Cole Hauser, who plays Rip Wheeler on the popular television series “Yellowstone,” is one of the few performers to have played the character in both cinema and television. The expansive drama, which debuted in 2018, quickly rose to fame because of its stellar cast, which also included Kevin Costner, Kelly Reilly, Luke Grimes, and Wes Bentley.
You might be surprised to learn that Hauser has roots in the early days of Hollywood. He is the grandchild of Academy Award-winning screenwriter Dwight Hauser, the son of seasoned TV and movie actor Wings Hauser, and the great-grandson of Harry Warner, one of the company’s founders.
Cole Hauser’s most notable performance may be in “Yellowstone,” but since his career began in 1992, it has also included an Academy Award-winning picture, one of the all-time great comedies, and a succession of unexpected hits that have brought in more than $1.6 billion worldwide.
Let us help any Yellowstone fans who might need a reminder of the actor’s previous roles. This list has 23 movies that fans will like, and we suggest watching the films and TV episodes listed below starring Cole Hauser on streaming services, starting with one of his most well-known roles.
23. Acts of Violence (2018)
The lives of the McGregor brothers are highlighted throughout the movie. Deklan and Brandon, two of the brothers, both served in the military. Thus, they are knowledgeable about weapons. Roman, the youngest of them, is engaged to Mia, his childhood sweetheart, and the duo is soon to wed. Mia and Roman try to have fun by partying away their final few days of bachelordom, while Deklan is tormented by his history, and Brandon has a family to take care of. Mia annoys two small-time goons, Vince and Frank, who both serve as sex traffickers for a town kingpin named Max Livingston, during one of her hen parties.
After Mia insults them, Vince and Frank kidnap her from the club and present her as a special gift to their employer. Detective James Avery continues to look for actual proof against Max Livingston in the meanwhile, but he is unsuccessful. Additionally, the police department’s higher-ups are corrupt, which further restricts his options.
Mia calls Roman in advance of being kidnapped and explains the scenario. Roman phones Deklan and requests assistance after realizing how useful his brother’s military background could be. Deklan attempts to raid a house where he believes Mia is being kept after first dialing 911.
22. Panama (2022)
A defense contractor hires an ex-marine to go to Panama and fulfill a weapons sale there. He gets involved in the invasion of Panama during this process and learns a valuable lesson about the true study of government power.
First announced in 2014, the film will be directed by Daniel Adams from a screenplay he co-wrote with William Barber. In 2019, Adams was still set to direct the movie, which would also star Morgan Freeman and Frank Grillo. Mel Gibson and Cole Hauser were cast in the movie in 2020, and Mark Neveldine would take over as the director in place of Adams. In Puerto Rico, principal photography began in December 2020. The movie took 14 days over the course of three weeks to shoot.
21. Transcendence (2014)
The 2014 American science fiction thriller film Transcendence was written by Jack Paglen and directed by Wally Pfister. The movie, in which Johnny Depp, Morgan Freeman, Rebecca Hall, Paul Bettany, Kate Mara, Cillian Murphy, and Cole Hauser star, tells the story of a team of scientists who are under attack from a fanatical anti-technology group as they race to complete an artificial intelligence project. The 2012 edition of The Black Compilation, a list of well-known unproduced scripts in Hollywood, including Paglen’s script.
With a budget of up to $150 million, Transcendence underperformed at the box office, earning just $103 million. The movie garnered mostly unfavorable reviews; while it was commended for its photography, acting, and score, it was condemned for its plot structure, characters, and dialogue. Scientist Dr. Will Caster studies the origins of intelligence, particularly machine intelligence. He is working with his team to develop a sentient computer, and he believes that such a computer will usher in the age of technological singularity, or transcendence. Evelyn, his wife, who is a scientist as well, assists him in his job.
Will is shot by a member of a terrorist organization named “Revolutionary Independence From Technology” (R.I.F.T. ), which launches coordinated attacks on AI research facilities. Will has only one month left to live. Evelyn devises a desperate scheme to transfer Will’s consciousness onto the project’s newly created quantum computer.
20. The Hit List (2011)
After having a terrible day, Allan Campbell (Cole Hauser) seeks solace in a bar. A mystery man who goes by the name of Jonas Arbor (Cuba Gooding Jr.) and whom he befriends while intoxicated reveals to him a list of five individuals he wishes were killed.
But as the bodies mount and a detective (Jonathan LaPaglia) closes in on him, Allan begins to question whether the events are a joke and decides that the killings must stop before his wife, who is the final victim on the list, suffers irreparable harm. Allan Campbell was supposed to be played by actor Christian Slater, who also appeared with Cuba Gooding Junior in Lies & Illusions and Sacrifice. In the movie Shadows of the White Nights, Hauser and Slater share a screen together.
