DETROIT — Paul Walter Hauser auditioned for the role of a suspected serial killer in "Black Bird" over Zoom from his parents' basement in Saginaw.
The "Cruella" star was home for the holidays in December 2020 when he received a call to audition for the part of Larry Hall, who is in jail for murder but whose sentencing is coming up for appeal. Taron Egerton ("Rocketman") plays a smooth talking convict who gets transferred to Hall's prison to try to elicit a confession out of him that will keep him locked away and will hopefully lead to the discovery of more of his victims' bodies.
Hauser let everyone in the house know he was headed downstairs for an important call, and that their quiet would be appreciated. "I just cordoned myself off and popped off the audition," says Hauser, on a Zoom call last week during the "Black Bird" junket in Los Angeles. "I had really rehearsed it ad nauseam, so I I knew I had it down."
