Owen Wilson Biography

Owen Cunningham Wilson (born November 18, 1968) is an American actor and screenwriter. Born in Dallas, Texas, he is the middle child, and has two brothers who are also actors, Andrew and Luke Wilson. He received his distinctive twice-broken nose during childhood.

Wilson is known for his long association with the film maker Wes Anderson, having shared co-writing and acting credits in the films Bottle Rocket (1996) which was his acting début, Rushmore (1998) and The Royal Tenenbaums (2001), which was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay, as well as acting in Anderson's The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou (2004) and The Darjeeling Limited (2007). Wilson is also known for his collaborations with Ben Stiller, appearing in eight films together including Meet the Parents (2000) and the cult classic Zoolander (2001). More recently he has starred in Woody Allen's Midnight in Paris (2011).

Early life

Wilson was born in Dallas, Texas, to photographer Laura (Cunningham) Wilson and Robert Andrew Wilson, an advertising executive and operator of a public television station. He has an older brother, Andrew and a younger brother, Luke. Both brothers are also involved in filmmaking. His family, originally from Massachusetts, is of Irish descent. Wilson attended New Mexico Military Institute and the University of Texas at Austin, where he pursued a Bachelor of Arts in English.

Career

After his film debut, Bottle Rocket, Wilson co-wrote with Anderson the script for Anderson's next two directorial efforts, Rushmore and The Royal Tenenbaums, for which they garnered an Oscar nomination for Best Original Screenplay.

Wilson then landed a role in The Cable Guy, directed by Ben Stiller, an early admirer of Bottle Rocket. After appearing in minor roles in action films like Anaconda, Armageddon and The Haunting, Wilson appeared in two dramatic roles: a supporting role in Permanent Midnight, which starred Stiller as a drug-addicted TV writer; and the lead role (as a serial killer) in The Minus Man, in which his future girlfriend, singer Sheryl Crow, was a co-star. He also made a cameo appearance in the Girl Skateboards video Yeah Right! in 2003.

Wilson got his big break with the 2000 comedy action hit Shanghai Noon, starring opposite Hong Kong action star Jackie Chan. The film grossed nearly US$100 million worldwide. His fame continued to rise after starring alongside Ben Stiller and Will Ferrell in the 2001 film Zoolander.

Gene Hackman took notice of Wilson's performance in Shanghai Noon and recommended Wilson to co-star in the 2001 action film Behind Enemy Lines. Also in 2001, Wilson and Anderson collaborated on their third film, The Royal Tenenbaums, which was a financial and critical success. The comedy featured an all-star cast, including Gene Hackman, Ben Stiller, Bill Murray, Anjelica Huston, Gwyneth Paltrow, Danny Glover, Seymour Cassel and brother Luke. Owen had a memorable supporting role in the film as Eli Cash, a drug-addled bon vivant who becomes a literary celebrity. The film earned the writing team an Academy Award nomination for Best Original Screenplay.

Wilson returned to the buddy-comedy genre in 2002 with the action comedy I Spy, co-starring Eddie Murphy. This big-screen remake of the television series flopped at the box office. He then reunited with Chan to make Shanghai Knights (2003), and co-starred in the film remake of the television series Starsky & Hutch (2004). Due to his busy schedule as an actor and an ongoing sinus condition, Wilson was unavailable to collaborate on the script for Wes Anderson's fourth feature, The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou. The 2004 film was ultimately co-written by filmmaker Noah Baumbach. However, Wilson did star in the film as Bill Murray's would-be son, Ned Plimpton; a role written specifically for Wilson. In 2004 Wilson worked with his brother Luke Wilson in the 2004 film Around the World in 80 Days as the Wright brothers.

Wilson partnered with Vince Vaughn in the 2005 Wedding Crashers which grossed over $200 million in the US alone. Also in 2005, Owen collaborated with his brothers by appearing in The Wendell Baker Story, written by brother Luke, directed by Luke and brother Andrew. In the 2006 Disney/Pixar film Cars, Wilson voiced Lightning McQueen, starred in You, Me and Dupree with Kate Hudson, and appeared with Stiller in Night at the Museum as Jedediah, the cowboy, an uncredited role.

