Paul Walter Hauser (born October 15, 1986) is an American actor. He played supporting roles in the films Demoted (2011), Super Troopers 2 (2018), Beats (2019), Adam (2020), Cruella (2021), Old Dads (2023), and Inside Out 2 (2024). In 2019, Hauser had his breakout performance as the title character in Clint Eastwood's drama film Richard Jewell. Hauser starred as murderer Larry Hall in the 2022 miniseries Black Bird, for which he won a Golden Globe Award and a Primetime Emmy Award.

Paul Walter Hauser
Hauser in 2021
Born (1986-10-15) October 15, 1986 (age 38)
OccupationActor
Years active2005–present
Spouse
Amy Elizabeth Boland
(m. 2020)
Children2

Life and career

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Hauser was born on October 15, 1986 in Grand Rapids, Michigan, and raised in Saginaw, Michigan. His parents are Deborah and The Rev. Paul Hauser, a Lutheran minister.[1][2] He attended Valley Lutheran High School, a private parochial school in Saginaw.[2] He attended Concordia University Chicago before dropping out to pursue a career in the entertainment industry.[3]

Acting

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Hauser portrayed Shawn Eckhardt in the 2017 film I, Tonya, Dale in the 2010 film Virginia, and Keith in the television series Kingdom. Hauser was initially cast as an extra for Virginia as his acting debut, and complimented director Dustin Lance Black for his speech after winning the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay in 2009 for Milk (2008); this led to Black writing him a larger role in the movie.[4]

He had the recurring role of Deshawn in the Amazon web series Betas, and in 2018 appeared as Lonnie Laloush in Super Troopers 2 and as Ivanhoe in BlacKkKlansman.[5][6] He has also appeared as a guest star on the television series Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, The Night Shift, Superstore, Key & Peele, It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, Community, Blunt Talk, I Think You Should Leave, Bupkis, and Cobra Kai. In 2019, he starred in Clint Eastwood's Richard Jewell, portraying the title role, Richard Jewell, the real life security guard who spotted the bomb at the Centennial Olympic Park bombing.[7] In 2020, he starred in Songbird, a film based on the COVID-19 pandemic.

In 2021, Hauser played Horace Badun in the crime comedy-drama Cruella, a Disney live-action prequel/spin-off of One Hundred and One Dalmatians.[8]

Hauser also stars as Raymond Porter, better known by his nickname Stingray, in Cobra Kai. He plays a recurring character in Season 2, and a major anti-hero in Seasons 4 & 5.[9]

Although known for his comedic turns, Hauser gained broad recognition and critical praise for his portrayal of the serial killer Larry Hall in the 2022 Apple TV+ true crime miniseries Black Bird, adapted from James Keene's memoir In with the Devil. Critic Nick Schager wrote of Hauser's performance, "even in a sea of maniacal villains, his Larry Hall stands out as a uniquely cunning madman, so unpredictable and unnerving as to be downright unforgettable."[10]

In 2024, he voiced a lead role in the DreamWorks Animation film Orion and the Dark and the role of Embarrassment in the Pixar film Inside Out 2.

In 2024, Hauser became attached to the true-crime drama Fruitcake alongside Jennifer Garner;[11] the lead role in a bio-pic about actor-comedian Chris Farley;[12] a reboot of The Naked Gun franchise;[13] the Marvel Cinematic Universe film The Fantastic Four: First Steps (2025);[14] a biographical film about Bruce Springsteen titled Deliver Me from Nowhere, in the role of guitar tech Mike Batlan;[15] and the comedy Balls Up alongside Mark Wahlberg.[16] An upcoming film of his is The Luckiest Man in America, in which he plays Michael Larson, a contestant accused of cheating on the game show Press Your Luck in 1984.[17]

Other work

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In 2022, Hauser debuted as a rapper under the moniker Signet Ringer. He released his first extended play, Murder for Higher, on July 8, 2022.[18]

As a professional wrestler, he is signed to Major League Wrestling (MLW) and also makes sporadic appearances on the independent circuit.[19][20][21][22][23]

Personal life

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He married Amy Elizabeth Boland on July 23, 2020, in Los Angeles, California. Hauser and Boland have a son, Harris Boland Hauser, who was born on April 21, 2021, in Thomasville, Georgia.[24] Their son was in his first movie, Bandit, when he was just 5 weeks old. On January 11, 2023, during his Golden Globes acceptance speech, he announced he and his wife were expecting their second son. Their son Jonah Maverick Hauser was born on April 1, 2023, at Cedars-Sinai in Los Angeles, California.

