and ultra violence. Some of the scenes in this film are not for the squeamish.
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