Golden Globe winner Paul Walter Hauser has revealed that he refuses to work with Hollywood figures who support Donald Trump, prioritising equality and human rights in his role selection.
The 40-year-old actor and wrestler, who will compete for PROGRESS Wrestling in London on Sunday, has been open about his Christian faith but remains willing to appear in raunchy comedies like Balls Up or Zach Cregger's gory Resident Evil movie.
Morality and Role Selection
Speaking exclusively to Metro, Hauser said: 'I really feel good about still doing R-rated comedies or an action film or something violent like wrestling. For me, it's more about the ideology.'
The Hollywood star is much more likely to turn down working for a Trump supporter. 'I've been asked to work with certain people in the faith-based realm who I think support Donald Trump and don't support equality and human rights,' he admitted. 'There are some folks I've steered clear from, or told them the truth and just said I don't think the writing's up to snuff.'
Hauser has heard of plenty of 'Christian believing people' in Hollywood who refused to work on anything 'edgy' because they 'feel like they're sinning'. 'I kind of feel like that limits your opportunities and also limits your ministry as a person,' he added, describing himself as the 'potatoes' on the plate of the entertainment world, with a filmography including Inside Out 2 and Richard Jewell.
Wrestling Career and Championship Defence
Hauser regularly appears for Major League Wrestling (MLW) in the US and the UK's PROGRESS, where he is the current Proteus Champion. 'My intention is to be 47 years old with an Academy Award Oscar,' he said. 'And still wrestling and bleeding all over the 2300 Arena in Philly at the age of 47.'
He will defend his title in an Open Challenge at Camden's Electric Ballroom on Sunday for Chapter 199: Bonestorm, thriving in the role of the 'Mercenary', which plays off his real-life Hollywood success. 'That's not who I really am. But as the mercenary, I get to employ that psychological methodology and try to get in his head and surprise him,' he explained, admitting it has been challenging. 'In my daily life, I want to be liked. So wilfully making people not like me or playing into the very thing that they don't like about me, that was tricky.'
Despite his intense and bloody performances over the past few years, some wrestling fans remain sceptical, and he has heard a 'certain high-level wrestling star' has been talking behind his back. 'They were basically alluding to the fact that I didn't really belong in wrestling,' he said, adding that they 'took a few shots at me in different ways'. 'It was somebody I actually am a fan of and admire their work, so I was kind of bummed,' he added. 'But, it's good to find out about that stuff because it puts a healthy chip on your shoulder, and it also lets you know who to help and who not to help when they call.'
Upcoming Projects and Future Plans
Hauser has 'seven movies in the can', including Olympic Curling comedy Sticks and Stones, dark comedy The Very Best People, and crime thriller Tommy Karate with Pete Davidson. 'It's one of my favourite movies I've ever been in. I'm just okay in it, but Pete Davidson's amazing. He's transformative, and the movie itself is unbelievable,' he said. 'Most people would think he and I are doing a comedy, but that's a cool mob movie.'
He reiterated that he is comfortable working on darker movies where there is a chance for lightness, although that is not always the case in the final edit. He noted that Resident Evil's original ending was 'a bit more sacrificial', but the edited version was less so. He joked that it was not 'totally' what he had signed up for, but he was 'really proud' of the film and loved working with Austin Abrams and director Zach Cregger, who he hailed as 'super smart'.
Hauser is excited about his next sci-fi horror The Flood, starring Jennifer Lawrence, and expects great things. 'Zach knows the balls he can hit,' he added. 'I think that film is going to be another magnum opus from him.' He is also working on a Mick Foley biopic, which now has a writer attached.
Despite his wife 'probably wishing' he would quit wrestling in the next couple of years, Hauser remains committed. 'You get some bit of pent-up frustration or energy out you wouldn't necessarily get otherwise,' he said. 'I would be shocked if I wasn't 48 years old, bleeding from my skull in front of 800 people.'
