When I sawI, Tonyaat the Toronto International Film Festival in September of 2017, I was as blown away byMargot RobbieandAllison Janney’s performances as most critics, but I was also greatly impressed by the performances ofSebastian Stanand another young actor who I wasn’t familiar with by the name ofPaul Walter Hauser.I, Tonyawas released a few months later in December, and while Janney was feted with awards, and Robbie was showered with nominations, Hauser was left criminally overshadowed by his more famous co-stars So, despite fierce competition, I decided to bestow upon him the modest honor ofUp-and-Comer of the Monthwhenthat serieswas over at the Tracking Board. Hey, I’m not a member of any critics group or awards voting body, so it was the best I could do.
Hauser may not look like your typical Hollywood leading man but he’s leading the charge to change the industry’s perception of just what, exactly, a leading man should look like these days. And the ultimate point of Up-and-Comer of the Month is to signal to both the industry and readers who I think has what it takes to carve out a career for themselves in Hollywood, where fame is fleeting and longevity is hard to come by. It helps, of course, to work with genuine legends, and we’re pleased to report today that that’s exactly what is in Hauser’s future, as he has landed the lead inClint Eastwood’s fact-based dramaRichard Jewell. that’s right, they’ve dropped “The Ballad of” from the original title.
Hauser was on my own list of favorites that I recently tweeted upon learning ofSam Rockwell’s castingas Jewell’s defense attorney, as even though he’s not exactly a ‘name’ yet, I thought he’d be perfect for the role. The great thing about Eastwood is, he doesn’t require ‘names’ to get his movies made, as the filmmaker is more often than not the draw. And this time, in addition to two great actors, Eastwood is armed with another fascinating true story.
Richard Jewellfollows the heroic security guard who discovered a suspicious backpack at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics and quickly evacuated the area, only to see his life turned upside down when he was implicated as a possible suspect in the subsequent Olympic Park bombing. The “fake news” had real consequences, as the media turned him into an instant social pariah, though he maintained his innocence throughout the 88-day ordeal.
Jonah Hillwas originally going to play Jewell back whenEzra Edelman(OJ: Made in America) was attached to direct, and DiCaprio was to have played his defense attorney. Eventually, both actors decided to simply produce alongside Eastwood. The trio will be joined byJessica Meier,Kevin Misher,Tim Mooreand DiCaprio’s Appian Way partnerJennifer Davisson Killoran.Billy Raywrote the script, which is based on aVanity Fairarticle byMarie Brenner.Richard Jewellwas originally set up at Fox, but after the studio was acquired by Disney this spring, all parties thought it best to allow the project to migrate to Eastwood’slongtime homeat Warner Bros.
BesidesI, Tonya, Hauser recently co-starred inSpike Lee’sBlackKklansman, and he can currently be seen alongsideEmma ThompsonandMindy KalinginNisha Ganatra’s delightful comedyLate Night. Lee cast him again in his next film,Da 5 Bloods, and he is also filming the indie movieSilk RoadwithNick RobinsonandJason Clarke. Hauser is represented by CAA and Artists First, andthe Hollywood Reporterbroke the news of his casting.
