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Rutger Hauer

Age: 65
Height: 6' 1"

Birth Place: Breukelen, Utrecht, Netherlands
Born: Jan. 23rd, 1944

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Rutger Hauer's Main TV Roles

Show	Character(s)
Smallville	Morgan Edge
The 10th Kingdom	Huntsman
Merlin (UK)	King Vortigern

NOTE: Complete List of Works can be found at IMDB

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.

TRIVIA:

According to an interview she gave when _Interview with the Vampire: The Vampire Chronicles (1994)_ (qv) was first published, Rutger Hauer was 'Anne Rice (I)' (qv) 's original vision for Lestat when the book was being written. Despite a popular rumor that 'Julian Sands' (qv) 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.
Is color blind.
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.
The Dutch Mail Service issued a stamp in 1995 with Rutger on it, taken from a scene in Turkish Delight.
Former father-in-law of his _Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1992)_ (qv) co-star 'Thomas Jane' (qv) .
Director 'Richard Donner' (qv) originally wanted to use him as the villain Marquet in _Ladyhawke (1985)_ (qv) (1985) but Hauer turned that role down and expressed more interest in playing the film's hero, Etienne Navarre.
Spent five years in a pantomime company prior to seriously pursuing an acting career.
Has appeared in two vampire movies with 'Donald Sutherland (I)' (qv) ; _Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1992)_ (qv) , and _'Salem's Lot (2004) (TV)_ (qv) .