Paul Walter Hauser on ‘Black Bird’ and Getting Into the Mind of a Killer

Anyone familiar with Paul Walter Hauser from lighthearted romps like “Cobra Kai” and “Cruella” might be surprised to learn his performance in the Apple TV true crime series “Black Bird’’ is genuinely one of the most unnerving in recent history. But for Hauser, taking on the role of serial killer Larry Hall—which has earned him Golden Globes and Critics Choice wins to go with a SAG nomination—was simply a matter of leveling up. “I really liken my acting to like how Dave Grohl talks about music, like you can be classically trained or you can just suck and then get good,” he tells us. “I don’t think I ever sucked sucked, but I definitely wasn’t where I am now. I think it’s trial and error and you just absorb and you do. I think what I lacked in craft and sort of performance intellect I had in recklessness and fearlessness.” On this episode of In the Envelope: The Actor’s Podcast, Hauser takes us behind the scenes of his chilling performance and what it taught him about a