# Rutger Hauer question **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [May 22, 2007, 2:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rutger-hauer-question/405081 "2007-05-22T14:36:53Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2007, 2:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rutger-hauer-question/405081/1 "2007-05-22T14:36:53Z")
A recent thread asking for the source of a sci-fi quote which wound up being the Roy Batty death scene in _Blade Runner_ made me think of something I’m hoping you folks can help with. I did a search on “Rutger Hauer” and didn’t see this referenced, but I admit to not taking a great deal of time with the threads that came back from that search. Here’s the issue: in almost every movie I have seen with Rutger, his lower body, legs and butt, is almost always covered with a coat or something. Is there something wrong with his lower body? Is he suffering from some malady that makes him not want his butt and legs to be seen? I seem to recall that in _Blade Runner_ when he’s not covered below the waist and is running around in the dark in the rainy building that he doesn’t appear to be malformed or anything, so it could be just an idiosyncrasy of his not to have his lower body shown. 1. Has anybody else noticed this? 2. Does anybody know the scoop on it? ---
**Author:** ![cbawlmer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/71e660/32.png) [@cbawlmer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cbawlmer)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2007, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rutger-hauer-question/405081/2 "2007-05-22T15:32:32Z")
Everything seems to be very nicely in place in _Ladyhawke_. I talked to someone who met him once, and they didn’t mention anything like that, and after they met he rode away on his motorcycle. ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2007, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rutger-hauer-question/405081/3 "2007-05-22T15:34:19Z")
I don’t think so - I still swoon over him in Ladyhawke, as speaks cbawlmer. I mean, the guy was hot, and very well built from the waist down. Not that we saw man-bits, but he sure does have nice legs. It’s possible the director thought it would be _gasp_ distracting. I am all for more nudity in films but I do approve when a director doesn’t just throw it in for the sake of it. Huh. I’m going to go watch LadyHawke again. I’ll be in mah bunk. ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2007, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rutger-hauer-question/405081/4 "2007-05-22T15:46:25Z")
I’ve seen _Ladyhawke_ but it’s been a while. I seem to recall not being distracted by anything unusual in his lower body in that picture. But think of all the roles where he wears a long coat or else doesn’t let his hips be seen. I guess the role I first noticed this in may have been [Blind Fury (1989)](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0096945/) where the coat seemed out of place. After that (or whatever other role it may have been) I began paying attention to how he rarely lets his legs show. It reminds me of Radar in M_A_S\*H and Joseph Stalin, to name a couple of folks who kept their physical deformities out of sight. Maybe it’s just me and the weird things I notice – or think I do. ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2007, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rutger-hauer-question/405081/5 "2007-05-22T15:58:07Z")
[QUOTE=Zeldar] It reminds me of Radar in M_A_S\*H and Joseph Stalin, to name a couple of folks who kept their physical deformities out of sight. [/QUOTE] You think of those two but you don’t think of FDR? I mean, he kept his polio hidden amazingly well. As for Rutger, I’m not sure why. 'Tis a pity. I hate John Claude Van Damme and yet he must show his ass in every flick (not that I’ve seen many of them, but I know plenty of people who swoon over his ass). ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2007, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rutger-hauer-question/405081/6 "2007-05-22T16:15:10Z")
[QUOTE=Anaamika] You think of those two but you don’t think of FDR? I mean, he kept his polio hidden amazingly well. As for Rutger, I’m not sure why. 'Tis a pity. I hate John Claude Van Damme and yet he must show his ass in every flick (not that I’ve seen many of them, but I know plenty of people who swoon over his ass). [/QUOTE] Yes, FDR did a good job of downplaying his physical limitations, and I didn’t so much forget him as point out those whose limitations were easier to conceal. This has made me wonder if other celebrities have aspects of their appearance that they favor for the camera. I seem to recall that Mariah Carey won’t let photos be taken of one side of her face – I don’t recall which side. Can you think of people who never show some part(s) of their body? Wouldn’t it be odd if somebody never let pictures be taken of the back of their head? Like maybe it’s missing or something… ---
**Author:** ![kidchameleon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/898d66/32.png) [@kidchameleon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kidchameleon)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2007, 4:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rutger-hauer-question/405081/7 "2007-05-22T16:47:51Z")
[QUOTE=Zeldar] Can you think of people who never show some part(s) of their body? Wouldn’t it be odd if somebody never let pictures be taken of the back of their head? Like maybe it’s missing or something… [/QUOTE] James ‘Scotty’ Doohan always hid his missing finger. ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2007, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rutger-hauer-question/405081/8 "2007-05-22T17:19:27Z")
Hauer had several scenes wearing nothing but a codpiece in Verhoeven’s\* Flesh + Blood\*. He seemed fine to me, although I confess most of my attention was taken by a very naked Jennifer Jason Leigh. ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2007, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rutger-hauer-question/405081/9 "2007-05-22T17:30:20Z")
[QUOTE=Alessan] Hauer had several scenes wearing nothing but a codpiece in Verhoeven’s\* Flesh + Blood\*. He seemed fine to me, although I confess most of my attention was taken by a very naked Jennifer Jason Leigh. [/QUOTE] This was on (may still be) the On Demand movie list and I even started to watch it again after at least 10 years, but after the first few minutes decided to let it slide. I could have fast-forwarded up to some point where he was not wearing a long coat or whatever, but wasn’t thinking about the thread’s issue at the time. I tried to locate a picture of Hauer by way of Yahoo! Image Search that had more than a face shot, but the only ones that come up where there’s any chance of seeing his lower half, he’s either in some peculiar pose or covered with some garment. I seem to remember a “human prey” type of movie not too long ago, maybe [Surviving the Game (1994),](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0111323/) where he had the coat thing going. ---
