Character actor and genre regular Wings Hauser, best known for his role in 1982’s Vice Squad, has passed away.
Born Gerald Dwight Hauser on December 12th 1947, he was the son of Academy Award winning screenwriter Dwight Hauser.
Despite making his screen debut at the age of 18 in the war film First to Fight, Hauser was unwilling to follow his family into the business. Working as a jobbing folk musician and busker, Hauser often found himself homeless with his infant daughter Bright.
In 1975, Hauser released his debut album, under the name Wings Livinryte. That same year, he returned to acting with a small part in the television series Cannon.
Now a member of the Screen Actors Guild, Hauser secured a regular role on the soap opera The Young and the Restless. He would play the part of Greg Foster for four years before leaving.
Hauser’s breakout role came in 1982, when he starred as pimp “Ramrod,” in Gary Sherman’s 1982 horror-crime thriller Vice Squad.
From that point on, Hauser was a regular on the big and small screen, often pivoting back to genre roles.
Some of these include 1984’s Mutant, 1987’s The Wind opposite Meg Foster, the titular role in 1988’s The Carpenter, and 1995’s cult classic Tales from the Hood.
Away from the genre, Hauser received notice for his appearance in 1987’s Tough Guys Don’t Dance, for which he received an Independent Spirit Award nomination.
Hauser’s last feature film appearance was in the beloved 2010 comedy-horror Rubber.
On the small screen, Hauser had regular roles in shows such as China Beach, Roseanne, and Beverly Hills 90210. He also had guest spots in the likes of Murder, She Wrote, Criminal Minds, The A-Team, and The Mentalist.
A veteran of over 100 features, Hauser’s career was chronicled in the authorized documentary Wings Hauser: Working Class Actor. The project was crowd-funded in 2023, and is currently in post-production.
Known to have been in ill-health for the past few years, Hauser passed away on March 19th 2025.
He is survived by his two children, Bright and Cole, and his wife Cali Lili Hauser.
Wings Hauser was 77 years old.
Rest in peace, Wings.
