It's incredibly sad how easily you can be typecast into a role based on your public perception. Oftentimes, people will only see you as one thing, minimizing your humanity. This is especially true in Hollywood. Paul Walter Hauser knows the experience far too well.
The Richard Jewell actor is very aware of how casting directors look at him based on his previous roles. Talking to People Magazine, he shrugs, "I've played every type of chubby, misguided person. I don't need to play 900 more."
Thankfully, he's still finding success as he navigates his film career. Hauser discusses the work he's put in to lose 40 pounds for his role in the Apple TV+ miniseries Black Bird. "I put some of that weight back on, and now I'm bringing it back down," he says. "Slowly but surely, I'm going to be chipping away at that."
He goes on to state that his lead role in the Chris Farley biopic will be his last role as a big man. After that, he's committing himself to a healthier lifestyle. "Chris Farley will be my last very heavy-set role in which I am on paper and visually overweight," he declares. "I have every intention to get the weight down, like Jonah Hill and Seth Rogen and all these other guys who have done it.
Hauser is Striving for a Healthier Lifestyle
His family is his biggest motitvation in trying to lose weight. The 2025 Fantastic Four actor earnestly expresses how he can't be around for them if he doesn't try his best everyday to cut back. He knows it's going to be hard. It's a different kind of addiction than most people might understand. "[Food] is still that thing where it becomes a comfort or an outlet. And, unfortunately, everybody eats," he sighs. "You got to eat a couple times a day, so it's always there. Whereas, I can not buy marijuana and not buy alcohol, and it feels very distant."
A healthier lifestyle will also allow him to pursue his other areas of interest. He recently appeared on ROH, a smaller promotion under the larger thumb of AEW. He also wrestles for various independent promoters, slowly but surely honing out his in-ring work. In order to pursue that line of work in a more active capacity, he'll need practice and reps. That'll be a massive help in his weight loss journey.
