From a boat to a ranch: This actor’s hidden story will amaze you
Before meeting his father, he watched him on television. Their final reunion did not result in a picture-perfect friendship; rather, it left him living alone on a moored yacht, following a goal that few believed in. Decades later, he is the face of one of television’s most recognizable cowboys.
He’s now renowned as a dedicated family guy and Yellowstone’s strict enforcer. With his calm passion and authoritative presence, he’s become a fan favorite on one of television’s most popular series.
However, behind the celebrity is a significantly more convoluted story. Long before he walked on a Hollywood set, he was a fatherless child who moved from town to town, desperate to break into an industry that offered him nothing for free.
This is the true story of Cole Hauser.
Childhood Spent Between Ranches and Restlessness
Cole was born on a ranch north of Santa Barbara, and his earliest memories were straight out of a Western—riding horses, roaming open pastures, and growing up surrounded by the grit and freedom of the land, according to Men’s Journal.
At the age of four, he and his mother relocated to a 1,500-acre ranch in Eugene, Oregon. Armed with a BB pistol and an adventurous attitude, he subsequently recalled it as the best moment of his life.
His mother, a self-proclaimed gypsy and hippy, had a restless existence, moving the family when Cole was still a child. This time, they relocated to Clearwater, Florida, which he previously acknowledged he “wouldn’t wish on anyone.”
They eventually went to California, where, at the age of twelve, he wandered into an acting class—not because he loved the profession, but rather, as he freely stated, “There were good-looking girls, and you do a few plays.”
But then something unexpected occurred: he caught the bug.
Hollywood was in his blood—but not on his path.
When Cole told his mother he intended to pursue acting professionally, she dropped a bombshell: her maiden name was Warner. He, like Warner Bros., descended from Hollywood nobility.
However, that name did not open any doors. If anything, his mother made things even more difficult by insisting that if he wanted this life, he would have to work for it.
She sent him on a five-hour bus excursion from his hometown to Los Angeles for auditions. He’d arrive, walk to the casting studio, spend a few minutes in the room, and then turn around for the five-hour drive home.
After undergoing this routine several times, she divulged another family secret: his father was also an actress. His father was none other than Wings Hauser.
Cole had never met him. He didn’t even know who he was until he was nine or ten years old and saw him on television.
“I waited for the film to finish and noticed Wings Hauser [in the credits]. So I went into my mom’s room and said, “Hey, Mom.” I recently watched a man on TV named Wings Hauser. She glanced at me and said, ‘Wow!’ And I said, “Yes, I saw this guy.” And she says, ‘Yeah, well, let’s speak about it.
Cole eventually met his father when he was fifteen years old and came to Los Angeles to live with him, wanting to become closer to the profession.
The reunion was difficult. His father was struggling with significant substance abuse issues, which prevented him from providing stability. Cole instantly understood that he was on his own.
A teenager living aboard a boat, chasing a dream.
Rather than a Hollywood condo or a family home, Cole ended up living alone aboard a moored PT boat in Marina del Rey.
Many adolescents would have struggled. He prospered. “That was an awesome time because it meant freedom,” he later reflected.
While juggling auditions and odd jobs, he got his first major break in the 1992 picture School Ties, alongside future stars Matt Damon and Ben Affleck. Being so new to the industry, Freddie Francis, the renowned cinematographer, personally tutored him on site, teaching him how to achieve his marks and block shots.
His career progressed gradually after that.
Becoming Rip Wheeler
After years of playing rough, intense characters in films such as Dazed and Confused, Good Will Hunting, and 2 Fast 2 Furious, Cole was cast as Rip Wheeler in Yellowstone.
He didn’t simply draw on boyhood recollections of riding horses in Oregon to portray the hard-edged yet passionately devoted ranch foreman. He pushed himself into training, learning to rope and ride as if he had lived his whole life on the farm.
His performance impressed reviewers and fans alike, including his father.
Cole replied, “Absolutely,” when asked if his father was proud of him. “Yeah, he’s a huge fan of the show and is obviously very proud of what I’ve done in it.”
As it turned out, his family’s connection to the West was stronger than he had thought.
A Family Legacy in Montana.
Years after Yellowstone aired, Cole and his eldest son journeyed to Montana to investigate their family history.
They unearthed a heritage that dated back to the early days of American history. His great-great-grandfather, Samuel T. Hauser, not only contributed to the Lewis and Clark Expedition but also served as Montana’s first governor.
“I’ve always had this love for the state but didn’t really know why,” Cole remembered. “It makes so much sense now.” I mean, my family has been around since the dawn of time.”
Cole now understands the value of legacy, having become a father himself. He built his profession on guts, perseverance, and self-reliance, which he now instills in his own children.
And, while Rip Wheeler may be his most well-known character, his greatest accomplishment is the life he constructed despite all obstacles.