Emmy Winner Thankful for Prayers as He Celebrates 3 Years Sober

Published: October 30, 2024

Emmy Winner Thankful for Prayers as He Celebrates 3 Years Sober

By Movieguide® Contributor

Actor and comedian Paul Walter Hauser just celebrated three years of sobriety.

In a recent Instagram post shared, Hauser included four different pictures of himself, each showing his personality or a different role he played.

“Of my many looks or iterations, my favorite is sobriety,” he wrote. “3 Years Sober. If you need help, ask for it. A lot of good is waiting on the other side of surrender.

“Thanks to @amybolandhauser & @seanmilkman for keepin me alive, and sending love to many of you who gave support in prayer, check-ins and action items,” he added.

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A post shared by Paul Walter Hauser (@paulwhausergram)

Hauser decided to quit drinking because “it opened up a door to some darker thoughts and suicidal ideation. I scared myself. So midway through filming BLACK BIRD, I quit drinking,” he told Mens Health.

“It took me a little while to realize, though, that being ‘California sober’ wasn’t going to cut it,” Hauser continued. “I was approaching 90 days of sobriety when I owned up to my sober buddies that I had still been using marijuana, and I was going to stop. I started my day count over on October 26, 2021.

“Looking back, this was the step that made my subsequent weight loss and fitness journey possible,” he added. “Because while I felt strong, doing yoga every day and shooting hoops and eating well, I didn’t feel healthy in my heart or my mind until I got sober. I liked Paul the actor, but I didn’t have a good relationship with myself as a human being. Simply by not being in an altered state all the time, I was able to get in touch with the real me. And I started to think, ‘oh, I can love this person. This is a different guy. He isn’t destructive or mean-spirited. I need to be this guy if I’m going to still be around in 10 years.'”

Earlier this fall, the Emmy winner revealed that he’s teaming up with THE CHOSEN to bring their new animated series, THE CHOSEN ADVENTURES, to life.

A synopsis of the show reads, “THE CHOSEN ADVENTURES is a 14-episode animated series set in Capernaum and follows 9-year-old Abby and her friend Joshua as they meet Jesus around 30 A.D. A plot summary describes Abby as an inquisitive girl who doesn’t ‘have the kinds of answers she’s looking for’ — until she meets Jesus.”

Hauser was met with some criticism by fans, but he responded with grace.

“If I can calmly correct you- I did THE CHOSEN animated series because 1) I love Jesus 2) I thought the writing was good 3) I enjoy watching THE CHOSEN 4) I act for money to provide for my family,” he wrote on X.