Gerald Dwight "Wings" Hauser (December 12, 1947 – March 15, 2025) was an American actor, screenwriter, film director and musician. A prolific

character actor A character actor is an actor known for playing unusual, eccentric, or interesting character (arts), characters in supporting roles, rather than leading ones.28 April 2013, The New York Acting SchoolTen Best Character Actors of All Time Retrie ...

, he appeared in over 100 film and television productions since 1967, and was once called "the biggest star you've never heard of". He received an

Independent Spirit Award The Independent Spirit Awards, originally known as the FINDIE or Friends of Independents Awards, and later as the Film Independent Spirit Awards, are awards presented annually in Santa Monica, California, to independent filmmakers. Founded in ...

nomination for Best Supporting Male for his role in '' Tough Guys Don't Dance'' (1987). He was also the father of actor Cole Hauser.

Early life

Hauser was born in the

Hollywood Hollywood usually refers to: * Hollywood, Los Angeles, a neighborhood in California * Hollywood, a metonym for the cinema of the United States Hollywood may also refer to: Places United States * Hollywood District (disambiguation) * Hollywood ...

neighborhood of Los Angeles, the son of Geraldine (née Thienes) and Dwight Hauser, a director and producer. His brother is actor Erich Hauser. The elder Hauser's career was hampered by the

Red Scare A Red Scare is a form of moral panic provoked by fear of the rise of left-wing ideologies in a society, especially communism and socialism. Historically, red scares have led to mass political persecution, scapegoating, and the ousting of thos ...

, and the family moved outside Los Angeles when Hauser was 8 years old, where his father started a small theatre group. He earned his nickname during high school, when he played

football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...

as a wing-back. Hauser made his film debut at the age of 18, when he played a small role in the 1967 war film ''First to Fight''. Although from an acting family, Hauser did not seriously pursue acting at first, and spent most of his twenties working as a folk musician and busker. For a period in the early 1970s, Hauser was homeless, and spent several months living in a vacant garage with his infant daughter Bright. In 1970, he was a member of the band "Vision of Sunshine" that released a self-titled album on the Avco-Embassy label. In 1975, Hauser released an album for

RCA RCA Corporation was a major American electronics company, which was founded in 1919 as the Radio Corporation of America. It was initially a patent pool, patent trust owned by General Electric (GE), Westinghouse Electric Corporation, Westinghou ...

titled ''Your Love Keeps Me Off the Streets''. For this LP, he used the name "Wings Livinryte". Though the album was not a success, it enabled Hauser to move into more stable housing with his daughter. The same year, he appeared in an episode of the television series ''Cannon'', earning his SAG card.

Career

Hauser first attracted notice in December 1977, when as an unknown he was cast to play Greg Foster on the soap opera ''

The Young and the Restless ''The Young and the Restless'' (often abbreviated as ''Y&R'') is an American television soap opera created by William J. Bell and Lee Phillip Bell for CBS. The show is set in the fictional Genoa City (named after the real-life Genoa City, Wiscon ...

'', succeeding

Brian Kerwin Brian Kerwin (born October 25, 1949) is an American actor who has starred in feature films, Broadway shows, and television series and movies. Life Kerwin was born in Chicago and raised in Flossmoor, Illinois. He has three siblings, Anne, Dennis, ...

in the part. Hauser remained with the show until 1981, when he was succeeded by

Howard McGillin Howard McGillin (born November 5, 1953, in Los Angeles, California) is an American actor. He is known for originating the role of John Jasper in '' The Mystery of Edwin Drood'' (1985) and for portraying the title role in Andrew Lloyd Webber's '' ...

. He returned to the part nearly thirty years later for three episodes, in 2010. Hauser had his film breakthrough playing the villainous pimp Ramrod in ''

Vice Squad Vice Squad are an English punk rock band formed in 1979 in Bristol. The band was formed from two other local punk bands, The Contingent and TV Brakes. The songwriter and vocalist Beki Bondage (born Rebecca Bond) was a founding member of the b ...

'' (1982). Hauser also wrote and performed the film's theme song, "Neon Slime". In 1983, he wrote the story for the

Paramount Pictures Paramount Pictures Corporation, commonly known as Paramount Pictures or simply Paramount, is an American film production company, production and Distribution (marketing), distribution company and the flagship namesake subsidiary of Paramount ...

box-office hit '' Uncommon Valor.'' The film was stories of a childhood friend, Gary Dickerson, who had been to Vietnam. According to Hauser:

I saw that ickersonhad left something behind in Viet Nam and that triggered the whole thing. And then I became aware of the MIA and the POW situation and said well that will be the excuse to go back to Nam and get the POWs, but what they’re really going back for is their own clarity and their own integrity right? And that’s the story. That’s the whole film.