He also appeared in ten films with Stiller (a long-time friend) to date: The Cable Guy (1996), Permanent Midnight (1998), Meet the Parents (2000), Zoolander (2001), The Royal Tenenbaums (2001), Starsky & Hutch (2004), Meet the Fockers (2004), Night at the Museum (2006), and the sequels Night at the Museum 2: Battle of the Smithsonian (2009) and Little Fockers (2010).

Wilson appeared in another Wes Anderson film, The Darjeeling Limited, which screened at the 45th annual New York Film Festival, the Venice Film Festival and opened September 30, 2007, co-starring Jason Schwartzman and Adrien Brody. Wilson next starred in the Judd Apatow comedy, Drillbit Taylor, released in March 2008. He appeared in a film adaptation of John Grogan's best-selling memoir, Marley & Me (2008), co-starring Jennifer Aniston.

The Darjeeling Limited, starring Wilson, Adrien Brody, and Jason Schwartzman was selected for a DVD and Blu-ray release by The Criterion Collection in October 2010.

Wilson provided the voice for the Whackbat Coach Skip in Wes Anderson's version of Fantastic Mr. Fox. He starred in the film The Big Year, an adaptation of Mark Obmascik's book The Big Year: A Tale of Man, Nature and Fowl Obsession. The film was released in October 2011 from 20th Century Fox and co-starred Jack Black, JoBeth Williams, Steve Martin, and Rashida Jones.

Wilson is a member of the comedic acting brotherhood colloquially known as the Frat Pack. His films have grossed more than $2.25 billion domestically (United States and Canada), with an average of $75 million per film. Wilson made a guest appearance on the NBC comedy Community with fellow Frat Pack member Jack Black.

Most recently, Wilson starred as a nostalgia-seized writer in the romantic comedy Midnight in Paris, written and directed by Woody Allen. The film was Allen's highest grossing thus far, and was also well received by critics. In March 2012, Wilson landed the leading role in the John Erick Dowdle Thriller "The Coup". In the film he is slated to play the role of the father in an American family that moves to Southeast Asia, only to find itself swept up in a wave of rebel violence that is overwhelming the city. With this role, Wilson returns to the action genre for the first time since 2001's Behind Enemy Lines.

Personal life

The 2002 release of the album C'mon C'mon by former girlfriend Sheryl Crow features the song "Safe and Sound", which is dedicated to Wilson in the liner notes and is said to be an autobiographical account of Wilson and Crow's relationship.

On August 26, 2007, Wilson was taken to St. John's Health Center for what was rumored to be a suicide attempt. He was then transferred to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles. His lawyer confirmed that he had been undergoing treatment for depression. A few days after his hospitalization, Wilson withdrew from his role in Tropic Thunder (being replaced by Matthew McConaughey), produced by and co-starring his friend and frequent collaborator Ben Stiller. He had been dating Kate Hudson since 2006, and the pair had broken up. It was widely speculated that his reaction to the breakup had had something to do with his alleged suicide attempt. After his hospital stay, Wilson participated in limited publicity and promotion for his films.

In 2008, it was reported that Wilson and Hudson had gotten back together and were planning to marry. However, they did not marry, but instead repeatedly broke up and got together again during 2008 and 2009 before finally breaking it off for good.

On January 10, 2011, Wilson's representative announced that Wilson and his girlfriend Jade Duell were expecting a baby. Four days later, on January 14, it was confirmed that Duell had given birth in Hawaii to a baby boy, Robert Ford Wilson.

Wilson is a fan of several Dallas-area professional sports teams, and has been spotted at Dallas Cowboys, Dallas Mavericks and Texas Rangers games.

Wilson's bumpy nose is the result of breaking it twice, once during a high school fight, and once playing football with friends.

