'Yellowstone' star Cole Hauser says veterans are struggling even when we're not at war
Cole Hauser's dedication to veterans is an ongoing commitment.
Speaking with Fox News Digital at the Professional Bull Riding (PBR) finals in Arlington, Texas, the 50-year-old "Yellowstone" actor opened up about his efforts to support those who are serving, or have served, our country.
"Well, it's not just Memorial Day, it is every day, man," Hauser said of honoring vets. "One of my big interests is, how do we give back to the community? How do we put a message out there that inspires people to get up and follow their dreams?"
As a longtime advocate for veterans' needs, Hauser, who's on the board of special operations for the Warrior Foundation and gives back through his coffee company, Free Reign, said he's determined to do "anything and everything" to help those men and women achieve their goals.
"Just because we're not in war right now doesn't mean that there are not a lot of veterans struggling," he said. "It's mentally, physically [exhausting]. And there's always going to be an opportunity to help them. It's near and dear to my heart. It's our responsibility to take care [them]."
Hauser, whose grandfather served as a Marine, helps veterans and first responders in many ways, one of them being through Free Reign. One of the company's initiatives is called "Buy a Bag, Give a Cup," during which Free Reign donates a cup of coffee, or its equivalent, to all veterans, active-duty military personnel, first responders, nurses and teachers for every bag of coffee purchased.
In November, the "Yellowstone" actor explained it was important to him that his first company felt "very patriotic and American," noting everyone else "involved in [his] team all feel the same way."
"I think what I was interested in and very much still interested in and means just as much as the beans is taking care of veterans and first responders, teachers, people all over this country. Every bag you buy, we provide a cup. So this is kind of our ethos," he explained. "This is the reason why I got into it. I've been doing this – not for coffee – for 20 years. … I've been to Walter Reed. I've been to Fisher House. I've been over to Afghanistan. You know, I've been to bases all over this country. So that interests me as well."
Creatively, Hauser is focusing on his role in the upcoming "Yellowstone" spin-off in which he'll star alongside Kelly Reilly. They will reprise their roles as Beth Dutton and Rip Wheeler.
"We can expect the same that we've been doing for the last seven years: Kelly [Reilly] and I going and working our a-- off trying to create something special," he told Fox News Digital.
Hauser's role of the bad boy on the ranch began when his character, Rip, was found by John Dutton (Kevin Costner) as a child. Rip had murdered his stepfather to protect his mother, who succumbed to the abuse by her husband. John raised Rip on the ranch, and he became Yellowstone's hit man by executing violence and murders when necessary.
Similar to his "Yellowstone" persona, Hauser said his passion for riding horses only intensified throughout his experience filming the show.
"The amount of time that I've put in this battle … I was a decent rider when I started, but to be trained by all these unbelievable trainers. I think I'm most proud of the fact that I did the work at the end of the day. I love putting in the work."
In 2022, Hauser described how the role of Rip required grueling hours dedicated to "cowboy camp," his daily training to ride and rope effortlessly.
"You got to put in saddle time," he told Fox News Digital at the time. "There's no way around it. You're going to be sore for the first week, 10 days … you have to be great as a horseman. And Taylor [Sheridan] has been great throughout the five years of putting me with some of the best in the business when it comes to continuing to grow and be better not only [in] my job as a cowboy but also in the world of being a great horseman. So I'm blessed and lucky to have these people around me. And I'll continue to do it. I mean, there's no way you can ever be great at it. It's just one of those things you have to continue to work on."
Beyond playing Rip and supporting vets, Hauser has been focusing his energy on another passion project.
Most recently, Hauser stepped behind the camera to produce, write, direct, edit and star in PBR's new brand campaign titled "Be Cowboy."
The four-minute spot, which premiered at the PBR World Finals, shares the message that being a cowboy is more than what meets the eye; it's about heart, grit and how you live your life.
"The world of the PBR and the world of American cowboys, it's such a classy world," said Hauser. "People don't know that. It's a 'Yes, sir. No, sir. Yes, ma'am. No ma'am' environment. And it's just a pleasure to be at my age of 50 years old."
"To see that this still exists in our country, there's just an element of unbelievable characters here," said Hauser, who also hosted the Ultimate Tailgate Party during the world finals weekend.
Fox News Digital's Lori Bashian contributed to this post.
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