In 1982, Hauser starred as Garrard in '' Hear No Evil'', a

television film A television film, alternatively known as a television movie, made-for-TV film/movie, telefilm, telemovie or TV film/movie, is a film with a running time similar to a feature film that is produced and originally distributed by or to a Terrestr ...

. In 1987, he was co-starred in the

Norman Mailer Nachem Malech Mailer (January 31, 1923 – November 10, 2007), known by his pen name Norman Kingsley Mailer, was an American writer, journalist and filmmaker. In a career spanning more than six decades, Mailer had 11 best-selling books, at least ...

-directed '' Tough Guys Don't Dance,'' earning an

nomination for Best Supporting Male. Hauser appeared in 41 television series, including recurring roles in ''

Beverly Hills, 90210 ''Beverly Hills, 90210'' (often referred to as ''90210'') is an American teen drama television series created by Darren Star and produced by Aaron Spelling via his production company Spelling Television. The series ran for 10 seasons on Fo ...

'', ''

Murder, She Wrote ''Murder, She Wrote'' is an American crime drama television series, created by Peter S. Fischer, Richard Levinson and William Link, starring Angela Lansbury, and produced and distributed by Universal Television for the CBS network. The series f ...

'', and ''

Roseanne ''Roseanne'' is an American television sitcom created by Matt Williams (producer), Matt Williams that originally aired on American Broadcasting Company, ABC from October 18, 1988, to May 20, 1997, and briefly revived from March 27, 2018, to May ...

'', and a cameo as a juror in the season 4 episode "Mr. Monk Gets Jury Duty" of ''

Monk A monk (; from , ''monachos'', "single, solitary" via Latin ) is a man who is a member of a religious order and lives in a monastery. A monk usually lives his life in prayer and contemplation. The concept is ancient and can be seen in many reli ...

''. In 2010, Hauser appeared in ''

Rubber Rubber, also called India rubber, latex, Amazonian rubber, ''caucho'', or ''caoutchouc'', as initially produced, consists of polymers of the organic compound isoprene, with minor impurities of other organic compounds. Types of polyisoprene ...

'', a French film directed by Quentin Dupieux.

Personal life and death

Hauser had a daughter, Bright Hauser, from his first marriage to Jane Boltinhouse. From his second marriage to Cass Warner Sperling, daughter of

Milton Sperling Milton Sperling (July 6, 1912 – August 26, 1988) was an American film producer and screenwriter for 20th Century Fox and Warner Bros., where he had his own independent production unit, United States Pictures. Biography Sperling, who was of ...

, he had a son, actor Cole Hauser. According to the younger Hauser, he and his father did not have a relationship when he was a child, but later reconciled and reconnected when he was a teenager. Hauser later remarried to actress Cali Lili Hauser. The two built a marine life and butterfly animal sanctuary. In the early 1990s, Hauser was in a relationship with actress

Linda Blair Linda Denise Blair (born January 22, 1959) is an American actress and activist. Her portrayal of Regan MacNeil in the horror film ''The Exorcist'' (1973) established her in popular culture and as a scream queen, earning her a Golden Globe Award ...

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a type of progressive lung disease characterized by chronic respiratory symptoms and airflow limitation. GOLD defines COPD as a heterogeneous lung condition characterized by chronic respiratory s ...

resulted in declining health for Hauser, who relied on breathing assistance from oxygen tanks in his final years. He died in Santa Monica on March 15, 2025, at the age of 77.

Filmography

Film

* 1967: '' First to Fight'' as Ragan (uncredited) * 1978: '' Who'll Stop the Rain'' as Marine Driver * 1982: ''

'' as 'Ramrod' * 1982: ''

Homework Homework is a set of tasks assigned to students by their teachers to be completed at home. Common homework assignments may include required reading, a writing or typing project, Exercise (mathematics), math problems to be completed, informatio ...

'' as 'Reddog' * 1982: '' Hear No Evil'' as Garrard * 1983: ''Ghost Dancing'' as Frank Carswell * 1983: ''

Deadly Force Deadly force, also known as lethal force, is the use of force that is likely to cause serious bodily injury or death to another person. In most jurisdictions, the use of deadly force is justified only under conditions of extreme necessity a ...

'' as 'Stoney' Cooper * 1984: ''

Mutant In biology, and especially in genetics, a mutant is an organism or a new genetic character arising or resulting from an instance of mutation, which is generally an alteration of the DNA sequence of the genome or chromosome of an organism. It i ...

'' as Josh Cameron * 1984: ''

A Soldier's Story ''A Soldier's Story'' is a 1984 American mystery drama film directed and produced by Norman Jewison, adapted by Charles Fuller from his Pulitzer Prize-winning '' A Soldier's Play''. It is a murder mystery set in a segregated regiment of th ...

