Rutger Hauer Biography

Rutger Hauer

Having spent much of the '70s honing his skill in European cinema, Hauer gained the coveted starring role in Grijpstra en de Gier (1979), a police film based on a mystery novel by the Netherlands' best-selling author. Hauer's first role in American films was a real attention-getter. He was cast opposite Sylvester Stallone in Nighthawks (1981), a role that (coupled with his experiences with director Paul Verhoeven) gained him a reputation as an action-adventure actor. The preponderance of his roles tend to fall into the category of largely forgettable action films. A few notable exceptions are Hitcher (1986) with Jennifer Jason Leigh, Blade Runner (1982) with Harrison Ford, and The Call of the Wild (1997). Hauer also appeared in Simon Magus (2001).