Cole Hauser is one of those actors that you've been seeing for years, but maybe you didn't realize it was him. The actor, who's continuing to play fan-favorite Rip Wheeler on Yellowstone season 5 alongside Kevin Costner, has become incredibly popular throughout the show's four seasons. But he's no stranger to the silver screen -- his IMDB has been active since 1992.
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Cole Kenneth Hauser was born into Hollywood royalty when he was born in Santa Barbara, California in 1975. His maternal great-grandfather was Harry Warner. Yes, that's Warner of Warner Bros. His mother also owned a production company, and his father was an actor, so performing really was in his blood. Even his wife, Cynthia Daniel, was an actress when they first met -- so acting was very much in Hauser's blood.
Hauser has appeared in a variety of unique roles, from the classic racing flick 2 Fast 2 Furious to the Robin Williams vehicle Good Will Hunting. He even appeared in a video game alongside Vin Diesel, thanks to his appearance in the Pitch Black spinoff Riddick, the Xbox title The Chronicles of Riddick: Escape from Butcher Bay.
Hauser also appeared on a slew of various TV shows, including Chase, Rogue, K-Ville, High Incident and The Lizzie Borden Chronicles. He's let his versatility shine on the small screen as well, everything from a cowboy to a police officer to a villain and anything in between. But with so many fantastic roles under his belt, where do you start first with this actor's wide berth of genres and content styles? That's a good question. To get you started, here are some of our favorite films from Cole Hauser's lengthy filmography.
The Hi-Lo Country (1998)
IMDB/Working Title Films
Woody Harrelson and Billy Crudup play best friends who come home after World War II, and both fall for the same woman while dealing with complications from the local cattle baron played by Sam Elliott. Hauser plays Harrelson's younger brother, Little Boy Matson. Another strong drama film that Hauser appeared in was Like Dandelion Dust, which channeled many of the emotions that swelled up in this war-centric period film. Hauser dazzled in this role, despite it being one of his earliest.
Where to watch: DVD available for purchase on Amazon
Dazed and Confused (1993)
IMDB/Detour Filmproduction
Hauser appeared alongside Matthew McConaughey, Ben Affleck, Parker Posey, Joey Lauren Adams and more in the coming-of-age Texas classic. It's the last day of school in May 1976, and the movie follows a group of junior and high school students, including Hauser's Benny, a football player who looks to enforce Randall "Pink" Floyd's refusal to sign a pledge swearing off drugs for the summer, or anything that might jeopardize championship season. Dazed & Confused remains a cult classic, and Hauser's pedigree as an actor is only enhanced by appearing in it with its now-legendary cast.
Where to watch: Rent on Amazon
School Ties (1992)
IMDB/Paramount Pictures
At the beginning of his career, Hauser appeared in multiple teen dramas, including School Ties. He played the role of Jack Connors, a student at a fancy prep school. The film stars Brendan Fraser and future Dazed and Confused and Good Will Hunting costars Ben Affleck and Matt Damon. The movie centers on the prejudices that Brendan Fraser's character experiences as a Jewish student. A few years later, Hauser played college student Scott Moss in Higher Learning, a drama that followed college freshmen attending Columbia University in New York.
Where to watch: Paramount+
Paparazzi (2004)
Myles Aronowitz - 2004 Twentieth Century Fox
In this action-packed film, Hauser plays a Hollywood actor, Bo Laramie, whose family gets harassed by a team of paparazzi. It's up to Bo to convince the police of what the photographers are doing and protect his family in the process. It's a harrowing tale of what might happen if a celebrity continually harassed by the paparazzi loses it a bit. Hauser is ruthless in his revenge on the photographers who injure his family in their relentless pursuit of images. It's high stakes the entire time, and Hauser does a great job keeping you on the edge of your seat.
Where to watch: HBO Max
The Cave (2005)
IMDB/Lakeshore Entertainment
In this horror film, Hauser plays a professional cave explorer, Jack McAllister, who gets hired by a team of scientists to help with an expedition in Romania. There's creepy stuff down in those caves, so this film is definitely not for the faint of heart. In addition to some terrifying happenings sprinkled throughout the movie, Hauser himself undergoes quite the transformation. We won't spoil things for you, but this is one example of his range as an actor -- you certainly won't be expecting what happens by the end. Better grab someone to hang out with you when you watch for the first time, as this is a much different departure from Hauser's other roles.
