Rutger Hauer Will Join Ricky Gervais, Weird Al Yankovic On ABC’s ‘Galavant’
Rutger Hauer has joined the cast of ABC’s Galavant.
ABC’s new Fairytale comedy, Galavant is a mid-season musical from Dan Fogelman. Galavant is about a knight (Joshua Sasse) taking on the evil King Richard (Timothy Omundson) who stole the woman he loved.
Rutger Hauer will play Kingsley, King Richard’s older brother, who will threaten his little brother’s rule, (a position he feels he’s destined to have with the name Kingsley).
Rutger Hauer’s most prominent role of a Replicant in Ridley Scott’s breakthrough sci-fi film, Blade Runner, made the actor a top choice for Fogelman from the get-go.
Dan Fogelman told Deadline that he’s extremely excited to have Rutger Hauer on board.
“Myself and our producing director Chris Koch are the biggest Rutger fans of all time; Chris can practically recite ‘Blade Runner’ from memory. While the musical comedy aspect of our show makes it obviously pretty different from ‘Floris,’ there is something about merging the worlds — and a badass Rutger — that makes it pretty exciting.”
Rutger’s role of Kingsley on Galavant is described as a recurring role. Galavant’s other guest stars include John Stamos as a goateed knight, Hugh Bonneville as landlocked pirate Peter the Pillager, Ricky Gervais as a medieval magician named Xanax, and Weird Al Yankovic as a singing monk.
Dan Fogelman’s credits include the recent Seth Rogan film The Neighbors. Galavant will include original music from Disney movie duo Alan Menken and Glenn Slater, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
Rutger Hauer’s 45-year resume in film and television is most impressive. From his origins on the Dutch television show Floris in 1969, Hauer made his American debut in the Sylvester Stallone film Nighthawks in 1981 as a psychopathic and cold blooded terrorist named Wulfgar. In 1982, Hauer made his stellar mark as the Replicant in Blade Runner. He played a knight paired with Michelle Pfeiffer in 1985’s Ladyhawke.
Rutger Hauer went on to establish an AIDS awareness organization called the Rutger Hauer Starfish Association. The association’s mission statement says its is dedicated to providing help, attention, and care to children and pregnant women with HIV/AIDS, as well as educating communities about this disease. The reason it’s called the Starfish Association? The name comes from an ancient Indian saying, that may sound familiar.
“Give a man a fish and you will feed him for a day. Teach him how to fish and he will feed himself for a lifetime.”
Fans of True Blood may recognize Rutger Hauer for his recent role on that series as Niall Brigant.
Galavant is set to air on ABC this Fall.
[Image via The Victoria Advocate]
