The news arrived that actor Rutger Hauer (photo ©DWDD) passed away on July 19. The news only reports that the death occurred at his home in Beetsterzwaag, Netherlands, after a brief illness and was made public immediately after his funeral, which was private. He’s survived by his wife Ineke and his daughter Aysha, born from a previous marriage.

I published a homage to Rutger Hauer on January 23, 2014, on the occasion of his 70th birthday, which contains the most important information about his biography and activity. The actor was also active in the field of environmentalism and created the “Rutger Hauer Starfish Association” to improve AIDS awareness and research.

Rutger Hauer had a really long career in which he had roles in a lot of movies and it’s surprising to see an actor with his skills and charisma often in movies of a level not really high. He kept on working practically until the end because in recent years he appeared in various productions, in cinema but also in television since, after his experience in “True Blood”, he appeared in various episodes of the TV shows “Channel Zero” and “Porters”.

Some productions in which Rutger Hauer was involved are completed or in their post-production phase so it will be possible to see him in some more roles while a new television adaptation of “A Christmas Carol” by Charles Dickens is still listed as being filmed. It’s a bitter irony that the actor played the Ghost of Christmas Future in it.

Of the many movies in which Rutger Hauer acted, very few were enough to ensure his fame. When the news of his death was spread, many people noticed the true great bitter irony of the fact that he died in the same year as his most famous character, the replicant Roy Batty from “Blade Runner”. His final monologue in that movie became famous far beyond the field of science fiction. The only comfort is that Rutger Hauer’s performances will not be lost in time, like tears in the rain.