Where to watch: Rent on Amazon
Pitch Black (2000)
IMDB/Polygram Filmed Entertainment
Pitch Black was the first in the Chronicles of Riddick franchise, starring Vin Diesel as the popular antihero. Hauser plays William J. Johns, one of the officers escorting the criminal Riddick to another planet when their ship crash lands on a planet full of monsters. It's hard to trust Hauser's character, because not only is he a bounty hunter who's looking out mostly for himself, but he's also a morphine addict. He'll also do just about anything he can if it means saving his own life -- including denying someone a drug that could help them survive.
Where to watch: Netflix
2 Fast 2 Furious (2003)
Eli Reed - 2003 - Universal Pictures
In the second Fast and the Furious film, Hauser plays Argentinian drug lord Carter Verone, the main villain in the film who goes up against Paul Walker and the gang. Interestingly enough, this role won Hauser the privilege of having his character, this film's antagonist, not die, in this portion of the series. It's not as if Verone is a great person, though. The cartel leader is every bit as conniving and as much of a jerk as you'd expect, but he makes a great foil for Walker and the rest of the crew.
Where to watch: Amazon
The Family That Preys (2008)
2008 Lions Gate Home Entertainment
Tyler Perry's The Family That Preys is the film from Cole Hauser you didn't know you needed to see. He plays the son of a socialite, played by Kathy Bates, in this story about his wealthy family and the working-class family of his mother's best friend, played by Alfre Woodard. While William hasn't exactly been the kindest person, firing employee Nick without cause and driving away his wife Jillian, the pair have an inspirational arc near the end of the film that's more than a little touching.
Where to watch: Rent on Amazon
Acts of Violence (2018)
IMDB/Lionsgate
This action film brings Hauser back with his A Good Day to Die Hard, Tears of the Sun and Hart's War co-star Bruce Willis. Hauser plays Deklan MacGregor, whose brother's fiancée gets kidnapped by a human trafficking ring. With the help of his brothers and the cop investigating the group who kidnapped her, they set out to bring down the criminals and save the girl. Hauser's character tends to be haunted by his military past, but ends up using the skills he's learned over the years to help recover Roman McGregor's fiance Mia. It's a thriller, to be sure, and one that Hauser fans won't want to miss.
Where to watch: Rent on Amazon or AppleTV
The Stone Angel (2007)
IMDB/Buffalo Gal Pictures
This film, based on the 1964 novel of the same name, stars Ellen Burstyn reflecting back on her life before her children move her into a nursing home. She looks back on her marriage to Bram Shipley, played by Hauser's real-life father, Wings Hauser. Hauser plays the young version of his father in flashback scenes throughout the film. Her marriage caused her father to disown her, but you'll soon discover in the film just how special of a relationship it really was. And Hauser is just as lovable and honorable as you might expect here, in direct contrast to some of his earlier roles.
Where to watch: AppleTV+
Tears of the Sun (2003)
2003 - Columbia Pictures, Inc.
This action film follows a fictional U.S. Navy SEAL rescue mission during a 21st-century civil war in Nigeria. Hauser co-stars as James "Red" Atkins, US Navy - Heavy Gunner and Explosives Specialist. Lt. A.K. Waters (Bruce Willis) is leading the mission to rescue Dr. Lena Kendricks (Monica Bellucci) but when they reach her, she refuses to leave without her patients, leading the group on a wild ride.
Where to watch: Netflix
Hart's War (2002)
Photo by Murray Close/Getty Images
Set during World War II's Battle of the Bulge in a POW camp, Hauser takes a turn as the antagonist, Staff Sergeant Vic Bedford, who is suspected of killing a fellow soldier. Bruce Willis and Colin Farrell co-star as Colonel William McNamara and Lieutenant Thomas Hart, respectively, in a story of honor and sacrifice.
Where to watch: Showtime, Paramount+ and fuboTV
The Last Champion (2020)
IMDB/In House Media Film Partners
Hauser stars in this drama as John Wright, a former hometown hero who was the star of his high school wrestling team and a natural Olympian hopeful. A bad decision ruins his dreams and lets down everyone who believed in him with a local scandal. He returns home 20 years later after his mother's death, but can his hometown forgive him for the mistakes of his past?
Where to watch: Rent on Amazon
This article was originally published in September of 2020. It was updated on April 12, 2023.
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