Paul Walter Hauser
American actor (born 1986)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Paul Walter Hauser (born October 15, 1986) is an American actor and professional wrestler. He starred as murderer Larry Hall in the 2022 true crime miniseries Black Bird, for which he won a Golden Globe Award and a Primetime Emmy Award, and is also known for his portrayal of Stingray in the Netflix series Cobra Kai. His breakout performance was as the title character in Clint Eastwood's drama film Richard Jewell in 2019. He has also provided the voice of Embarrassment in Pixar's Inside Out 2 in 2024. The following year, he portrayed Bruce Springsteen's recording engineer in Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere and supervillain Harvey Elder / Mole Man in The Fantastic Four: First Steps. As an occasional professional wrestler, Hauser is signed to Major League Wrestling.
- Actor
- wrestler
Paul Walter Hauser | |
|---|---|
Hauser in 2025 | |
| Born | October 15, 1986 Grand Rapids, Michigan, U.S. |
| Other names | Paul Hauser |
| Occupations |
|
| Years active | 2005–present |
| Spouse |
Amy Elizabeth Boland
(m. 2020) |
| Children | 3 |
Early life and education
Hauser was raised in Saginaw, Michigan. His parents are Deborah and Rev. Paul Hauser, a Lutheran minister.[1][2]
He attended Valley Lutheran High School, a private parochial school in Saginaw.[2][1] He attended Concordia University Chicago before dropping out to pursue a career in the entertainment industry.[3]
Career
Acting
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 starred as Raymond Porter, better known by his nickname Stingray, in Cobra Kai. He appeared as 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 Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere in the role of recording engineer and guitar tech Mike Batlan;[15] and the comedy Balls Up alongside Mark Wahlberg.[16] That same year, he starred in 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
In 2022, Hauser debuted as a rapper under the moniker Signet Ringer. He released his first EP, Murder for Higher, on July 8, 2022.[18]
Professional wrestling
Hauser made his professional wrestling debut at Pro Wrestling REVOLVER in Los Angeles in November 2023 defeating Matthew Palmer.[19][20] His next appearance with the promotion was in a Slammy Vs. Emmy Winner Take All match where he defeated Matt Cardona in March 2024.[21] Hauser has made sporadic appearances for All Elite Wrestling (AEW) as well on the independent circuit.[22][23] He signed with Major League Wrestling (MLW) in May 2024.[24][25] He faced Danhausen to a no contest at Pro Wrestling REVOLVER in June 2024.[26] In February 2025, he made his debut with Defy Wrestling in Seattle Street Fight defeating Joey Janela with Aubrey Edwards as the special guest referee.[27] Hauser won his first title in wrestling by capturing the PROGRESS Wrestling Proteus Title at PROGRESS Chapter 179: PROGRESS Las Vegas on April 17, 2025, where he defeated the champion Simon Miller, Adam Priest, Charles Crowley, and Effy in a five way match.[28] In July 2025, Hauser wore his PROGRESS Proteus Title belt to the World premiere of The Fantastic Four: First Steps in Los Angeles.[29] Hauser was a special guest commentator for AEW on their August 9, 2025, episode of Collision.[30] On August 29, 2025, at Ring of Honor (ROH) Death Before Dishonor, he wrestled QT Marshall in a Fight Without Honor.[31]
Personal life
Filmography
Film
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | Virginia | Dale | |
| 2011 | Demoted | Bothered Salesman | Uncredited[citation needed] |
| 2013 | iSteve | Pastey Jones | |
| 2017 | I, Tonya | Shawn Eckhardt | |
| 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 Fantastic Four: First Steps | Harvey Elder / Mole Man | |
| The Naked Gun | Capt. Ed Hocken Jr. | ||
| Playdate | Zack Galifinack-ish | Uncredited | |
| Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere | Mike Batlan | ||
| 2026 | Balls Up | Elijah | |
| Resident Evil † | Carl | Filming | |
| TBA | Deep Eddy †[34] | Pug Browder | Post-production |
Television
| 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 | Recurring role, 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 film | |
| 2018–2019 | Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt | Tripp Knob | 2 episodes |
| 2019–2025 | Cobra Kai | Raymond "Stingray" Porter | Recurring role, 15 episodes (seasons 2, 4–6) |
| 2019 | WWE Smackdown | Himself | 1 episode |
| 2020 | Reno 911! | Jeffy Renee Chisholm | Recurring role, 6 episodes |
| 2021 | Calls | Floyd (voice) | Episode: "Me, Myself, and Darlene" |
| I Think You Should Leave with Tim Robinson | Scott | Episode: "Everyone just needs to be more in the moment." | |
| 2022 | The Late Show With Stephen Colbert | No One (voice) | 1 episode |
| Black Bird | Larry Hall | Miniseries, 6 episodes | |
| 2023 | AEW Dynamite | Himself | 1 episode |
| AEW Rampage | 1 episode | ||
| The Afterparty | Travis Gladrise | Main role, 10 episodes (Season 2) | |
| Bupkis | Hauser | Episode: "Show Me the Way" | |
| 2025–present | The Chosen Adventures | Sheep | Voice only, 14 episodes |
| 2027 | Scooby-Doo: Origins | Owner of Scooby-Doo | Filming |
