Gerald Dwight "Wings" Hauser (born December 12, 1947) is an American actor, screenwriter, film director, and musician. A prolific character actor, he has appeared in over 100 film and television productions since 1967, and was once called "the biggest star you've never heard of." Hauser received an Independent Spirit Award nomination for his supporting role in Tough Guys Don't Dance (1987).

Early life

Hauser was born in Hollywood, California, 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 McCarthyism, and the family moved outside Los Angeles when Hauser was 8 years old, where his father started a small theatre group. 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 13-month-old daughter Bright. In 1975, Hauser released an album for RCA 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, succeeding Brian Kerwin in the part. Hauser remained with the show until 1981, when he was succeeded by Howard McGillin. He returned to the part nearly thirty years later for three episodes, in 2010. Hauser's had his film breakthrough playing the villainous pimp Ramrod in Vice Squad (1982). Hauser also wrote and performed the film's theme song, "Neon Slime". In 1983, he wrote the story for the Paramount Pictures box-office hit Uncommon Valor. The film was stories of a childhood friend, Gary Dickerson, who had been to Vietnam. "I saw that he had left something behind in Viet Nam and that triggered the whole thing," said Hauser. "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." He starred in the 1982 made-for-TV movie Hear No Evil as Garrard. In 1987, he was co-starred in the Norman Mailer-directed Tough Guys Don't Dance, earning an Independent Spirit Award nomination for Best Supporting Male. Hauser appeared in 41 television series, including recurring roles in Beverly Hills 90210, Murder, She Wrote, and Roseanne, and a cameo as a juror in the season-4 episode "Mr. Monk Gets Jury Duty" of Monk. He appeared in the French movie Rubber, directed by French musician Quentin Dupieux.

Personal life

Hauser has a daughter, Bright Hauser, from his first marriage to Jane Boltinhouse. From his second marriage to Cass Warner Sperling, daughter of Milton Sperling, he has a son, actor Cole Hauser. Wings Hauser is married to actress Cali Hauser. The Melbourne Underground Film Festival held a retrospective with his films in 2009.

Filmography

Film

Television episodes

Citations

Sources