WEST PALM BEACH — Colt Hauser is a behind-the-scenes type of guy. Not one to seek attention.
Why is that noteworthy? Because it's not what you might expect from the son of celebrity parents known for their roles in front of the cameras.
Colt is the son of Cole Hauser, idolized for his role as Rip Wheeler in "Yellowstone" and "Dutton Ranch." His mother is Cynthia Daniel, who played Elizabeth Wakefield in "Sweet Valley High" and was one of the iconic Doublemint Twins.
But everything about Colt says he prefers not to be in the spotlight.
On the football field, Colt is a senior offensive lineman fordefending state champion Cardinal Newman High School who says "I don't like being the main guy, I like doing the protecting."
In the classroom, he is planning
to major in criminal justice and pursue a career in the Secret Service, where he can protect at the highest level.
"I'm not a big camera guy … I don't like all the attention," Colt said. "I don't know, I've never been … I just don't like all the eyes on me. I like being low key I guess you could say."
Not something Cole Hauser — who plays a rugged, classic modern cowboy in one of the most popular television series of this era — or Cynthia Daniel can say.
Cole is an actor whose career started in the 1990s with roles in "Dazed and Confused" and "Good Will Hunting," and later in "2 Fast 2 Furious." He reached global fame with "Yellowstone."
Cynthia is a former actress who, along with her identical twin, Brittany, appeared in those Doublemint chewing gum ads and starred together in "Sweet Valley High," "The Basketball Diaries" and "That '80s Show."
Colt Hauser heading for North Carolina State
While Colt recognizes the accomplishments, success and fame of his parents, he has concentrated on forging his own legacy … even while sifting through college offers from schools such as North Carolina State, Duke, North Carolina, West Virginia, Army and Navy — 15 in all — that came his way since Cardinal Newman won the 2025 Class 1A state championship.
"When you're getting recruited by someone, you could tell if they're recruiting you because of your last name," Colt said. "I could sense that in some of the places I went.
"And that's a big reason, too, why I love NC State."
Colt, listed at 6-foot-1, 280 pounds by 247Sports, verbally committed to NC State in June, a decision recognized by his dad. "So proud of how you have conducted yourself throughout the process son! I can’t wait to see what you do with the Wolfpack," Cole wrote on social media.
So proud of how you have conducted yourself through out the process son! It can’t wait to see what you do with the Wolfpack https://t.co/zSitJLM3jy
— Cole Hauser (@colehauser) June 8, 2026
Part of the reason, Colt said, was the Wolfpack was the first "big school" to contact him and his visit "felt like home."
Another is that they wanted Colt for who he is.
"I sat down with a coach and they're like, 'I don't (care) what your last name is. I'm recruiting you because you're good at football,' " Colt said. "That's the biggest thing to me. I want to forge my own path. I don't want to live off my dad or anything."
Colt, a three-star recruit according to 247Sports Composite, carries a 3.86 GPA. He plans to graduate in December and enroll at the Raleigh-based school in January.
'It's perfect,' Colt Hauser says of Yellowstone set
Colt's travels with his dad have ranged from getting behind-the-scenes access and meeting people at sporting events, to being on the set of "Yellowstone" ("It's perfect. It's as beautiful as it looks"), to witnessing his dad's popularity in public.
"Right now, he's not all dyed up … his beard and his hair, so he's kind of under the radar, so he gets away with it," Colt said. "But there's definitely times and places where you have people at airports and stuff like that.
"It's a little annoying, but it's part of the job. It's part of his legacy."
While Colt may prefer a much more low-key presence in public and not having all eyes on him, his role as a Crusaders captain calls for him to be in front of the team. And that he'll accept.
FollowingCardinal Newman's sloppy 24-7 loss at West Boca RatonSept. 10, Colt stood while surrounded by teammates to reiterate the coaches' message how the performance was unacceptable. During a recent practice, as the team was running sprints, he was one of the leaders making sure his teammates were in line and listening to coaches.
And he spoke about the importance of strong leadership making sure the team does not fracture during times of adversity.
A role he embraces.
"He loves football and he's a hard worker and he pushes his teammates," Newman coach Jack Daniels said. "Everybody on the offensive line looks up to him. He has a lot of leadership skills."
Colt transferred to Cardinal Newman from Jensen Beach High School before his junior year. The family has a home in Martin County. His brother, Ryland, played tight end at Jensen Beach and received scholarship offers but decided to attend Texas Christian University, where he is enrolled in business school.
Cardinal Newman hosts Jensen Beach on Friday, Sept. 18 at 6:30 p.m.
Cole Hauser played youth football and soccer but dropped out of high school to pursue a career in acting. He is from impressive Hollywood lineage, starting with his maternal great-grandfather, Harry Warner, a founding partner of Warner Bros. Studio.
So it was in his blood.
Just not Colt's.
Cole and Cynthia fully support their children — they have two sons and a daughter — no matter the path. They attend most of Colt's games, including being there in December to see their son win a state championship.
And Daniels knew he was welcoming a true football family and a player who receives tough love from his famous father.
During their visit to Cardinal Newman, before Colt transferred, Daniels asked how long it took to drive to the school. Cole said about 1 hour and 20 minutes.
"I said, 'that's a long way,' " Daniels said. "And he goes, 'Bull****. If he wants to do it, I used to jump on the buses and ride four hours to try out for an acting job and ride four hours back that same day. That's nothing.' "
Tom D'Angelo is a senior sports columnist and reporter for The Palm Beach Post. He can be reached at tdangelo@pbpost.com.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Yellowstone actor Cole Hauser's son a star at Palm Beach County school
