20-03-2025
Wings Hauser Dies: The ‘Vice Squad' And ‘Tough Guys Don't Dance' Actor Was 77
Florence, AZ 1985: Wings Hauser promotional photo for the ABC tv movie 'Command Five'. (Photo by Bob ... [+] D'Amico /American Broadcasting Companies via Getty Images)
Wings Hauser, a character actor with over 100 film and television credits, died Saturday at his home in Santa Monica, California after battling COPD. He was 77.
'Wings Hauser's one of a kind, legendary career spanned 58 years in movies, TV and music working alongside many of the greatest artists in the industry and earning their respect," wrote his wife Cali on Instagram.
Born Gerald Dwight Hauser on December 12, 1947 in Hollywood, California, Wings Hauser made his film debut in the 1967 was film First to Fight. Following a number of early guest roles in TV series including Cannon, Movin' On, Baretta and Emergency!, Hauser gained attention with a stint as Greg Foster on the daytime drama The Young and the Restless from 1977 to 1981. Nearly 30 years later, in 2010, he revived the role for three episodes.
LOS ANGELES - JANUARY 5: Wings Hauser as Greg Foster (1977-1981) on THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS. ... [+] Image dated January 5, 1978. (Photo by CBS via Getty Images)
In 1982, Hauser is remembered role his role as an abusive pimp named Ramrod in the crime thriller Vice Squad, which also featured his voice singing the film's theme song. The following year he came up with the idea for the Vietnam-era war film Uncommon Valor, starring Gene Hackman and Patrick Swayze.
In 1986, Hauser was cast in the NBC police parody The Last Precinct opposite Adam West and Ernie Hudson, which aired for eight episodes. One year later, he earned an Independent Spirit Award nomination for Best Supporting Male in the crime mystery dramedy Tough Guys Don't Dance.
More film and television roles followed, including Hauser's four-episode stint as Lieutenant Colonel Miller in the war drama China Beach from 1990 to 1991.
In 1991, Hauser headlined the one season syndication action-themed drama Lightning Force. And his film resume included Wilding (1990), Beastmaster 2: Through the Portal of Time (1991), Michael Mann's The Insider (1999) and Rubber (2010).
Wings Hauser in a scene from the film 'Beastmaster 2: Through The Portal Of Time', 1991. (Photo by ... [+])
Later appearances on television included TV dramas The Mentalist, The Defenders, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, Hawaii Five-O and Castle.
In addition to wife Cali, survivors include his children Bright Hauser and Cole Hauser, who plays Rip Wheeler on Yellowstone; his two sisters; and his grandchildren, Hutchinson, Holden, Ryland, Colt and Steely Rose.