Hauser is a Christian.[4][25] He and his wife Amy were featured in a video series for online Christian multimedia movement I Am Second.[25]

Filmography

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Film

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Year Title Role Notes
2010 Virginia Dale
2011 Demoted Bothered Salesman Uncredited[citation needed]
2013 iSteve Pastey Jones
2017 Locked Away DJ #1 [citation needed]
I, Tonya Shawn Eckhardt
Kiss Me When I’m Down Robert Short film[citation needed]
2018 Super Troopers 2 Lonnie Laloush
BlacKkKlansman Ivanhoe
2019 Late Night Eugene Mancuso
Beats Terrence
Richard Jewell Richard Jewell
2020 Adam Trent
Da 5 Bloods Simon
Eat Wheaties! James Fisk
Songbird Michael Dozer
2021 Silk Road Curtis Clark Green
Cruella Horace Badun
Queenpins Ken Miller
2022 Delia's Gone Bo
Aqua Teen Forever: Plantasm Elmer (voice)
2023 Americana Lefty Ledbetter
Old Dads Tracy
2024 Orion and the Dark The Dark (voice)
Inside Out 2 Embarrassment (voice)
The Instigators Booch
The Luckiest Man in America Michael Larson Also executive producer
2025 The Naked Gun Capt. Ed Hocken Post-production
The Fantastic Four: First Steps TBA Filming
Deliver Me from Nowhere Mike Batlan Filming
TBA Balls Up TBA Filming

Television

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Year Title Role Notes
2005 Too Late with Adam Carolla Various roles (voice) 2 episodes
2010 Community Student #3 Episode: "Messianic Myths and Ancient Peoples"
It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia Richie Episode: "Dee Reynolds: Shaping America's Youth"
2013 Key & Peele Various roles 2 episodes
2013–2014 Betas Dashawn 4 episodes
2014–2017 Kingdom Keith 27 episodes
2015 The Night Shift Oren Edwards Episode: "Ghosts"
Blunt Talk Audience Member Episode: "Who Kisses So Early in the Morning?"
2017 Superstore Vince Episode: "Rebranding"
A Midsummer's Nightmare Nick Bottoms Television movie
2018–2019 Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt Tripp Knob 2 episodes
2018 No Apologies Daniel Cohen Pilot
2019–present Cobra Kai Raymond "Stingray" Porter Season 2, 4-6
2019 WWE Smackdown Himself December 27, 2019 episode
2020 Reno 911! Jeffy Renee Chisholm 6 episodes
2021 Calls Floyd (voice) Episode: "Me, Myself & Darlene"
I Think You Should Leave with Tim Robinson Scott Episode: "Everyone just needs to be more in the moment."
2022 Black Bird Larry Hall Main role; Miniseries
2023 AEW Dynamite Himself January 11, 2023 episode
AEW Rampage January 13, 2023 episode
The Afterparty Travis Gladrise Main role (Season 2)
Bupkis Hauser Episode: "Show Me the Way"
2025 The Chosen Adventures Sheep

Accolades

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Organizations[a] Year[b] Category Work Result Ref.
Astra Film Awards 2020 Game Changer Award Richard Jewell Won [26]
Breakthrough Performance Actor Nominated
Astra Midseason Film Awards 2021 Best Supporting Actor Cruella Nominated [27]
Astra TV Awards 2024 Best Supporting Actor in a Limited Series or Streaming Movie Black Bird Won [28]
Critics' Choice Television Awards 2023 Best Supporting Actor in a Movie/Miniseries Won [29]
Detroit Film Critics Society 2019 Breakthrough Performance Richard Jewell / Late Night / Beats / 7 Days to Vegas Nominated [30]
Garden State Film Festival 2021 Best Ensemble (Feature) 7 Days to Vegas Won [31]
Golden Globe Awards 2023 Best Supporting Actor – Limited or Anthology Series or Television Motion Picture Black Bird Won [32]
Indiana Film Journalists Association 2019 Best Actor Richard Jewell Nominated [33]
National Board of Review 2019 Breakthrough Performance Won [34]
Primetime Emmy Awards 2024 Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie Black Bird Won [35]
Screen Actors Guild Awards 2021 Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture Da 5 Bloods Nominated [36]
2023 Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Television Movie or Limited Series Black Bird Nominated [37]
Women Film Critics Circle 2019 Best Actor Richard Jewell Nominated [38]

Notes

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  1. ^ Awards, festivals, honors and other miscellaneous organizations are listed in alphabetical order.
  2. ^ Indicates the year of ceremony.

