World AIDS Day and the Rutger Hauer Starfish Association

Has anyone here heard of the Rutger Hauer Starfish Association? It’s an interesting organization. It was founded back in 1998 by Rutger Hauer, the Dutch actor. For us Americans he is probably best known for playing the replicant, Roy Batty, in the “Blade Runner” (1982). He did “Ladyhawke” the next year, but since then he’s done few sci-fi roles.

He founded the Rutger Hauer Starfish Association after he saw the plague of AIDS on the Turk and Caico Islands (British) while on location filming in the Caribbean. The goal of the Starfish Association is to help children and pregnant women who have AIDS. It’s hands-on and Rutger Hauer does things himself for those victims. He also does his own fund raising.

For the last 10 weeks or so he’s been on location in Captetown, South Africa, playing a part in a movie, the Poseidon Adventure. (I guess it's a remake.) While there, on November 27, 2004, in fact, he organized an ANGELRIDE (his name for it) event at a local orphanage, where the kids got a day of food and games and 30 Hell’s Angels from the area gave the kids five-minute rides on their hogs.

Yesterday, thanks to him, Capetown flew 23 giant red AIDS ribbons on the big cranes in Capetown. It was quite a display for Capetown. They had never seen anything like it. It was quite a demonstration.

There’s a photograph of this on his web site: www.rutgerhauer.org. Go to the Guest book at the side bar. The photo is right there at the front of the Guest book.
He posts in the Guest book regularly and tells of his efforts with his Starfish Association.

It’s interesting to see an actor “give back,” do something so positive and put his money (time and effort) where his mouth is. No politics, either. Turns out that he’s just an interested, committed, compassionate man. Nice change of pace from Hollywood.

I'm a long-time fan of his work. He long ago slipped into B-movie, direct-to-video territory but he always seems to make the best of what he's given. I don't know his politics and would prefer not to but as hollywood do-gooders go I'd say he's in the Paul Newman category (i.e. he puts his money where his mouth is as opposed to making the odd charity appearance and lobbying legislatures to spend other people's money).

However I do think "starfish" is an unfortunate choice of words.

"I'm a long-time fan of his work."

I can't believe the article didn't mention "The Hitcher", a great flick.

3 posted on 12/02/2004 4:36:43 PM PST by Blzbba (Conservative Republican - Less gov't, less spending, less intrusion.)

By his own admission, Paul Newman puts his money in his sock. I frankly don't care what he does as a philanthropist, he's just as socialist and whacko as the other half of "Butch and Sundance"

On the other hand, I've been a big fan of Rutger Hauer since Blade Runner, and as you said I'd rather not know his politics either. He not only puts his money out there, he puts himself out there. There are few in Hollywierd who do the same. For real causes anyway, PETA doesn't count.

4 posted on 12/02/2004 4:44:44 PM PST by infidel29 (America is GREAT because she is GOOD, the moment she ceases to be GOOD, she ceases to be GREAT - B.F)

However I do think "starfish" is an unfortunate choice of words.

Why is that?

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