8 Things You Didn’t Know About Rutger Hauer

Rutger Hauer was born on January 23, 1944, in Breukelen, Province of Utrecht, during the German occupation of the Netherlands during World War II. He was a well-known Dutch actor. In 1999, the Dutch audience voted him the Best Dutch Actor of the Century.

If you are getting curious to know more about this talented man, then you may find these 8 unknown facts interesting

8 Things You Didn’t Know About Rutger Hauer

1. Helped Fight The AIDS Epidemic

Hauer used his celebrity to assist raise awareness and funds for the AIDS battle. He even founded the Rutger Hauer Starfish Association to aid in illness research.

2. His Parents Owned An Acting School

Hauer was born into an artistic family: his parents, Teunke and Arend Heuer established an acting school in Amsterdam. It’s no longer unexpected that he became a movie star. ^[1]

3. He Almost Got RoboCop Role

Paul Verhoeven’s first choice for the character of Robocop in the eponymous action satire was Hauer. However, Peter Weller’s audition so impressed Verhoeven that he changed his mind. ^[2]

4. Appeared On A Dutch Stamp

The Dutch Postal Service produced a stamp picturing Hauer in 1973’s Turkish Delight in 1995. There’s nothing more humbling than having folks lick the back of your skull.

5. He Refused To Change His Name

When Hauer first tried to make it in the United States, he was advised to change his name to something “more English,” but he refused, claiming that he didn’t expect to stay in the country for long. ^[3]

6. He Adores Playing Vampire

Hauer appeared in various vampire stories, including Salem’s Lot and Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and later in Dracula III: Legacy and Dracula 3D. Hauer also appeared in the film Haemoglobin, which featured blood-sucking creatures.

7. Hate Guinness

Hauer helped Guinness raise sales in the late 1980s and early 1990s with a series of memorable commercials, but he disliked the drink and threw it out at the conclusion of the takes.

8. Taught Acting In the Netherlands

Hauer was a teacher who held masterclasses to pass on his filmmaking talents and experience. These seminars were given in Rotterdam, completing the circle of Hauer’s life. ^[4]