References

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  1. ^ "Ordination – Peace Saginaw".
  2. ^ a b Simpson-Mersha, Isis (January 17, 2018). "Saginaw man starring in I, Tonya 'took every opportunity until it happened'". Mlive.com.
  3. ^ Sneider, Jeff (December 15, 2017). "Up-and-Comer of the Month: Paul Walter Hauser On His Scene-Stealing Turn in "I, Tonya" and Working With Margot Robbie". The Tracking Board. Retrieved May 5, 2024.
  4. ^ a b Utichi, Joe (December 19, 2019). "Paul Walter Hauser's Journey To 'Richard Jewell': "Most Overnight Successes Take About 10 Years"". Deadline. Retrieved February 5, 2024.
  5. ^ Ciampaglia, Dante A. (January 17, 2018). "Who Is Shawn Eckardt? Paul Walter Hauser Steals Every Scene As Harding's Bodyguard In I, Tonya". Newsweek.
  6. ^ Alexander, Bryan (March 7, 2018). "I, Tonya love is overdue for Paul Walter Hauser as grandiose bodyguard Shawn Eckardt". USA Today.
  7. ^ Kit, Borys (June 12, 2019). "Clint Eastwood Casts BlacKkKlansman Actor as Lead in Richard Jewell Movie". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved June 12, 2019.
  8. ^ Kroll, Justin (July 29, 2019). "Richard Jewell Star Paul Walter Hauser Joins Disney's Live-Action Cruella". Variety. Retrieved August 1, 2019.
  9. ^ "Cobra Kai (TV Series 2018–2023) - IMDb". IMDb.
  10. ^ Schager, Nick (July 28, 2022). "Paul Walter Hauser Is Giving the Best Performance on TV Right Now". The Daily Beast. Retrieved August 7, 2022.
  11. ^ Wiseman, Andreas (March 13, 2024). "Jennifer Garner & Paul Walter Hauser To Star In True-Crime Movie Fruitcake; Max Winkler Directing Black List Script". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved June 21, 2024.
  12. ^ Kroll, Justin (April 30, 2024). "New Line Officially Lands Chris Farley Biopic Package With Paul Walter Hauser Starring And Josh Gad Directing". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved June 21, 2024.
  13. ^ Grobar, Matt (May 1, 2024). "Paul Walter Hauser Joins Paramount's New Naked Gun Movie". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved June 21, 2024.
  14. ^ Grobar, Matt (May 2, 2024). "Paul Walter Hauser Joins Marvel's Fantastic Four". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved June 21, 2024.
  15. ^ Kroll, Justin (June 10, 2024). "Bruce Springsteen Pic Deliver Me From Nowhere Adds Paul Walter Hauser To Ensemble Cast". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved June 21, 2024.
  16. ^ Grobar, Matt (June 20, 2024). "Mark Wahlberg & Paul Walter Hauser To Star In Amazon MGM Action Comedy Balls Up From Peter Farrelly". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved June 21, 2024.
  17. ^ Whittock, Jesse (May 9, 2024). "Paul Walter Hauser Starring In Game Show Drama Press Your Luck; Walton Goggins, Maisie Williams & More Join Ensemble Cast". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved June 21, 2024.
  18. ^ Irvin, Jack (July 8, 2022). "Paul Walter Hauser on How God Led Him to Create New EP 'Murder for Higher' as Alter Ego Signet Ringer". People. Retrieved February 5, 2024.
  19. ^ "Paul Walter Hauser: MLW Profile". MLW.com. Retrieved August 10, 2024.
  20. ^ Roy, Bishal (June 28, 2024). "Paul Walter Hauser 'Excited' After Being Added To MLW Roster". SEScoops.
  21. ^ Staszewski, Joseph (April 3, 2024). "Inside Paul Walter Hauser's head-first dive into pro wrestling that includes date with 'Death Machine'". NYpost.com.
  22. ^ Rose, Bryan (November 6, 2023). "Actor Paul Walter Hauser to make in-ring debut at Wrestling Revolver event". Wrestling Observer Figure Four Online.
  23. ^ Kreikenbohm, Philip. "Paul Walter Hauser: Matches". Cagematch.net. Retrieved August 10, 2024.
