Actor Cole Hauser received a major spotlight with his performance as Rip Wheeler in the modern Western series, Yellowstone. One among an entire group of perfect castings, Hauser naturally brought forth the rugged, intense demeanor that the character demanded, and gave a performance that was not to be forgotten so quickly.
Those who recognize the actor from his work in Yellowstone alone, however, might be surprised to know that Hauser is an actor they have seen many times before. With a career spanning just about three decades, he has a prolific body of work and has performed in some of the most iconic films in this time period. His versatile acting skills have made him the perfect actor to blend into supporting roles, and he has given some powerful performances as lead characters as well as compelling antagonists.
One might even say that acting and the theater lives in Hauser’s blood, as his family is firmly entrenched in Hollywood history going back three generations before him. His great-grandfather, Harry Warner, was one of the founding members of Warner Bros., and his family is filled with writers and performers. Hauser’s confidence in his abilities certainly shine through in every role, and he has shown the remarkable ability to disappear into his characters to the extent of being nearly unrecognizable. A look into his best movies might well come as a surprise to those who know him only as the top ranch hand at the Yellowstone Dutton Ranch. Here are the best Cole Hauser movies, ranked.
12 Tears of the Sun (2003)
Hauser has worked with action star Bruce Willis a number of times throughout his career, mostly in military and action thrillers. Tears of the Sun is one of the more famous movies from his early career, a military rescue film set in Nigeria. Willis leads the film as Lieutenant A.K. Waters, tasked with rescuing an American doctor from Nigeria following a bloody coup in the country. Hauser appears in a key supporting role as US Navy James Atkins, one of the team members assigned to the rescue members. He stands out as a fierce and determined second-in-command to Willis’ character, and the movie showcases Hauser’s ability to skillfully execute nuance in action roles. The movie received mixed reviews at the time of release, but over time has gained the status of a cult classic.
11 The Cave (2005)
The 2005 horror movie The Cave featured Cole Hauser in a leading role as a professional cave explorer tasked to investigate a sprawling cave system in the Carpathian Mountains. Taking a team of scientists and cave explorers, Hauser’s character delves deep into the caves only to realize that the caves are home to a species of dangerous, vampiric creatures. Much of Hauser’s work lies in the action and thriller genres, so The Cave is an important title in his filmography as it proved that the actor could hold his own in diverse genres.
10 Dazed and Confused (1993)
Yes, the beloved Rip from Yellowstone also starred in the irreplaceable classic, Dazed and Confused — and he was absolutely great in it. If you go back to this iconic coming-of-age movie with a knowing eye, you might recognize Hauser as the suave and self-certain senior student Benny O'Donnell, who steals a scene near the beginning of the movie, sounding a loud warning to freshers about the upcoming hazing ritual that is to commence at school’s closing. His short role in the movie fits in well with the movie’s inimitable tone, as he appears charismatic and easy-going despite taking a gleeful enjoyment out of the hazing ritual. Like every other character in the movie, Benny appears as an inseparable part of the slice-of-life styled mosaic of a high school that is captured in the movie.
9 Rogue (2013)
One of Hauser’s first major television roles before Yellowstone, Rogue is a police drama series that ran for four seasons from 2013 to 2017. Hauser appeared in the series from Season 2 as ex-soldier Ethan Kelly, who turns to crime and is subsequently forced to do dangerous undercover work for the police. The series offers a fantastic watch with its thrilling, high-stakes plots and Hauser’s character often finds himself trapped in dangerous corners with nothing but his wits to save himself. It was a demanding role, and one that he performed very well.
8 K-Ville (2007)
K-Ville is another cop drama in which Hauser stars as a police officer alongside Anthony Anderson as his co-lead. The series is set in New Orleans and follows the exploits of the two police partners in the time following Hurricane Katrina, as they solve crime on the streets of New Orleans. K-Ville had strong potential to be a well-regarded show, as the urban setting was an essential part of its storytelling. Unfortunately, the series shut down after filming only 11 of 13 episodes in its first season due to the Writers Guild of America strike.