The script was written by the makers of Hero Wanted and also stars Cuba Gooding, Jr. A few of the producers of Hero Wanted, End Game, and Wrong Turn at Tahoe produced. Early in 2010, there was filming in Spokane, Washington. The film’s portrayal of violence against police officers led the Spokane police to decline to take part in its development formally.
19. The Last Champion (2020)
A discredited former Olympic wrestling champion (Cole Hauser) comes to his hometown following the tragic loss of his mother. Although he is not well received, he gets the chance to prove himself when he is appointed the new coach of the local school’s wrestling team.
As the star of The Last Champion in 2020, Cole Hauser delivered one of the most touching performances of his career. The Last Champion is a straightforward sports film from filmmaker John Withrow that is boosted by its moving redemption story and Hauser’s amazing dedication to the role.
18. Hart’s War (2002)
Cole Hauser performed a supporting role that was dead-center in a succession of “bad guy” roles for him in “Hart’s War,” a big-budget, box-office flop that primarily fell on the heads of its two stars, Bruce Willis and Colin Farrell.
He portrayed a prejudiced American war prisoner in a Nazi concentration camp in “Hart’s War,” a figure who is crucial to the storyline. Hauser’s career didn’t advance much as a result of “Hart’s War,” but it is a fine illustration of a recurrent subject in his work: repeated collaborations. In “A Good Day to Die Hard” and “Tears of the Sun,” he worked once more with Willis, and in “Tigerland” in 2000, he co-starred with Farrell.
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17. Paparazzi (2004)
One of the few times Cole Hauser was handed the genuine lead in a movie or TV project was in “Paparazzi.” He portrays an action movie star who is out for blood after his family was hurt in a car accident by a posse of paparazzi photographers. Cole Hauser plays a young Hollywood actor who has his first genuine taste of fame ruined by the invasion of vicious tabloid photographers. After they nearly cost him a tragic loss, he swears to exact personal retribution on them.
I can’t help but think that Cole Hauser’s powerful performance in 2004’s Paparazzi, his first main part in an action film, was motivated in part by wish fulfillment because he probably went through comparable experiences to those of his character. Even though “Paparazzi” isn’t particularly good, it’s worth seeing just to see Hauser take the lead for a change. The film has been extensively mocked for being Mel Gibson’s fantasy about killing paparazzi and features some major cameos by Chris Rock, Matthew McConaughey, and producer.
16. Tears of the Sun (2003)
Cole Hauser and Hollywood star Bruce Willis have worked together on four projects. The two worked together for the first time in “Hart’s War” in 2002, and they most recently appeared in the 2018 direct-to-streaming film “Acts of Violence.” In order to save a doctor (Monica Bellucci), a Navy SEAL lieutenant (Bruce Willis) and his squad are deployed into the Nigerian jungle. However, she will only escape with them if they agree to save 70 refugees.
As James “Red” Atkins in director Antoine Fuqua’s Tears of the Sun, one of the best war films of the actor’s career and his second time starring in a military epic alongside Bruce Willis after 2002’s Hart’s War, Cole Hauser would continue to accumulate his keep as one of his generation’s best action heroes.
The budget of “Tears of the Sun,” filmmaker Antoine Fuqua’s sequel to “Training Day,” was much higher than any of their films combined. “Tears,” which cost well over $100 million to produce, was a stunning Hollywood failure that underperformed by more than $20 million at the box office. In spite of this, it’s a respectable action film that provided Hauser a chance to play one of the key protagonists against Willis and did very well. Hauser excels in action movies and breaking news.
15. The Lizzie Borden Chronicles (2015)
We adore it when actors explore new things. Cole Hauser carried out that in this episode of the limited series “The Lizzie Borden Chronicles.” In 1893 Massachusetts, Lizzie Borden (Christina Ricci) and her sister Emma (Clea DuVall), who were both controversially acquitted of the double homicide of their stepmother and father, struggle to go on with their lives while facing financial difficulties as a result of her damaged reputation.
Cole Hauser played Charlie Siringo, a real-life investigator, admirably in Lifetime’s 2015 eight-episode follow-up to their 2014 film Lizzie Borden Took an Ax, The Lizzie Borden Chronicles, a dramatized depiction of what happened after the notorious trial. Of a fictitious account of the events in Lizzie Borden’s life following the death of her parents, he portrayed renowned Pinkerton detective Charlie Siringo. Making a miniseries is a very common strategy for networks these days. When it was released in 2015, “Lizzie Borden” was innovative and amusing.
14. The Family That Preys (2008)
Tyler Perry, the director, must have kept a close eye on Cole Hauser’s career in the early 2000s. When Hauser was just beginning to move away from more evil roles, he cast himself as the bad guy in his 2008 film “The Family That Preys.”
