Paul Walter Hause, along with many of his fans, would like to see him play legendary comedian Chris Farley in a biopic, but the window of opportunity for that to happen is very quickly getting smaller. Hauser, who impressed critics as the lead in Clint Eastwood's Richard Jewell, can now be seen in his next role in the new Disney movie Cruella with Emma Stone. These high-profile roles have been incredible opportunities for Hauser, though it's still hard for him not to think about the role that got away.

In a new interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Paul Walter Hauser opened up about his acting career. As regaled in the interview, playing Farley would have been a dream role for Hauser, who put in great effort to make the potential biopic happen. At one point, he even spoke to the Farley family about the project, but Hauser was never able to get the movie off the ground. Because the actor is now working on losing weight, he admits that his chance of playing Farley in a movie is literally growing smaller every week.

"I wanted to do a Chris Farley movie where he's in rehab for half of the film, and for the other half of the movie, he's doing his SNL stuff and his movies. I think I have a really great take on that story, but I'm trying to lose weight and I'm trying to redefine myself as a person of healthy choice-making, and as an actor. So the days of doing Fatty Arbuckle, Chris Farley or Ignatius J. Reilly in a Confederacy of Dunces movie have a very small time window, and it's getting smaller by the week."

It wasn't a secret that Hauser was hoping to make a Chris Farley movie. In December 2019, one fan, who had just watched Richard Jewell, posted that Hauser "needs to be handed a Chris Farley biopic immediately," praising the actor's "heart and tenderness."

"Thank you," Hauser posted in response. "Also, no one would do what I can do with Chris. Not bragging. It's a fricking fact. If that movie gets made, I'm taking it."

The most obvious issue in trying to make a Farley biopic is that there truly is no one else like the one-of-a-kind comedian. It's difficult to fathom anyone filling those shoes, and the task would be incredibly challenging for any actor. Even so, if such a movie were to happen, it's very easy to make the case that Hauser is the man for the job, given his level of talent along with the physical similarities. The potential biopic needs to happen now if it's going to happen at all.

Along with his breakout performance in Richard Jewell, Hauser is also known for his roles in I, Tonya, BlacKkKlansman, and Da 5 Bloods. He also played Stingray in the second season of Cobra Kai, and he says he's happy to revisit the role if the people at Netflix ever give him the call to return. You can catch him in the new movie Cruella which just premiered in the United States and on Disney+ with Premier Access. Hauser's full interview can be read at The Hollywood Reporter.