Cole Hauser

Hauser was born in Santa Barbara, California, the son of Cass Warner, who founded the film production company Warner Sisters, and actor Wings Hauser. His paternal grandfather was Academy Award-winning screenwriter Dwight Hauser. Cole Hauser's maternal great-grandfather was famous film mogul Harry Warner, a founding partner of Warner Bros., and his maternal grandfather was Milton Sperling, a Hollywood screenwriter and independent film producer. His maternal grandmother, Betty Mae Warner, a painter, sculptor, political activist and gallery owner, is now married to Stanley Sheinbaum, a noted political activist, economist, philanthropist, and a former Los Angeles Police Department commissioner. Hauser is of Irish descent on his father's side and Jewish on his mother's.

Hauser's parents divorced when he was two years old. According to him, at roughly fifteen, he first met his father after the relocation-induced years of separation. His father took him in for a year and taught him about auditioning. Prior to that, his restless but easy-going Mom had moved Hauser and his half brother and sisters from Santa Barbara to Oregon to Florida and then back to Santa Barbara within a 12-year-span. At the time, he delved heavily and enthusiastically into sports, but he half-heartedly pursued school. A good friend tried to lure Hauser into school acting classes since his interest in studying was on the wane. Just for the fun of it, the two boys applied for a renowned talent summer camp in New England. They were admitted to the short-listed circle of hopeful, elitist talents. A very clueless, insouciant and stunned Cole got the leading role of the stage play named Dark of the Moon, which earned him standing ovations for his performance. Bug-bitten, he turned all energy to this wondrous craft. His interest in school faded more. He was about 16 years old when he faced his liberal but wary parents with a strong determination to leave behind high school to try to break into acting. His parents gave him six months to make it.

After endless, unsuccessful auditions he finally got his break and was invited to fill out the first credited role for the movie School Ties which starred many young and up-and-coming actors such as Ben Affleck. A role in Richard Linklater’s Dazed and Confused came along subsequently. On the respective sets, he met plenty of fresh-faced actors and actresses, largely unknown to the public at the time. Hauser would later re-team with Affleck when they appeared together in Good Will Hunting. In 2003, he played a Navy SEAL in Tears of the Sun alongside Bruce Willis and a appeared as a mob boss in 2 Fast 2 Furious. He has since had several leading roles in Hollywood films, including Mel Gibson's Paparazzi and The Cave.

Hauser's wife is former actress and photographer Cynthia Daniel, who played Elizabeth Wakefield in the TV series adaptation of Francine Pascal's hit novel series, Sweet Valley High. Hauser and Daniel have two sons; Ryland Hauser, born in September 2004 and Colt Daniel Hauser born June 12, 2008.

Hauser founded Project American Spirit, an organization, which strives for giving strong moral, logistical and financial support to young disabled veterans.