Paul Walter Hauser‘s career continues to evolve as he takes on diverse roles in both drama and comedy. Recently, he secured a huge career role in the authorized Chris Farley biopic, which is directed by Josh Gad and, now, Hauser is also set to appear in the upcoming Naked Gun reboot by Paramount Pictures, where he will play Captain Ed, a role previously portrayed by George Kennedy in the original films. The news was reported first by Deadline.
Hauser‘s breakthrough role came as the title character in Clint Eastwood‘s Richard Jewell. The movie tells the story of Richard Jewell, a security guard falsely accused of the 1996 Atlanta Olympics bombing. Hauser‘s performance was widely praised for its depth and authenticity, bringing to life the emotional turmoil of a man wrongfully implicated in a national tragedy.
Joining Hauser in the Naked Gun reboot are Liam Neeson and Pamela Anderson. Neeson, who is cast as Frank Drebin, has shared his thoughts back in January when speaking with Collider‘s Robert Taylor on venturing into comedy, acknowledging the challenges and expressing a cautious optimism about his role. He emphasised the importance of a script that balances humor with a coherent storyline:
“Well, obviously, the script has got to be funny and have a kind of a theme, a kind of a story, albeit quite loose, going through the script rather than just a series of gags, which can get boring very, very quickly. Yes, I’m honored to be offered the part of Frank Drebin, and a little bit nervous about it because I’ve done a couple of skits before that were just very short TV things, but this would be, I don’t know, 95, 100 minutes of a film. They’re still casting it so hopefully my other cast members will be funny and sexy so that I could just be dead absolutely straight. There has to be lots of visual gags going on, too.”
When is the ‘Naked Gun’ Reboot Coming Out?
Directed by Akiva Schaffer, the reboot is scheduled for a July 2025 release and aims to refresh the franchise while maintaining its classic comedic elements. Hauser is not only branching into comedy but has also demonstrated considerable ability in dramatic roles. His portrayal of serial killer Larry Hall in Apple‘s Black Bird earned him critical acclaim and several awards. Additionally, he has upcoming roles in other significant projects like Tony Tost‘s Americana and Doug Liman‘s The Instigators, where he will star opposite Matt Damon.
Stay tuned to Collider for updates on the Naked Gun reboot.
via Collider