When compared to Perry’s body of work, “The Family That Preys” is pretty amusing. It’s not a stretch to assume that if this film had been produced ten years later, it most likely would have become a Netflix series or other streaming service.
13. K-Ville (2007)
More than anything else, “K-Ville” was a victim of the Hollywood writers’ strike. Cole Hauser and Anthony Anderson’s portrayals of tough New Orleans police officers were fantastic.
However, only 11 of the hour-long drama’s 13 episodes were completed before the writer’s strike, and it didn’t air again on Fox after that. It had a strong pedigree because Jonathan Lisco, a former writer for “NYPD Blue” and “The District,” also conceived it in addition to Hauser and Anderson, both established talents.
12. Pitch Black (2000)
“Pitch Black,” which starred Vin Diesel and Cole Hauser as the antihero Riddick and was released in January and February, when studios normally dump movies they don’t think would be successful, was a surprise blockbuster that gave rise to two sequels for the lead character.
Cole Hauser made the transition from coming-of-age dramas to action stardom at the turn of the century with his performance as the bounty hunter and mercenary William J. Johns in Pitch Black, one of the most enjoyable and exciting sci-fi/action hybrids of its time and the first movie to feature Vin Diesel in the (possibly soon-to-be-continued) role of Richard B. Riddick.
The crew of a prison transport ship is forced to work with a violent prisoner (Vin Diesel) to protect themselves from a swarm of nocturnal creatures during a significant eclipse after experiencing a crash landing on a barren planet. Hauser was in the middle of his career’s “bad guy” phase at the time, and he excels at it. He portrays a vicious, Riddick-feuding bounty hunter in “Pitch Black” who is driven by revenge.
11. Olympus Has Fallen (2013)
One thing we particularly enjoy is when a movie’s title is actually mentioned on-screen. You know, it’s the little stuff. When the President (Aaron Eckhart) is trapped inside the White House after a deadly terrorist attack, a disgraced former Secret Service agent (Gerard Butler) turns into the sole hope for preserving his life. In Olympus Has Fallen, which is arguably the better of the two White House incursion thrillers released in 2013.
Cole Hauser would rejoin director Antoine Fuqua and his Pitch Black co-star Radha Mitchell for a relatively small but crucial role as Secret Service agent Roma. Olympus Has Fallen is notable for its comparably more plausible plot line and Gerard Butler’s compelling redemption arc.
Even if Cole Hauser’s role in “Olympus Has Fallen” isn’t particularly significant, he has once again shown his ability to predict winners. It was yet another unexpected success, earning about $200 million at the box office and competing with “White House Down” for the distinction of being the superior of the two films about the White House being attacked that were released at the same time. As a brave Secret Service agent, Hauser has a rather impressive death scene in this film and gets to say, “Olympus has fallen,” just before he expires.
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10. 2 Fast 2 Furious (2003)
When necessary, Cole Hauser can pull off unbearably cheesy and corny with the best of them. And “2 Fast 2 Furious” is possibly the most cheesy or campy action film to come out in the previous 20 years.
For filmmaker John Singleton, Hauser portrays obnoxious bad guy Carter Verone opposite star Paul Walker—two major actors who passed away after the film’s production.
Hauser certainly didn’t receive enough recognition for his role in “2 Fast 2 Furious,” which was a huge success for everyone involved. We particularly enjoy the scene in which he confronts Tyrese Gibson’s character Roman for attempting to steal a cigar cutter from his home.
9. Tigerland (2000)
Cole Hauser has only ever received recognition for one specific performance, which was in the Vietnam War movie “Tigerland.”
Following the footsteps of his dad, actor Wings Hauser, who was considered for an Independent Spirit Award for Best Supporting Actor in 1987 for his performance in “Tough Guys Don’t Dance,” he received the honor in 2001. “Tigerland” was exceptional for a number of reasons. For big-budget director Joel Schumacher, it was a low-budget movie, and it featured Colin Farrell in his breakthrough performance.
8. The Cave (2005)
Rotten Tomatoes or anyone else’s opinion couldn’t actually matter less because “The Cave” is sick. Hauser is partnered with a superb cast that includes Morris Chestnut, Lena Headey, Piper Perabo, and Eddie Cibrian in one of the few distinctly main parts of his career.
The elevator pitch is as follows: A team of scientists and adrenaline-rush explorers is hired to investigate a network of abandoned tunnels in the Carpathian Mountains and hunt out devilish extraterrestrial beings. We’re in now, OK?
7. Dazed and Confused (1993)
It’s difficult to express how much we adore “Dazed and Confused,” a coming-of-age comedy about the final day of school in 1977 in Austin, Texas, directed by Richard Linklater.
