Vastly underrated,Paul Walter Hauserhas steadily been a fantastic actor in a variety of interesting movies and television shows throughout his career. The American actor has had a number of roles over the course of two decades, which include parts inSuper Troopers 2,Beats,Cruella, andInside Out 2. His breakthrough came in theClint Eastwood-directed movie,Richard Jewell, showcasing the immense talents he has as an actor.
Hauser has had roles in a number of TV shows as well, includingKingdom,Netflix’s fantastic seriesCobra Kai, andBlack Bird, one of the best Apple TV shows of all time. With an undisclosed role inThe Fantastic Four: First Steps, it’s possible that Hauser’s career is about to get even bigger, after he has already built an incredibly impressive resume.
Late Night
Cast
A late-night talk show host suspects that she may soon be losing her long-running show. The film has been in development since 2016, when Paul Feig was originally going to direct. Nisha Ganatra signed on in 2017, and the cast rounded into shape during 2018.
Led by the charming pairing of Mindy Kaling and Emma Thompson,Late Nightfollows a popular TV host who decides to hire a new writer to keep from getting replaced.Late Nightis a solid dramedy that focuses on diversity behind the scenes of the television industry, as Mindy Kaling’s Molly Patel is at least partially hired by Emma Thompson’s Katherine Newbury due to the rest of the writer’s room being men. It is well-written and timely, never punching down on anyone while still effectively exploring its ideas to great effect.
Though it is a smaller role, Paul Walter Hauser still does good work as Eugene Mancuso, who is one of the writers for “Tonight with Katherine Newbury,” and was dubbed “One” by Katherine herself, which she uses in place of her group of writers' names.Paul Walter Hauser has done a great job at being charming throughout his career, and he does some solid work inLate Night.
Beats
Beats follows an agoraphobic hip-hop prodigy and a disgraced former music manager as they cross paths in Chicago’s South Side. Together, they confront personal challenges and seek redemption through music, forging an unlikely partnership that helps them face the demons of their pasts.
Beatsis an underrated, and often poignant coming-of-age film about August Monroe, a reclusive teenage music prodigy who forms an unlikely friendship with a struggling music producer named Romelo Reese, largely due to their mutual love of hip-hop. As they attempt to break into the music scene, their pasts are explored, leading to both of them growing immensely over the course of the film. A bit familiar in its adherence to the coming-of-age drama,Beatsrises above due to its outstanding cast.
Paul Walter Hauser’s performance as Terrence just goes to show how talented he is as an actor…
Paul Walter Hauser is one of the outstanding performances inBeats, even though it might not be the most substantial role of his career. He plays Terrence in the film, a famous music producer who was helped by Anthony Anderson’s Romelo Reese. Paul Walter Hauser’s performance as Terrence just goes to show how talented he is as an actor, ashe is able to portray a diverse range of characters to great effect.
It was reasonable to be weary of a prequel movie about the villain ofOne Hundred and One DalmatiansgivenDisney’s hit-or-miss track record with live-action remakes, butCruellawas a delightful surprise, with a fantastic central performance by Emma Stone. Beautiful production design and cinematography elevateCruellaeven more, making it one of the best live-action Disney movies in quite a long time. Its 1970s London punk rock setting was an inspired choice, making it feel fresh.
Cruella 2: Cast, Story & Everything We Know
Disney’s Cruella is the 101 Dalmatians' villainess origin story and it sets up a sequel. Here’s everything we know about Disney’s Cruella 2
Paul Walter Hauser plays Horace Badun inCruella, a thief and a henchman who grew up with the titular character after her adoptive mother’s death.His performance was largely inspired by Mr. Smee inHook, and the inspiration is apparent, with Hauser giving a strong performance in each scene he is in.
The Luckiest Man in America
An unemployed ice cream truck driver discovers a pattern that could make him rich on a popular 1980s game show. As he exploits the loophole, his winning streak draws the attention of suspicious network executives, leading to a tense showdown between one man’s determination and corporate scrutiny.
Telling the story of the 1984 Press Your Luck scandal and how contestant Michael Larson orchestrated it,The Luckiest Man in Americais a solid drama that features Paul Walter Hauser in the role of Larson. One of the most interesting stories to come out of American game show television,The Luckiest Man in Americaprovides a snapshot of the moment, while also being a tightly-wound thriller that never overstays its welcome. Add on to the fact that it has a superb cast, and it is an enjoyable film.
While the movie itself never really rises above being pretty good, Paul Walter Hauser is magnificent as Michael Larson, giving the character an interiority that reveals the complexities of his character as well as his idea to “cheat” the game. His performance captures the urgency of Larson and the brokenness inside of him. Paul Walter Hauser has always felt like an underrated actor despite his immense talent, and his performance inThe Luckiest Man in Americacontinues to prove it.
The Afterpartyis a delightful comedic murder mystery anthology series, with the first season taking place at a high school reunion after-party, and each episode showing a different character’s perspective on what happened. Season 2 follows the same formula, but takes place the day after a wedding. Featuring an extensive list of guest actors, and its ability to blend genres,The Afterpartyis a highly entertaining series.
Paul Walter Hauser joins the cast inThe Afterpartyseason 2, playing Travis Gladrise, the ex-boyfriend of Poppy Liu’s Grace Zhu, and a citizen detective, doing some online sleuthing prior to going to Grace’s wedding.He tells his perspective in the style of crime noir drama, and Hauser does a fantastic job with that task. He is great throughout the entire season, never getting lost among the strong cast of actors around him.