'' as Lieutenant Byrd * 1984: ''Sweet Revenge'' as Major Frank Hollins * 1984: '' Terror in the Aisles'' as 'Ramrod' (in 'Vice Squad') (archive footage) (uncredited) * 1985: ''Command 5'' as Jack Coburn * 1985: ''The Long Hot Summer'' as Wilson Mahood * 1986: ''Dark Horse'' as Unknown * 1986: ''3:15'' as Mr. Havilland (uncredited) * 1986: '' Jo Jo Dancer, Your Life Is Calling'' as Cliff * 1986: '' The Wind'' as Phil * 1986: ''Hostage'' as Major Sam Striker * 1986: ''Raw Terror'' as Unknown * 1987: '' Tough Guys Don't Dance'' as Captain Alvin Luther Regency * 1987: ''No Safe Haven'' as Clete Harris * 1988: ''Dead Man Walking'' as John Luger * 1988: ''Death Street USA'' (a.k.a. '' Nightmare at Noon'') as Ken Griffiths * 1988: '' The Carpenter'' as Carpenter * 1989: '' The Siege of Firebase Gloria'' as Corporal Joseph L. DiNardo * 1989: ''L.A. Bounty'' as Cavanaugh * 1989: ''Bedroom Eyes II'' as Harry Ross * 1990: ''Reason to Die'' as Elliot Canner * 1990: ''Marked for Murder'' as Emerson * 1990: ''Coldfire'' as Lars * 1990: ''Street Asylum'' as Arliss Ryder * 1990: ''Out of Sight, Out of Mind'' as Victor Lundgren * 1990: ''Wilding'' as Tim Parsons * 1990: '' Pale Blood'' as Van Vandameer * 1990: ''Living to Die'' as Nick Carpenter * 1991: ''Bump in the Night'' as Patrick Tierney * 1991: ''Frame Up'' as Ralph Baker * 1991: ''The Killers Edge'' (a.k.a. ''Blood Money'') as Jack * 1991: '' Beastmaster 2: Through the Portal of Time'' as Arklon * 1991: ''The Art of Dying'' as Jack * 1991: ''In Between'' as Jack Maxwell * 1992: ''Frame Up II: The Cover-Up'' (a.k.a. ''Deadly Conspiracy'') as Sheriff Ralph Baker * 1992: ''Mind, Body & Soul'' as John Stockton * 1992: '' Exiled in America'' as Fred Jenkins * 1993: '' Champagne and Bullets'' as Huck Finney * 1994: '' Watchers 3'' as Ferguson * 1994: ''Skins (a.k.a. Gang Boys)'' as Joe Joiner * 1995: '' Victim of Desire'' as Leland Duvall * 1995: '' Tales from the Hood'' as Officer Strom * 1995: ''Broken Bars'' as Warden Pitt * 1995: ''Guns & Lipstick'' as Michael * 1996: '' Original Gangstas'' as Michael Casey * 1999: ''Life Among the Cannibals'' as Vince * 1999: '' The Insider'' as Tobacco Lawyer * 1999: ''Clean and Narrow'' as Sheriff Brand * 2001: ''Savage Season'' as Maddox * 2002: ''The Blue Lizard'' as 'Little G' * 2004: ''Irish Eyes'' (a.k.a. ''Vendetta: No Conscience, No Mercy'') as Kevin Kilpatrick * 2004: ''The Ruining'' as Not Hasselhoff * 2006: ''Mystery Woman: Wild West Mystery'' as Strother Elam * 2007: '' Avenging Angel'' as Colonel Cusack * 2007: '' The Stone Angel'' as Older Bram * 2010: ''

'' as Man In Wheelchair

Television

* 1975: ''

Cannon A cannon is a large-caliber gun classified as a type of artillery, which usually launches a projectile using explosive chemical propellant. Gunpowder ("black powder") was the primary propellant before the invention of smokeless powder during th ...

'' “A Touch of Venom” as Ethan Morse (Credited as Wings Livinryte) * 1976: ''

Baretta ''Baretta'' is an American detective television series which ran on ABC from 1975 to 1978. The show was a revised and milder version of a 1973–1974 ABC series, '' Toma'', starring Tony Musante as chameleon-like, real-life New Jersey police ...

'' as Dave * 1977: ''

Emergency! ''Emergency!'' is an American Action fiction, action-adventure medical drama television series jointly produced by Mark VII Limited and Universal Television. Debuting on NBC as a midseason replacement on January 15, 1972, replacing two situatio ...

