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Paul Walker Hauser has been kicking it around Hollywood as a supporting character actor for almost 20 years. He’s been in films such as I, Tonya and Richard Jewell, as well as TV shows like Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, Cobra Kai, and Reno 911!. Paul is currently starring as Embarrassment in Inside Out 2, which we saw over the weekend. It was really good! Anyway, one of those interviews was with CinemaBlend’s Sean O’Connell. It was Paul and Lewis Black sitting down with O’Connell. During the interview, O’Connell tried comparing Paul’s career trajectory to Vin Diesel’s, because Diesel has also done a stint in voice acting, saying “I am Groot” over the course of six Marvel Cinematic Universe movies. Well, Paul shut that down real quick. He does not want to be compared to someone that he considers to be very unpleasant.
While promoting Inside Out 2, Hauser, and comedian Lewis Black, were chatting with someone at Cinemablend. The interviewer told Hauser that he was having a Vin Diesel-like arc, but the Cruella star shut them down quickly. “Please don’t say that. I like to think I am on time and approachable,” Hauser noted, much to the delight of Lewis Black. “I love people, but when I hear stories about Hollywood actors who get paid really well and mistreat people… I out them constantly, and it’s a blast.”
Good on Paul for calling Vin out. You can watch the clip below, and you can tell Black is delighted by it all. Paul and Vin have never worked together so his comments came from what he’s heard from other people who have worked with him before. I would be so embarrassed if my coworkers were talking about how awful my behavior is but that’s because I have a sense of shame and try to treat people with respect. Anyway, Vin’s behavior has been whispered about for years. The first time I remember thinking, “Oh that guy’s a jerk, too bad” was after his beef with Dwayne Johnson. And yes, I know, The Rock has a bit of a reputation himself.
I wish more steadily working and respected actors like Paul would speak out about actors who are nightmares to deal with, whether on set or off. I know a lot of people would be afraid of doing that and ruining their careers, but as we saw with Ellen, it only takes one person to poke a hole in the bucket before the water starts rushing out. In December, Vin’s former assistant sued him for sexual battery, which got covered up pretty quickly, probably because it happened right before Christmas. Since Paul shading Vin has gone viral, it’ll be fun to watch who else speaks out about Vin’s bad behavior.
Photos credit: Xavier Collin / Image Press Agency / Avalon, Faye’s Vision/Cover Images, Curtis Bonds Baker/Netflix ©2022 and Getty
