Leading man Rutger Hauer, known for his roles in "Blade Runner," "LadyHawke" and "The Hitcher," has died, his agent confirmed Wednesday. He was 75.
Hauer died peacefully Friday at his home in the Netherlands after a short, unspecified illness, according to an announcement posted on his website. His agent told Variety his funeral was held Wednesday.
"He leaves behind his beloved wife Ineke, after they have been together for fifty years," officials with the actor's AIDS awareness organization, the Rutger Hauer Starfish Association, said Wednesday in an announcement.
Known for such roles as Roy Batty in 1982's "Blade Runner" and Lothos in the 1992 "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" feature film, Hauer most recently appeared in the television series "Porters" and lent his voice to "Kingdom Hearts III" video game. He also starred alongside Matthew Broderick and Michelle Pfeiffer in 1985's "Ladyhawke" and led the cast of the 1986 action horror film "The Hitcher."
Hauer was born Jan. 23, 1944 in Breukelen, Netherlands, just outside Amsterdam, BCC News reported. He joined the Dutch merchant navy for a time in his youth, but left and returned to Amsterdam only to leave the city to join the army in the 1960s, BBC News reported.
He got his major break in 1969, when he was cast in the title role in "Floris," a Dutch TV series about "a wronged knight taking on the big and powerful," according to BBC News and Deadline. He was cast in a number of films by Dutch filmmaker Paul Verhoeven before gaining Hollywood's attention alongside Sylvester Stallone in 1981's "Nighthawks," The Guardian reported.
Celebrities and fans took to social media to remember Hauer.
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