Are Wings Hauser and Cole Hauser related? All about the family as veteran actor passes away

Wings Hauser, known for his roles in Vice Squad and The Young And The Restless, has passed away at the age of 78.

His death was confirmed by his wife, Cali Lili Hauser, who announced it on her Instagram account, stating that he died of natural causes on March 15, 2025. The statement read,

“Movie icon Wings Hauser took flight in the arms of his film and music partner, Cali Lili Hauser, at their studio this weekend. Born in Hollywood, proud Academy member and prouder son of Academy Award winning writer, director, producer Dwight A. Hauser and loving mother Geraldine T. Hauser, 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.”

Hauser's career spanned nearly six decades, during which he became a prominent character actor in both film and television. The iconic actor was related to Yellowstone’s Cole Hauser, who is his son. He recently starred as Rip Wheeler, Kevin Costner’s son-in-law, in the series, which aired from 2018 to 2024.

Recently, in an interview with People Magazine, the 49-year-old actor shared the advice his father gave him before entering into the film industry.

“Yeah, you know you're gonna get knocked down in this business. You're gonna be told 'no' a lot, but just keep following your dreams.”

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Here is everything we know about Wings Hauser’s family

Wings Hauser was born on December 12, 1947, in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, to parents Geraldine and Dwight Hauser. His birth name is Gerald Dwight Hauser, according to his IMDb profile.

His father was a writer, producer, and director. A report in Entertainment Weekly stated that he was victimized by the Hollywood blacklist. He was best known for his work on the classic radio series The Whistler.

The actor’s mother was dubbed the "matron saint" of Lake Sherwood's "Teen Canteen" and was a theatre actress brought up in Carmel, California, as per IMDb. She was the daughter of writer Tom Thienes.

A report in Hello magazine stated that the relationship between Cole Hauser and his father, Wings Hauser, was complex and evolved over the years. In his childhood, the late actor was not a part of his life until his teenage years, the Yellowstone actor told Cowboys & Indians magazine.

"I saw him on TV, and I didn't know he was my dad. I waited for the finish of the film, and I saw Wings Hauser [in the credits]. So, I went into my mom's room, and I said, 'Hey Mom. I just saw a guy on TV, his name's Wings Hauser.'"

The actor continued,

"And she looked at me and went: 'Wow!' And I said, 'Yeah, I saw this guy.' And she goes, 'Yeah, well, let's talk about that.' And so, she explained to me who he was. And that's how I found out about my dad."

Wings Hauser married Cole’s mother, Cass Warner, in 1974, until they separated in 1977. Cole went on to live with his mother, which further severed the ties between him and his father.

But the father-son duo reconnected when Cole was in his teens. Cole shared with the outlet that Wings was a "huge fan" of Yellowstone and "very proud of what I've done in it."

A report in Entertainment Now indicated that Hauser was married four times throughout his life and has two children. At first, he tied the knot with singer Jane Boltinhouse; they became parents to their daughter, Bright. His second marriage was with Cass Warner Sperling of the Warner Brothers family. They welcomed Cole Hauser, their second child.

Later, he tied the knot with Nancy Locke, and they were married for 20 years, between 1979 and 1999. He married actress Cali Hauser in 2002. She is referred to as Hauser’s “young music and filmmaking partner.”

At the time of his death he was in the process of making a documentary on his life and career, which was called Working Class Actor. In her post on Instagram, Cali shared that he had a strong desire to pass the torch to her and continue their joint creative endeavors.