The iconic 1987 role Rutger Hauer wanted nothing to do with: “I didn’t see that happening”
Rutger Hauer turned down the lead role in the 1987 science-fiction film *RoboCop*, despite his earlier success in *Blade Runner* and his close working relationship with director Paul Verhoeven. Their creative disputes during the making of *Flesh and Blood* contributed to a difficult period between them, while Hauer also said he did not see himself in the cyborg law-enforcer role.
Peter Weller played RoboCop, whose largely concealed face meant the part relied heavily on the character’s design and concept. Hauer later declined another Verhoeven offer, for *Black Book*, because he found the material boring; the pair eventually repaired their relationship and spoke of working together again, but never did before Hauer’s death in 2019.
In short
- Hauer declined the lead in Verhoeven’s 1987 *RoboCop*.
- Peter Weller took the role.
- Creative differences had strained their partnership.
Explained simply
Rutger Hauer was a Dutch actor whose role as the replicant Roy Batty in the 1982 science-fiction film Blade Runner made him widely known. He also worked with Dutch director Paul Verhoeven on several films, including Flesh and Blood, though disagreements during that production strained their relationship.
RoboCop, released in 1987, centres on a police officer rebuilt as a cyborg after being killed in a crime-ridden future city. Peter Weller played the title character, whose face is mostly hidden by armour, making the role depend heavily on its design and concept.
Hauer later turned down another role offered by Verhoeven, in the film Black Book, before the two men renewed their friendship. They discussed working together again but did not do so before Hauer died in 2019.