**Author:** ![Scumpup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce73a5/32.png) [@Scumpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scumpup)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2007, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rutger-hauer-question/405081/10 "2007-05-22T17:32:21Z")
The “coat thing” was common in action movies made in the 90’s. It was a form of visual shorthand for “cool guy.” Heroes and cool villains both wore the long coats. ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2007, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rutger-hauer-question/405081/11 "2007-05-22T17:50:14Z")
[QUOTE=Scumpup] The “coat thing” was common in action movies made in the 90’s. It was a form of visual shorthand for “cool guy.” Heroes and cool villains both wore the long coats. [/QUOTE] Yeah, like in _Pale Rider_ (1985) when all of John Russell’s toughs had slickers. Or even [The Long Riders (1980)](http://www.imdb.com/gallery/mptv/1084/Mptv/1084/6749_0001.jpg?path=gallery&path_key=0081071) where almost all of them are in long coats. It’s just that Hauer’s coats seemed (in several movies anyway) to be out of place or quite unseasonal. Enough so to call attention to the coat. ---
**Author:** ![Equipoise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/equipoise/32/151_2.png) [@Equipoise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Equipoise)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2007, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rutger-hauer-question/405081/12 "2007-05-22T19:54:30Z")
[QUOTE=Zeldar] It reminds me of Radar in M_A_S\*H and Joseph Stalin, to name a couple of folks who kept their physical deformities out of sight. [/QUOTE] What’s the deal with Radar and Stalin? ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2007, 8:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rutger-hauer-question/405081/13 "2007-05-22T20:03:57Z")
[QUOTE=Equipoise] What’s the deal with Radar and Stalin? [/QUOTE] Radar has a malformed hand and Stalin had one arm significantly shorter than the other. ---
**Author:** ![Morbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/morbo/32/389_2.png) [@Morbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morbo)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2007, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rutger-hauer-question/405081/14 "2007-05-22T20:09:08Z")
[QUOTE=Zeldar] Can you think of people who never show some part(s) of their body? Wouldn’t it be odd if somebody never let pictures be taken of the back of their head? Like maybe it’s missing or something… [/QUOTE] Shannen Doherty always makes an effort to have her head tilted slightly to one side, b/c if you look at her head-on her left eye is noticeably above her right. Check [this](http://shashachu.com/Shannen/index.html) out, but be forewarned, you’ll never be able to look at her again. (If that’s a bad thing for you). ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2007, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rutger-hauer-question/405081/15 "2007-05-22T20:22:31Z")
[QUOTE=Equipoise] What’s the deal with Radar and Stalin? [/QUOTE] For a little more on Radar, check the IMDB bio data on [Gary Burghoff](http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0121400/bio). ---
**Author:** ![BMax](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bmax/32/4267_2.png) [@BMax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BMax)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2007, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rutger-hauer-question/405081/16 "2007-05-22T20:36:27Z")
[QUOTE=Morbo] Shannen Doherty always makes an effort to have her head tilted slightly to one side, b/c if you look at her head-on her left eye is noticeably above her right. Check [this](http://shashachu.com/Shannen/index.html) out, but be forewarned, you’ll never be able to look at her again. (If that’s a bad thing for you). [/QUOTE] Yeah, Shannon’s eyes are a little skewed, she had a few personal problems when she was young & newly famous, and she shilled for the republicans in 1992, but I’d still do her. ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2007, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rutger-hauer-question/405081/17 "2007-05-22T20:59:53Z")
I blame _Highlander_ for the 80s-90s overcoat=b-movie badass trend, actually. ---
**Author:** ![BMax](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bmax/32/4267_2.png) [@BMax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BMax)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2007, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rutger-hauer-question/405081/18 "2007-05-22T21:02:45Z")
[QUOTE=MrDibble] I blame _Highlander_ for the 80s-90s overcoat=b-movie badass trend, actually. [/QUOTE] Good point, but just a couple years before that _Blade Runner_ had lots of long coats too. ---
**Author:** ![kidchameleon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/898d66/32.png) [@kidchameleon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kidchameleon)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2007, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rutger-hauer-question/405081/19 "2007-05-22T22:27:20Z")
[QUOTE=Equipoise] What’s the deal with Radar and Stalin? [/QUOTE] They were conjoined twins. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![SCSimmons](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e495f1/32.png) [@SCSimmons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SCSimmons)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2007, 10:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rutger-hauer-question/405081/20 "2007-05-22T22:41:26Z")
[QUOTE=Alessan] Hauer had several scenes wearing nothing but a codpiece in Verhoeven’s\* Flesh + Blood\*. He seemed fine to me, although I confess most of my attention was taken by a very naked Jennifer Jason Leigh. [/QUOTE] [Turkish Delight](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0070842/) has Rutger _sans_ codpiece, for those interested. If he’s deformed below the waist, that’s what was hiding it. :eek: I imagine he’s scared a lot of ladies. And possibly men. Or even small horses. 😉 [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rutger-hauer-question/405081.md?page=2)