Posted in: Sports, TV, WWE | Tagged: biopic, Mick Foley, Paul Walter Hauser, wwe

Paul Walter Hauser Spoke with Mick Foley About Biopic TV Series/Film

Paul Walter Hauser ("I, Tonya," "Richard Jewell") spoke with professional wrestler/author Mick Foley about playing him in a series or film.

Paul Walter Hauser has been on a roll lately and been more than capable of tackling the challenges before him with critically acclaimed roles with his expansive range in drama and comedy, including the biopics I, Tonya (2017), Warner Bros Richard Jewell (2019), Comedy Central's Reno 911!, Disney's Cruella (2021) and Inside Out 2  (2024), and Netflix's Cobra Kai. The Emmy Award winner was recently cast in Marvel's Fantastic Four, Paramount's The Naked Gun reboot, and another biopic in New Line's Chris Farley biopic as the late comedian. On top of his successful acting career, he's been living his dream as a professional wrestler on the independent scene, including an upcoming appearance for Major League Wrestling on June 1st. On the heels of the 2023 A24 biopic The Iron Claw about the Von Erich wrestling family, Hauser has his sights on telling the story of another wrestling legend, Mick Foley.

Paul Walter Hauser Wants to Do a Mick Foley Biopic

"I'm literally talking to Mick Foley right now about the potential of playing him in a movie or limited series," Hauser told The Wrap. "I don't know which, and I don't know how, but he and I have become friendly. And I think he knows that that could be a really great stroke of genius in casting me to play him." The actor explained other wrestlers had approached him. "A couple of people have approached me to potentially play different wrestlers in different projects, and for me, I just have to make sure that there's a real story there, and I'm not just doing it because I'm a fan."

Hauser feels he fits a particular mold to play certain wrestlers. "I've got to look enough like the guy. So, I don't think I'll be playing Steve Austin, but I could maybe play a Mick Foley or a Jim Neidhart." Hauser is far from the first actor with pro-wrestling ambitions. Andy Kaufman was one of the first crossover successes, and there are several wrestlers who have made the transition to Hollywood with the biggest names Jesse Ventura, "Rowdy" Roddy Piper, Hulk Hogan, Dave Bautista, Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, and John Cena. Foley, famously known as Cactus Jack and WWE's Mankind, is a four-time world champion, three with WWE and one with TNA/Impact Wrestling. The hardcore legend and WWE Hall of Famer is most synonymous with his time in WWE, WCW, ECW, and NWA garnering several tag championships and secondary title runs. While Foley makes the occasional wrestling appearance with his most recent one for WWE's NXT in November 2023. For more, including Hauser's pro wrestling ambitions, you can check out the interview here.

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