Cole Hauser, the former Yellowstone star, lost his father, Wings Hauser, who passed away last weekend at age 78.
Cole Hauser’s Complicated Bond with Late Father Wings Hauser
Cole Hauser has yet to publicly comment on the passing of his father, Wings Hauser, who died last weekend at age 78. Wings began his career as a musician and singer before transitioning into a prolific character actor in the late 1970s.
Though they shared the acting profession, Cole has previously discussed their strained relationship. In a recently resurfaced interview from the early 2000s, he revealed that Wings was entirely absent from his life after divorcing Cole’s mother, Cass Warner, when Cole was just two years old. The two did not reconnect until Cole was 15.
In a 2021 interview with Cowboys & Indians magazine, the then-49-year-old Cole Hauser recalled the moment he first discovered his father’s identity. Speaking with film critic and historian Joe Leydon, he shared that he was “nine or 10 years old” when he saw the name “Wings Hauser” appear on television.
Cole Hauser’s Late Discovery of His Father Wings Hauser
Yellowstone star Cole Hauser, 49, recently shared in a resurfaced interview that he didn’t realize the late Wings Hauser was his father until he was “nine or 10 years old.” The revelation came while watching television in New York City this past November. Wings Hauser, a prolific character actor known for his work since the late 1970s, passed away last weekend at age 78.
Hauser recounted the moment vividly: “I waited for the finish of the film, and I saw Wings Hauser. So, I went into my mom’s room, and I said, ‘Hey mom. I just saw a guy on TV, his name’s Wings Hauser.’” His mother’s surprised reaction—“Wow!”—prompted a conversation that finally explained the connection. “And so, she explained to me who he was. And that’s how I found out about my dad,” he added.
It wasn’t until five years later, around age 15, that Hauser met his father in person. In a 2002 interview with Film Freak Central, he noted, “I didn’t really grow up with him, but when I moved out to LA he let me live with him for a year and we got to know each other a little then.” Though Wings wasn’t a major influence on Cole’s choice of roles—their careers diverged significantly—Hauser valued his father’s seasoned insights into the acting world and the realities of show business when he was starting out.
Cole Hauser Recalls Father Wings’ Pride in Yellowstone and Their Montana Roots
Yellowstone star Cole Hauser, now 49, told Cowboys & Indians in 2021 that he first learned his father’s identity while watching TV as a child. Noticing the unusual name “Wings Hauser” in a movie’s credits, he mentioned it to his mother, Cass Warner, who then revealed the truth. Wings, a prolific character actor known for 1980s action films like Tough Guys Don’t Dance and later The Insider, had been absent from Cole’s life since divorcing his mother when Cole was two.
Despite the early estrangement, the two reconnected when Cole moved to Los Angeles at 15 and lived with Wings for a year. In the same interview, Cole shared that his father became a “huge fan” of Yellowstone, his son’s most prominent role to date. “He’s obviously very proud of what I’ve done in it,” Cole said, adding that Wings—an “old cowboy” at heart—felt a deep connection to the series because “our family, the Hauser side, are all Montanans.”
Wings’ roots ran deep in the state, with relatives in Helena, Livingston, and beyond. “It’s very close to him,” Cole explained. The Dutton Ranch saga, which aired its final episode in December after Kevin Costner’s departure midway through season five, clearly resonated with the elder Hauser’s heritage and love for the Western lifestyle.
Cole launched his own film career in 1992 and gained early notice with a small role in 1993’s Dazed and Confused, a cult classic that launched several stars. He later reunited with co-star Ben Affleck in 1997’s Good Will Hunting. In 2023, Affleck humorously told the Bill Simmons Podcast he was “disturbed” by then-wife Jennifer Lopez’s obsession with Yellowstone—particularly the romance between Cole’s Rip Wheeler and Kelly Reilly’s Beth Dutton—highlighting the show’s cultural impact and the pride Wings took in his son’s success.
Matt Damon and Ben Affleck Praise Cole Hauser’s Raw Talent from Dazed and Confused Days
Matt Damon and Ben Affleck, who co-starred with Cole Hauser in Good Will Hunting and first met him on the set of Dazed and Confused, have long championed his talent. Damon recently shared on the Bill Simmons Podcast that when they worked with a 16-year-old Hauser, both he and Affleck were stunned by his ability. “Leaving me and you out, who’s the f***ing best actor here?” Damon recalled asking Affleck during a drive back to Boston. “And both of us, at the same time, were like, ‘Hauser.’ He was raw talent; just astonishing…and just the sweetest soul.”
Hauser made his film debut in 1992 and earned a small but memorable role in 1993’s Dazed and Confused, a coming-of-age classic that launched numerous careers, including those of Affleck and Damon. Years later, in 1997’s Good Will Hunting, the trio reunited. “I was always mystified that Cole wasn’t a giant movie star,” Damon added, underscoring his belief in Hauser’s exceptional potential from the start.
Affleck echoed the praise, calling Hauser “very convincing” as Rip Wheeler, the loyal Montana ranch foreman in Yellowstone. “I think America believes he is Rip,” he said. The comment came amid Affleck’s 2023 podcast anecdote about being “disturbed” that his then-wife Jennifer Lopez was obsessed with the series—especially the intense romance between Rip and Beth Dutton, played by Kelly Reilly.
Despite early acclaim, Hauser’s path led to television stardom rather than blockbuster fame, but his Dazed and Confused co-stars remain in awe of the raw, authentic talent they recognized decades ago.
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