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Paul Walter Hauser: The summer of a rising star
A summer of transformation and triumph
Despite a tumultuous Paramount-Skydance merger, some box office blunders, and a painful presidential debate, the summer of 2024 may go down as the summer of Paul Walter Hauser. Hauser, who began his career as a journeyman actor, has now become one of the fastest-rising stars in the business. His journey from supporting roles to leading man is a testament to his talent and dedication.
From supporting roles to leading man
Hauser’s early career saw him playing supporting roles in popular films such as “Cruella,” “I, Tonya,” “BlacKkKlansman,” and “Da 5 Bloods.” In 2019, he landed his first major leading role in Clint Eastwood’s drama ”Richard Jewell,” and four years later, Hauser scored an Emmy and a Golden Globe for his performance as Larry Hall in the Apple TV+ series ”Blackbird.”
A flurry of projects
Starting in March 2024, a flurry of projects starring Hauser were unveiled. In a matter of weeks, it was announced that Hauser would star in Marvel’s “Fantastic Four,” an untitled Chris Farley biopic, a “Naked Gun” reboot, “Press Your Luck,” the Mark Wahlberg action-comedy “Balls Up,” and the Bruce Springsteen biopic “Deliver Me From Nowhere.” He also voiced Embarrassment in “Inside Out 2,” which recently passed “Incredibles 2” as the highest-grossing Pixar film of all time. Although they were “not planned in any capacity” by Hauser or his representatives, the rapid-fire reveal of projects made him one of the fastest-rising stars in the business.
A dedicated family man and emerging professional wrestler
Outside of acting, Hauser is a dedicated family man and an emerging professional wrestler. He made his debut on June 1 in Major League Wrestling’s 40-man royal rumble. He will step into the ring once again on July 12 at the MLW Blood and Thunder event, which will stream live on the MLW YouTube Channel.
In celebration of “Hauser Summer,” the actor sat down with Variety to discuss preparing for his upcoming roles, the benefits of sobriety, and working out with Mark Wahlberg.
The through line between roles
When asked about the through line between the roles he takes, Hauser said, “The through line is probably noticeable flaws. If I’m playing someone who doesn’t have any noticeable flaws, or if I’m offered that rather, I’m disinterested. In real life, I like flawed people. I don’t want friends who make me self-conscious about my imperfections because they act and feel perfect. I think that’s probably the real through line, but at the same time, the consistent thing that makes me say, ‘Yes, I’m doing this role,’ is if I think I can do it. Am I going to have fun doing this and do I think I can do it well?”
Humanity in flawed characters
With his characters, especially in “Richard Jewell,” there is always that level of humanity. They can be very flawed, but they have that light that makes you root for them. Hauser said, “I’m glad that’s the case because that’s how I feel about people. I don’t like Donald Trump as a person whatsoever, but I also know that he was born a baby. You know what I mean? Something happens to all these flawed people, however monstrous. They all start as little infants who inherit an imperfect world, right? It’s good to take note of that at least.”
Preparing for upcoming roles
Hauser is excited about his upcoming film “Deliver Me From Nowhere” and collaborating with Scott Cooper. He said, “I have not dipped my toes into that yet because before I do that, I’ll be doing this film with Mark Wahlberg called ‘Balls Up,’ and then after that, I’ll be doing ‘Fantastic Four’ for Marvel. So I’m mostly focused on those two right now. But once I start wrapping ‘Balls Up’ in late summer, that’s when I’m going to get heavy into Batlan and dive into that.”
Playing Chris Farley
Hauser has been practicing to play Chris Farley his entire life. He said, ”I’m not worried about playing Chris because I know I’m going to approach it with a lot of love and effort. At the end of the day, all you can do is work hard and try your best to love the character and the project as much as possible. To me, that doesn’t seem like much of a hurdle with Chris. I adore him. I want to honor him. I want people to leave the theater, having laughed and cried together.”
Pre-production for “Fantastic Four”
Pre-production for “Fantastic Four” has involved reading comic books and the screenplay. Hauser said, “A lot of it is assessing where I fit into that story and how to best utilize my time in it. You don’t want to make choices or do things that are redundant in a film. It’s important to know what the film is and what everyone’s jobs are so that you’re bringing your own unique take to something.”
Bonding with co-stars
Hauser has bonded with his co-stars in various ways. He has worked out with Mark Wahlberg a couple of times in his house, which he described as a bonding experience. He has also met Jeremy Allen White and Ebon Moss-Bachrach, who are in “Deliver Me from Nowhere” and ”Fantastic Four.” Hauser said, “They’re both humble, cool, well-rounded people from what I’ve experienced when I run into them at award shows or functions. I’m very much looking forward to spending time with them and getting to know them.”
The benefits of sobriety
Hauser said that “Blackbird” changed his life by helping him get sober and realign his priorities. He said, “I don’t think I changed so much as some of the people around me changed. A lot of people are hitting me up with passion projects they want to attach me to. People are hitting me up that I’m friendly with but barely know. That becomes a pretty aggressive thing. You have to lovingly tell the truth to those people, and say, ‘This actually sounds pretty decent, I just don’t have the capacity right now. I’m committed to these five other things, including my family and happiness.'”
Advice for those struggling with sobriety
Hauser offered advice to others in Hollywood who are struggling with sobriety. He said, “You’re not alone. There are more sober people in Hollywood than you’d think. People are struggling with all different forms of stuff, whether it be gambling, trauma from childhood, sex addiction, or drugs and alcohol. I think rather than us all showing up and smiling in each other’s faces and patting each other on the back at these functions, it would make a lot more sense to go cozy up in a corner and have everybody talk about what they’re going through and love each other in a more real way.”
A new career as a professional wrestler
Hauser recently started his career as a professional wrestler. In June, he took part in a 40-man royal rumble where he knocked out UFC alumnus Tom Lawlor. Hauser said, “You have to know when to stay out of the way, that’s for sure. You can get dinged really easily, or screw somebody else up and ding them accidentally, so a lot of it was staying out of the way. I always stretch a lot before a match so I can kick over my head and whatnot. And then I take some pre-workout and psych myself up by reminding myself that you’re getting to live your dream.”
Getting in wrestling shape
Hauser has been doing a lot of weight machines and working on building his back, shoulders, and arms to get in wrestling shape. He said, “That’s important to me because I want to be able to lift people over my head. So that’s what I was talking about there. Will I have a six-pack abdomen? No, I don’t know if that’s coming. But the body does need to follow. I plan to hit 230 pounds to play the roles in ‘Fantastic Four’ and ‘Deliver Me from Nowhere.’ And then I’ll shoot back up to about 250 for Chris Farley.”
Future roles
Hauser has played several characters based on real people and has his eye on other figures from history or pop culture. He said, ”It’d be fun to play a guy like Rick Rubin. It’d be fun to play Teddy Roosevelt. It would be fun to play Mick Foley, the wrestler. I would love to play a boxer. If somebody wanted me to play a boxer, I would take that very seriously and undergo rigorous psychotic training for it. I’m buddies with guys like Mark Wahlberg who have cell phones filled with boxing trainers and specialists. So I would employ those types of people and get into fighting shape. I would love to play a gangster in a crime film. Anything interesting and entertaining that can reveal some poignant truth.”
Reflecting on the journey
As Paul Walter Hauser continues to rise in the entertainment industry, his journey is a testament to the power of dedication, talent, and resilience. His ability to embody flawed yet human characters, his commitment to his craft, and his willingness to be vulnerable and honest about his struggles make him a compelling figure both on and off the screen. The summer of 2024 may indeed be remembered as the summer of Paul Walter Hauser, but it is clear that his journey is far from over.