  24. ^ "Paul Walter Hauser". TV Guide. Retrieved August 7, 2022.
  25. ^ a b Seidl, Jonathon M. (January 11, 2024). "How Actor Paul Hauser Wasn't Too Far Gone for God". I Am Second. Retrieved February 5, 2024.
  26. ^ "The 3rd Annual Hollywood Critics Association Awards Nominations". Hollywood Creative Alliance. November 25, 2019. Archived from the original on January 16, 2024. Retrieved January 16, 2024.
    Variety Staff (January 9, 2020). "1917 Wins Best Picture at 3rd Annual Hollywood Critics Association Awards". Variety. Archived from the original on January 16, 2024. Retrieved January 16, 2024.
  27. ^ Neglia, Matt (July 1, 2021). "The 2021 Hollywood Critics Association (HCA) Midseason Awards Winners". Next Best Picture. Archived from the original on January 16, 2024. Retrieved January 16, 2024.
  28. ^ Schneider, Michael (January 8, 2024). "The Boys, Succession Land Most Honors at Astra TV Awards — Full Winners List". Variety. Archived from the original on January 16, 2024. Retrieved January 16, 2024.
  29. ^ Huff, Lauren (January 15, 2023). "Critics Choice Awards 2023: The full winners list". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on January 16, 2024. Retrieved January 16, 2024.
  30. ^ Gonzalez, John (December 9, 2019). "Detroit Film Critics Society names Parasite, Marriage Story, The Irishman as top films in 2019". MLive Media Group. Archived from the original on January 16, 2024. Retrieved January 16, 2024.
  31. ^ AwardsWatch (April 9, 2021). "Garden State Film Festival Victory + Award Winners". Filmfestivals.com. Archived from the original on January 16, 2024. Retrieved January 16, 2024.
    "The Garden State Film Festival 2021 Winners" (PDF). Garden State Film Festival. Archived (PDF) from the original on January 16, 2024. Retrieved January 16, 2024.
  32. ^ Nordyke, Kimberly (January 10, 2023). "Golden Globes: Full List of Winners". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on January 16, 2024. Retrieved January 16, 2024.
  33. ^ Neglia, Matt (December 11, 2019). "The 2019 Indiana Film Journalists Association (IFJA) Nominations". Next Best Picture. Archived from the original on January 16, 2024. Retrieved January 16, 2024.
    Anderson, Erik (December 15, 2019). "Indiana Film Journalists Association name Marriage Story Best Film". AwardsWatch. Archived from the original on January 16, 2024. Retrieved January 16, 2024.
  34. ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony (December 3, 2019). "The Irishman Named Best Film By National Board Of Review, Quentin Tarantino Wins Best Director". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on January 16, 2024. Retrieved January 16, 2024.
  35. ^ Phillips, Jevon; Braxton, Greg (January 15, 2024). "2023 Emmy Awards: The list of winners". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on January 16, 2024. Retrieved January 16, 2024.
  36. ^ Zhan, Jennifer (April 4, 2021). "Viola Davis, Daniel Kaluuya, The Crown Win Big at This Year's 2021 SAG Awards". Vulture. Archived from the original on January 16, 2024. Retrieved January 16, 2024.
  37. ^ Delbyck, Cole (February 27, 2023). "Here Are All the Winners of the 2023 SAG Awards". Netflix. Archived from the original on January 16, 2024. Retrieved January 16, 2024.
  38. ^ Neglia, Matt (December 9, 2019). "The 2019 Women Film Critics Circle (WFCC) Winners". Next Best Picture. Archived from the original on January 16, 2024. Retrieved January 16, 2024.
    Butler, Karen (December 9, 2019). "Women Film Critics Circle hails Harriet, Portrait as best films of 2019". United Press International. Archived from the original on April 25, 2022. Retrieved January 16, 2024.
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