Paul Walter Hauser

On this week’s episode of Artist Friendly, Joel Madden sits down with Paul Walter Hauser.
A Michigan native, Hauser spent years waiting tables and working the door at a Burbank comedy club before a two-episode guest spot on the DirecTV series Kingdom turned into a 24-episode run in 2014. From there he became one of Hollywood’s most in-demand character actors, with standout turns in I, Tonya, BlacKkKlansman, and Cruella, plus a breakout performance as the title character in 2019’s Richard Jewell. In 2022 he starred as suspected serial killer Larry Hall in Apple TV’s Black Bird, a role that won him a Golden Globe, a Critics’ Choice Award, and an Emmy. These days he’s playing Mole Man in Fantastic Four: First Steps, appearing in the new Resident Evil, and joining the cast of Netflix’s live-action Scooby-Doo series. He also hosts the satirical web series The Boy Talk Talk Show and has built a second career as a pro wrestler, with more than 30 matches since his 2023 debut and a spot on the Major League Wrestling roster.
Paul gets honest about the fears that have driven so many of his career choices, the long journey of learning to trust his gut and say "no" and why being his realest self matters more to him than chasing the next big role.

(0:00) – Brunch, Blood, and Standing Firm
(8:22) – Faith Without the Label
(10:07) – Fear Behind Every Career Decision
(10:55) – When a Marvel Role Didn't Go as Planned
(23:09) – Wrestling Hurts Less Than Rejection
(32:20) – A Message He Wasn't Expecting
(35:28) – Passing on a Role Paid Off
(38:26) – Chris Farley Biopic in Development
(52:06) – Two Episodes Became 24
(1:05:26) – A Second Chance at His Own Love Story

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