'' as Larry, and injured gymnast * 1981-2010: ''

The Young and The Restless ''The Young and the Restless'' (often abbreviated as ''Y&R'') is an American television soap opera created by William J. Bell and Lee Phillip Bell for CBS. The show is set in the fictional Genoa City (named after the real-life Genoa City, Wiscon ...

'' as Greg Foster * 1981: '' Magnum, P.I.'' - "Wave Goodbye" as Nick Frangakis * 1983: '' The Fall Guy'' - "Just a Small Circle of Friends" as Baba * 1984: ''

Hunter Hunting is the human practice of seeking, pursuing, capturing, and killing wildlife or feral animals. The most common reasons for humans to hunt are to obtain the animal's body for meat and useful animal products ( fur/ hide, bone/tusks, ...

'' - "Dead or Alive" as Jimmy Jo Walker * 1985: '' Hardcastle and McCormick'' - "You Don't Hear The One That Gets You" as Arvin Lee * 1985: ''

Airwolf ''Airwolf'' is an American action military drama television series. It centers on a high-technology attack helicopter, code-named '' Airwolf'', and its crew. They undertake various exotic missions, many involving espionage, with a Cold War the ...

'' - "Airwolf II" as Harlan Jenkins * 1985: ''

The A-Team ''The A-Team'' is an American Action television, action television series that ran on NBC from January 23, 1983, to March 8, 1987, about a fictional team of former United States Army Special Forces who work as mercenaries while on the run from ...

'' - "Blood, Sweat, and Cheers", "The Big Squeeze" as Karl Ludwig / Jack 'The Ripper' Lane * 1985-1996: ''

'' - "Reflections of the Mind", "Night Fear", "Love & Hate in Cabot Cove", "Track of a Soldier" as Howard Levering / Sam Bennett / Wallace Evans / Carl * 1986: '' The Last Precinct'' as Lieutenant Hobbs * 1987: '' Perry Mason'' - "The Case of the Scandalous Scoundrel" as Captain James Rivers * 1988-1991: '' China Beach'' as Lt. Col. Mac Miller * 1990: '' Freddy's Nightmares'' - "Easy Come, East Go" as Sonny * 1992: '' Lightning Force'' as LT. Col Matthew 'Trane' Coltrane * 1992-1993: ''

'' as Ty Tilden, Neighbor * 1993: '' Space Rangers'' - "Fort Hope" as Ex-Ranger Decker * 1994: ''

Walker, Texas Ranger ''Walker, Texas Ranger'' is an American action fiction, action Crime drama, crime television series created by Leslie Greif and Paul Haggis. It was inspired by the film ''Lone Wolf McQuade'', with both the film and the series starring Chuck Norr ...

'' - "Right Man, Wrong Time" as Wayland Hampton * 1994-1996: ''

Beverly Hills 90210 ''Beverly Hills, 90210'' (often referred to as ''90210'') is an American teen drama television series created by Darren Star and produced by Aaron Spelling via his production company Spelling Television. The series ran for 10 seasons on Fo ...

'' as J. Jay Jones * 1995: '' Kung Fu: The Legend Continues'' - "Brotherhood of the Bell" as Damon * 1996: '' JAG'' - "Sightings" as J.D. Gold * 2003: '' Kingpin'' as Doug Duffy * 2005: ''

House A house is a single-unit residential building. It may range in complexity from a rudimentary hut to a complex structure of wood, masonry, concrete or other material, outfitted with plumbing, electrical, and heating, ventilation, and air c ...

'' - "Hunting" as Michael Ryan * 2007: ''

Bones A bone is a rigid organ that constitutes part of the skeleton in most vertebrate animals. Bones protect the various other organs of the body, produce red and white blood cells, store minerals, provide structure and support for the body, an ...

'' - "The Man in the Mud" (2007) as Lenny Fitz * 2009: ''

The Mentalist ''The Mentalist'' is an American procedural drama television series that ran from September 23, 2008, until February 18, 2015, broadcasting 151 episodes over seven seasons, on CBS. Created by Bruno Heller, who was also its executive producer, t ...

'' - "Paint It Red" as A.P. Caid * 2010: ''

Criminal Minds ''Criminal Minds'' is an American police procedural crime drama television series created by Jeff Davis that premiered on CBS on September 22, 2005. It follows a group of criminal profilers who work for the FBI as members of its Behavioral ...

'' - "Exit Wounds" as Sheriff Rhodes

References

Citations

Sources

* *

External links

*
Wings Hauser
(Aveleyman) {{DEFAULTSORT:Hauser, Wings 1947 births 2025 deaths Male actors from Los Angeles American male film actors American male soap opera actors American male television actors 20th-century American male actors 21st-century American male actors Warner family