Kingdom
Kingdom is a sports drama series starring Frank Grillo. Grillo plays Alvey Kulina, a retired MMA fighter who is struggling to keep his gym open and his family together. The series also starred Kiele Sanchez, Matt Lauria, Jonathan Tucker, Nick Jonas, Joanna Going, Paul Waler Hauser, and Juliette Jackson.
Starring Frank Grillo, Kiele Sanchez, Jonathan Tucker, and surprisingly, Nick Jonas,Kingdomis a great drama series about Alvey Kulina (Grillo), a retired MMA fighter who now runs a gym where he helps train fighters, including his sons.Kingdomis often more concerned with what goes on outside the gym, making it a solid drama, with fully realized characters that are compelling to watch, especially Alvey.
While not a main character, Paul Walter Hauser plays a significant role in the series as Keith, a former halfway house roommate and friend to Matt Lauria’s Ryan Wheeler, who then invites Ryan to live with him at his home.Keith is often emotional and prone to disturbing outbursts, making him a compelling, complex character to watch onscreen, and Hauser does an incredible job with that aspect of the character.
Americana
Americana is a film set in a small South Dakota town where a rare Lakota Ghost Shirt enters the black market, leading to the violent intertwining of the lives of local outsiders and outcasts.
Led by Sidney Sweeney and Paul Walter Hauser,Americanais a stellar Western dramedy that revolves around the lives of both locals and outsiders in a small South Dakota town, and how they violently intertwine following a rare artifact appearing on the black market. Americana is a satisfying mixture of charming and gritty that has enough well-placed humor in between the moments of tension throughout. Of course, the acting is phenomenal by everyone involved, especially from the film’s two leads.
Alongside Sidney Sweeney as Penny Jo Poplin, Paul Walter Hauser is incredible as Lefty Ledbetter, who is planning to propose to his girlfriend after only two weeks of dating and asks Penny for help while he is reciting it. After they hear about a plot to steal a Lakota ghost shirt, the two of them attempt to steal the shirt first and keep the money for themselves.The chemistry between Sidney Sweeney and Paul Walter Hauser is immensely fun throughoutAmericana.
Cobra Kai
Cobra Kai is a sequel series continuing the narrative of the Karate Kid saga, set 30 years after the 1984 All Valley Karate Tournament. It focuses on Johnny Lawrence seeking redemption by reopening the Cobra Kai dojo, reigniting his rivalry with Daniel LaRusso, who strives to maintain balance in his life.
Starting off as a YouTube Red original series before becoming a Netflix show,Cobra Kaisurprised everyone with how great it actually was, following Johnny Lawrence decades after his fall from grace to Daniel LaRusso at the All-Valley Karate Championships. Leaning into earnestness,Cobra Kaiis a surprisingly emotional love letter to theKarate Kidfranchise, while also taking it in an incredible new direction, running for six fantastic seasons in the process.
Cobra Kaiis a surprisingly emotional love-letter to theKarate Kidfranchise.
Paul Walter Hauser plays Raymond “Stingray” Porter in a recurring role inCobra Kai. Stingray is an immature man-child who took an interest in karate, hoping to be trained at the Cobra Kai Dojo to escape the responsibilities of adulthood.Hauser’s performance as Stingray is often quite humorous, but he can easily dig deeper into who the character is sometimes, elevating Stingray to an even greater degree.
Directed by Craig Gillespie (Cruella),I, Tonyais a fascinating look at American figure skater Tonya Harding and her connection to rival skater Nancy Kerrigan’s assault prior to the 1994 Winter Olympics.I, Tonyafeatures a tour-de-force performance by Margot Robbie as Harding. The movie often finds humor in the situation, while also exploring the darker aspects of the real-life story, making it quite poignant by the end of the film.
Paul Walter Hauser has the minor role of Shawn Eckhardt in the movie, Harding’s bodyguard and friend of Sebastian Stan’s Jeff Gillooly, Tonya’s boyfriend and future ex-husband. Hauser makes the most of his screen time, as Shawn is instructed by Jeff to send death threats to Tonya’s rival but ends up hiring two crooks to injure her instead.Hauser’s chemistry with Stan is one of the highlights of his performance.
Inside Out 2
Inside Out 2 is the sequel to the 2015 original film, which starred a young girl named Riley with a head full of emotions. - literally. With Amy Pohler as Joy, Bill Hader as fear, Mindy Kaling as Disgust, Phyllis Smith as Sadness, and Lewis Black as Anger, the all-star cast brought to life the emotions that adolescents face as they grow, change, and adapt to new situations. This sequel, currently in development, will bring Amy Pohler back as Joy, with Riley, now a teenager.
Having to follow up one of Pixar’s best films of the past decade is no easy task, butInside Out 2did an admirable job, becoming the highest-grossing animated movieof all time (for a short while, at least). Outside its financial success, it is also very good, following Riley’s time at an ice hockey camp right before she starts her freshman year of high school.Inside Out 2successfully introduces several new emotions that take center stage in Riley’s mind, leading to the humor and gut-punching emotion the franchise is known for.
Paul Walter Hauser has the job of voicing Embarrassment inInside Out 2, one of the new emotions that joins the crew as Riley begins to experience more complex emotions. He doesn’t have many lines of dialogue for most of the movie, but Hauser is fantastic in the role,which often asks him to make various noises to express the embarrassment the character is feeling. When he does talk, it’s a major surprise, but a sweet development for the character.
