Biography for
Rutger Hauer More at IMDbPro »

Date of Birth

23 January 1944, Breukelen, Utrecht, Netherlands

Birth Name

Rutger Oelsen Hauer

Nickname

The Dutch Paul Newman

Height

6' 1" (1.85 m)

Mini Biography

Blonde, blue-eyed, tall and handsome Dutch actor Rutger Hauer has an international reputation for playing everything from romantic leads to action heroes to sinister villains. The son of actors, Hauer was born in Breukelen, Holland. Because his parents were often touring, he and his three sisters were raised by a nanny. A bit of a rebel during his childhood, he chafed at the rules and rigors of school and was often getting into mischief. His grandfather had been the captain of a schooner and at age 15, Hauer ran away to work on a freighter for a year. Like his great-grandfather, Hauer is color-blind, which prevented him from furthering his career as a sailor. Upon his return he attended night school and started working in the construction industry. When he again bombed at school, his parents enrolled him in drama classes. Fancying himself a poet, he spent most of his time writing poetry and hanging out in Amsterdam coffee houses instead of studying. He got expelled for poor attendance and afterward spent a brief period in the Dutch navy. Deciding he didn't like military life, he convinced his superiors that he was mentally unfit and was sent to a special home for psych patients. It was an unpleasant place, but Hauer remained there until he convinced his ranking officers that the military really did not need him.

IMDb Mini Biography By: A. Nonymous

Spouse

Ineke ten Kate	(22 November 1985 - present) 1 child
Heidi Merz	(? - ?) (divorced) 1 child

Trivia

Father of Ayesha Hauer

Is color blind.

According to an interview she gave when Interview with the Vampire: The Vampire Chronicles (1994) was first published, Rutger Hauer was Anne Rice 's original vision for Lestat when the book was being written. Despite a popular rumor that Julian Sands was her first choice, he didn't even begin to show up in films or TV till 1982, so Rice couldn't have been aware of him in 1976 when she was writing the book; Rutger has been acting since 1968. Rice may have said Sands would be great for the part when they were casting the film, because she has said that by the time the film was being made Rutger Hauer was too old to play Lestat.

Was Paul Verhoeven 's first choice to play RoboCop (1987).

Both his first and last name end with the letters "er". He has appeared in 13 movies/TV-series whose title or alternative title end with "er" or "ers". He has played 8 characters whose names end with "er".

Speaks fluently German (more or less accent-free)

Once in a Dutch production of "Hair".

Wife, Ineke, whom he married in 1985, was a painter and sculptor.

Is an environmentalist. Fought for the release of Greenpeace's co-founder, Paul Watson who was convicted in 1994 for sinking an illegal Norwegian whaling vessel. According to The Official Rutger Hauer website, the vessel was sunk in 1992 as a protest to Norway's announced intention to return to the commercial slaughter of whales, which was to be done in violation of the International Whaling Commission's global ban on whaling.

The Dutch Mail Service issued a stamp in 1995 with Rutger on it, taken from a scene in Turkish Delight.

Set up an AIDS research foundation called the Rutger Hauer Starfish Foundation.

Parents, Arend and Teunke, operated an acting school in Amsterdam.

Has appeared in two vampire movies with Donald Sutherland ; Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1992) , and 'Salem's Lot (2004) (TV) .

Director Richard Donner originally wanted to use him as the villain Marquet in Ladyhawke (1985) (1985) but Hauer turned that role down and expressed more interest in playing the film's hero, Etienne Navarre.

Former father-in-law of his Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1992) co-star Thomas Jane .

Son of Arend Hauer.

Spent five years in a pantomime company prior to seriously pursuing an acting career.

During the late '80s and early '90s, Hauer became well known to the UK mainstream for a series of Guinness commercials where he is clad in black. He publicly took a dislike for the drink and had to spit it out after each take. His appearance is credited for an increase in sales of Guinnesses.

Grandfather of Leandro Maeder.

He gives master classes in movie-making to students and new actors and movie makers. This takes places in Rotterdam. He has been doing this for several years.

Turned down a role in Paul Verhoeven's Zwartboek (2006) (aka Black Book).

Personal Quotes

"'Good guy' or 'bad guy', hero or anti hero; doesn't matter to me, what role I play, only the character have something magical."

"I don't know what the appeal is. I can see I've got blue eyes and I don't look like the Hunchback of Notre Dame but I can't understand the fuss."

"I have a lot of energy. I'm a lot stronger than most people."

Where Are They Now

(2007) Release of his book, "All Those Moments: Stories of Heroes, Villains, Replicants and Blade Runners" by Rutger Hauer with Patrick Quinlan.

(November 2007) Filming in New Zealand for Ben Sombogaart's (Crusade in Jeans) new film Brideflight.

Browse biographies section by name

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z