5 Things You Didn’t Know About ‘Yellowstone’ Star Cole Hauser
Cole Hauser has captivated audiences on the hit series Yellowstone as Rip Wheeler. As the show is in its fifth season, you might be wondering more about Hauser. With acting seemingly in his blood, he has celebrated a successful career and has a beautiful family, with a wife you may recognize from the 1990s.
Hauser and his character Rip have something in common: Hauser also grew up on a ranch. “My family is from Montana, so to be able to do both,” he shared about his experience growing up in Montana and Oregon. “It’s always interesting if you look at your career, and especially as an actor, you usually have one or two defining roles, if you’re lucky, and this is one that I just think was a match made in heaven — it’s the one I kind of dreamt up; Taylor [Sheridan] helped me do that.”
1 Comes From a Long Hollywood Lineage
Stephen Shugerman/Getty Images
Hauser’s family has been in Hollywood for decades; his great-grandfather, Harry M. Warner, was one of the original founders of Warner Bros. Studios. In addition, his maternal grandfather, Milton Sterling, was a producer and screenwriter, and his paternal grandfather was Academy Award-winning screenwriter Dwight Hauser. His parents are actor Wings Hauser (76) and Cass Warner (who passed away in March 2024 at the age of 76), the founder of the film production company Warner Sisters.
2 Famous Friends
Miramax/Everett Collection
After starring in School Ties with Ben Affleck and Matt Damon in 1992, they became very close friends. The trio reunited when they were cast in Good Will Hunting a few years later. He once said that his friends and their success inspired and pushed him to take risks and not be pressured into projects he wasn’t excited about.
3 Married to a ’90s Star
Ron Galella, Ltd./Ron Galella Collection via Getty Images
You may recognize Hauser’s wife, Cynthia Daniel, from the ’90s series Sweet Valley High, which she starred in with her real-life twin Brittany. They have been together for around 30 years and have three children. Hauser recently opened up about how they met on The Drew Barrymore Show, explaining that they met at his mom’s house because Daniel was friends with his sister. He saw her walk by the window and wanted to know her immediately. He asked if she could be invited to dinner that evening, and the rest is sweet history.
4 Attended Peace Camp
Universal/Everett Collection
In the late ’80s, Hauser attended the Samantha Smith World Peace Camp in Maine, which sparked his interest in social issues. He is an avid supporter of the Armed Forces and works with the organization Free Rein, which pairs previously abused horses with people who need mental help support. As part of his work with Free Rein, he and his team donate money to the Special Operations Warrior Foundation, which helps children of fallen warriors and drops off coffee for police officers, paramedics, military members and more. “It’s my life’s mission; I’ve been doing it for almost 28 years now,” he said. “I’ve been over to Afghanistan, I’ve spent time on bases all over the world, I’ve done military films, I’ve worked with technical advisors.”
5 High School Dropout
He knew his path at an early age and dropped out of high school to pursue an acting career. He got roles in some popular ’90s movies, including Dazed and Confused and Good Will Hunting, which ultimately led to his current success on Yellowstone. You may also recognize him in White Oleander, 2 Fast 2 Furious, The Break-Up, A Good Day to Die Hard, and, more recently, The Ritual Killer.
In addition to acting, he is a writer as well. “I wrote a movie about the Irish mob — you know, the 1970s, the rise and fall of the New York Irish Mob,” he said. “I’ve done that, I did Chosin, which is about the Korean War and the Chosin Valley on the reservoir. You know, I’m always doodling and writing. My mom was a writer, my grandfather was a writer — it’s just in our family.”
Tell us, who is your favorite character on Yellowstone? Now learn more about another Yellowstone star with a famous parent:
Remind 
Wild West- Heroes & Villains
November 2022
Celebrates the unique sense of justice, compassion and adventure in the Old West as seen on TV and in the movies
Buy This Issue