A misfit group of high school students spends the night before their last day of classes in Austin, Texas, cruising about in quest of fun. Some of the students are only one summer away from their senior year, while others have just started as freshmen. If you enjoy Cole Hauser, you should check it out because: After appearing in School Ties, Cole Hauser and Ben Affleck reconnected as co-stars in the film Dazed and Confused. They once again played high school football players and delivered two of their most ominous performances ever the bullheaded Benny and the borderline sadistic O’Bannion.
You should watch this movie, in which Cole Hauser portrays the beer-swilling football player Benny O’Donnell, to comprehend the rest of his acting career. In supporting roles with future Academy Award winners Matthew McConaughey and Ben Affleck, Hauser proved he could hold his own with established actors who were all making their breaks at the same time. The benefit of having friends, especially those who rise to become Hollywood’s top stars.
6. Higher Learning (1995)
Cole Hauser’s neo-Nazi appearance in the college drama “Higher Learning” directed by John Singleton will give you goosebumps. Remy, a college student portrayed by Michael Rapaport, is enlisted by Hauser’s character. To put it mildly, Hauser is terrifying.
While trying to make their way in life, a misfit group of college freshmen at Columbia University received a crash course in the harsh realities of race, gender, and other upsetting subjects. Hauser and Singleton, who passed away in 2019, collaborated on two projects, the first of which was this one. Hauser was asked to reprise his role as the villain in the box office smash “2 Fast 2 Furious” in 2003 by the Academy Award-nominated filmmaker.
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5. Good Will Hunting (1997)
Do not forget the importance of friendship. The friendship that developed between Cole Hauser and Ben Affleck while they were filming “Dazed and Confused” paid off handsomely in 1997. At that point, Hauser was cast in a supporting role alongside Affleck and Matt Damon in the Oscar-winning movie “Good Will Hunting,” which is widely regarded as one of the best movies ever made.
A professor (Stellan Skarsgard) who recognizes the hidden mathematical abilities of a young, aimless janitor at M.I.T. (Matt Damon) requests that the man see a therapist (Robin Williams, in an Oscar-winning performance) to help him find some much-needed purpose in life. Hauser stands out, even in a supporting role, as a member of the close-knit circle of South Boston pals that included eventual Best Actor Academy Award winner Casey Affleck.
Nine Oscars were nominated for “Good Will Hunting,” including Best Picture and Best Director, while Robin Williams, Damon, and Affleck all took home prizes for Best Supporting Actor and Best Original Screenplay, respectively.
4. Yellowstone (2018)
If you want to know the role that’s defined Cole Hauser’s career, this is it. His turn as adopted ranch hand turned Yellowstone/Dutton family ranch foreman Rip Wheeler has brought him as many fans as all of his previous works combined. It’s been one of the most popular shows on television since the end of “Game of Thrones” in 2019 and is currently the most-watched show on cable television.
Being a part of an ensemble, Hauser’s greatest acting strength, is always used to the benefit of the play. Particularly notable is his connection with Kevin Costner and Wheeler’s romantic interest, Kelly Reilly as Costner’s daughter Beth Dutton. It’s difficult to choose just one of the show’s outstanding sequences with Hauser since there are so many of them. Our top “wow” moment, though, is when he arrives to protect Reilly from two hitmen.
It’s difficult to choose just one of the show’s outstanding sequences with Hauser due to the sheer number of them. Our top “wow” moment, though, is when he arrives to protect Reilly from two hitmen.
3. School Ties (1992)
In a prominent, all-male preparatory high school, a gifted young football quarterback (Brendan Fraser) finds acceptance until he learns that the guys he calls his friends are anti-Semites, forcing him to hide his Jewish heritage.
In 1992’s School Ties, one of the best Brendan Fraser films and one of Ben Affleck and Matt Damon’s first on-screen pairings, Cole Hauser provides a heartfelt performance as Jack Connors, one of the unexpected few who stand up for the main character in the face of vicious discrimination.
2. The Breakup (2006)
Jennifer Aniston, an art dealer, chooses to break up with her boyfriend, a tourist guide (Vince Vaughn), because she feels abandoned by him. However, the argument about who gets to keep the opulent condo they bought together only makes matters worse.
Two years prior to their roles as brothers and business associates in The Break-Up, which I would consider to be one of the best romantic comedies of its time, Vince Vaughn made an uncredited cameo as himself opposite Cole Hauser in the film Paparazzi. If not for the fact that it is, sort of, the polar opposite of the genre’s specialties… in a good way.
1. Rogue (2013)
In an effort to learn the truth about her son’s premature death, which she suspects may have been caused by her, an undercover investigator (Thandiwe Newton) investigates.
In one of his first significant lead roles on a TV show prior to Yellowstone, Cole Hauser is captivating as an ex-soldier gone criminal on the gripping crime procedural Rogue, which also starred Thandiwe Newton, a future Emmy winner, and was originally broadcast on DirecTV’s Audience Network.
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