Rutger Hauer passed away earlier this week on July 19. It was reported early today by Variety that Hauer died in his home at the age of 75, after short battle with an unnamed illness. Family and friends gathered today to celebrate the life of Hauer during his funeral. Hauer was a well known actor who appeared in some well known films like Blade Runner, Sin City, and Batman Begins, he is also known for his role in some TV shows and even voice acting in Observer, one of our favorite games of 2017.
Perhaps his most memorable performance was in the 1982 movie, Blade Runner. Hauer played Roy Batty, the movies main antagonist. Batty is the leader of a group of replicants who have rebelled against an off-world colony and seek freedom. Hauer’s performance in Blade Runner is considered by many to be one of the best in his career. The release of Blade Runner was met with wild critical acclaim and helped propel Hauer’s acting career.
In addition to movies, Hauer has also appeared in the the popular HBO/ABC series, True Blood. Hauer played Niall Brigant, the king of the tribe that the Stackhouse family came from. Hauer has has a reoccurring role on the show since the beginning of the sixth season.
Perhaps one of his more recent roles was as a voice actor for the main character in the game Observer. Developed by Bloober Team, Observer follows the story of Daniel Lazarski, who was voiced by Hauer. Lazaraski is a detective on the Observer unit of the police force, who has the ability to hack into people’s brain implants. This hacking allows him to interrogate suspects and pull out virtually any information he could want. Observer was one of the best games of 2017 and was met with high praise from critics, partially due to Hauer’s performance.