7 Hart's War (2002)
Hart’s War is another one of Hauser’s collaborations with Bruce Willis, and featured him in a short but important antagonistic role. The movie is set during World War II in a Nazi prisoners camp. The movie also featured other major talents besides Willis, mainly Colin Farrell as the titular hero, Thomas Hart. Hauser appears as Vic Bedford, one of the American POW soldiers that Farrell’s character meets in the camp. A deeply prejudiced individual, the character’s hostile actions towards two African American POW soldiers act as a key plot point in the movie.
6 Good Will Hunting (1997)
Hauser also has a small role in Good Will Hunting as a drinking buddy of Ben Affleck and Matt Damon’s characters. He had already worked with Affleck before in Dazed and Confused, which might have helped earn him a spot in this movie too. A beloved classic, Good Will Hunting is a must-watch coming-of-age drama with Damon in the titular role as an intellectually gifted youngster. The movie explores his journey as a deadbeat janitor who eventually gains the courage to lean into his potential, helped by his circle of friends, and a trusted therapist played by Robin Williams. The movie was nominated for nine Academy Awards and won three of them.
5 Olympus Has Fallen (2013)
Hauser’s refined yet understated charm came in handy with his role in Olympus Has Fallen, where he again took a military-like role as Secret Service agent Roma alongside the film’s lead, played by Gerard Butler. Hauser, it seems, loves repeat collaborations, and his short role in this movie brought him back with action director Antoine Fuqua, with whom he had worked a decade earlier in Tears of the Sun. Hauser’s character finds an early demise in the movie, as he dies in the initial assault. However, his character receives a heroic death and his poised mannerisms bode well for his short but intense role in the movie. Olympus Has Fallen also features one of the most satisfying instances of a character saying the movie’s title aloud, and Hauser’s character happens to be the one who makes the grim announcement in his final moments.
4 2 Fast 2 Furious (2003)
2 Fast 2 Furious is arguably one of the better entries into the long-running Fast franchise, a movie that delivered on the action without shortchanging on panache. It also features Hauser’s best performance in an antagonistic role. Utilizing his ability to simply disappear into roles, a younger and leaner Hauser appeared in the movie as the main antagonist, the drug lord Carter Verone. Paul Walker and Tyrese Gibson’s leading duo is assigned to go undercover as street racers and infiltrate Verone’s operation as delivery drivers. Hauser’s performance in the movie is a perfect showcase of his highly expressive intensity. Verone cuts a subdued presence on-screen, and commands attention with his menacing aura.
3 Higher Learning (1995)
The 1995 movie Higher Learning is remembered for its powerful exploration of race, gender, and politics within a university setting. The coming-of-age movie features an ensemble cast including the likes of Laurence Fishburne, Omar Epps, Ice Cube, and Tyra Banks. The movie is also one of the earliest ones in Hauser’s career. His role in the movie remains an unusual one in his filmography, as he appeared as a neo-Nazi skinhead who recruits one of the film’s lead characters. The role is a brief but terrifying one, as the movie casts a great deal of wickedness onto the character. Hauser stepped up to this characterization with added gravitas, leading to a final product that is positively chilling in its depiction.
2 Tigerland (2000)
Tigerland holds a significant place in Hauser’s work as his performance in the movie earned him one of his few award nods — a nomination to the 2001 Independent Spirit Award for Best Supporting Actor. Tigerland was a war movie that depicted soldiers’ struggles during the Vietnam War, and Hauser appeared in the movie as Staff Sergeant Cota, one of his many military roles. Although the movie is mostly forgotten, it was initially praised for offering a nuanced exploration of the psychological toll that war has on its foot soldiers.
1 Yellowstone (2018)
With an amazing on-screen magnetism and uncanny versatility, Hauser could have become one of Hollywood’s big names. And while that might not have come to pass, he has certainly put his talents to good use by finding his place in some iconic titles over the past 30 years. Following a prolific career as a TV and film actor, he has finally found wider recognition as a leading cast member in the modern Western series, Yellowstone. The grounded intensity needed for the character of Rip Wheeler appears quite natural to Hauser, making him at home in this series about an old ranching family fighting to maintain its way of life. Five seasons in, Hauser’s character is a crowd favorite, and he totally steals any scene in which he appears.