Filmography

List of acting credits in film and television

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1996	Bottle Rocket	Dignan	Executive producer Co-writer with Wes Anderson Also in the short film
	The Cable Guy	Robin's Date
1997	Anaconda	Gary Dixon
1998	Armageddon	Oscar Choice
	Permanent Midnight	Nicky
1999	Heat Vision and Jack	Heat Vision	Voice only Television film
	The Haunting	Luke Sanderson
	Breakfast of Champions	Monte Rapid
	The Minus Man	Vann Siegert
2000	Meet the Parents	Kevin Rawley	Nominated " Blockbuster Entertainment Award for Best Supporting Actor - Comedy
	Shanghai Noon	Roy O'Bannon	Nominated " Blockbuster Entertainment Award for Best Action Team Nominated " Satellite Award for Best Supporting Actor: Musical or Comedy
2001	Behind Enemy Lines	Lt. Chris Burnett
	The Royal Tenenbaums	Eli Cash	Executive producer Co-writer with Wes Anderson Nominated " Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay Nominated " BAFTA Award for Best Original Screenplay Nominated " Chicago Film Critics Association Award for Best Screenplay Nominated " New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Screenplay Nominated " Online Film Critics Society Award for Best Original Screenplay Nominated " Phoenix Film Critics Society Award for Best Cast Nominated " Phoenix Film Critics Society Award for Best Original Screenplay Nominated " Satellite Award for Best Supporting Actor: Musical or Comedy Nominated " Toronto Film Critics Association Award for Best Screenplay Nominated " Writers Guild of America Award for Best Original Screenplay
	Zoolander	Hansel McDonald	Nominated " MTV Movie Award for Best On-Screen Duo
2002	I Spy	Alex Scott	Nominated " Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Screen Couple/Ensemble
2003	Shanghai Knights	Roy O'Bannon	Nominated " MTV Movie Award for Best On-Screen Duo
	Yeah Right!	Himself	Cameo appearance
2004	The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou	Ned Plimpton	Nominated " Boston Society of Film Critics Award for Best Cast Nominated " Broadcast Film Critics Association Award for Best Cast
	Meet the Fockers	Kevin Rawley
	Around the World in 80 Days	Wilbur Wright
	Starsky & Hutch	Ken Hutchinson	MTV Movie Award for Best Kiss Nominated " MTV Movie Award for Best On-Screen Duo Nominated " People's Choice Award for Favorite On-Screen Chemistry Nominated " Teen Choice Award for Choice Movie: Comedy Actor Nominated " Teen Choice Award for Choice Movie: Chemistry
	The Big Bounce	Jack Ryan
2005	The Wendell Baker Story	Neil King
	Wedding Crashers	John Beckwith	MTV Movie Award for Best On-Screen Duo People's Choice Award for Favorite On-Screen Match-Up Nominated " MTV Movie Award for Best Comedic Performance Nominated " Teen Choice Award for Choice Movie: Liplock
2006	Night at the Museum	Jedediah	Uncredited
	You, Me and Dupree	Randolph Dupree	Producer
	Cars	Lightning McQueen	Voice only
2007	'	Francis Whitman
2008	Drillbit Taylor	Drillbit Taylor
	Over Her Dead Body	Guy on Phone	Uncredited
	Marley & Me	John Grogan	Nominated " Teen Choice Award for Choice Movie: Liplock
2009	Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian	Jedediah
	Community	Cool Guy	TV Show: 1 Episode
	Fantastic Mr. Fox	Coach Skip	Voice only
2010	How Do You Know	Matty Reynolds
	Little Fockers	Kevin Rawley
	Marmaduke	Marmaduke	Voice only
2011	Hall Pass	Rick
	Midnight in Paris	Gil	Nominated " Comedy Award for Comedy Actor Nominated " Golden Globe Award for Best Actor " Motion Picture Musical or Comedy Nominated " Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture Nominated " Phoenix Film Critics Society Award for Best Cast
	Cars 2	Lightning McQueen	Voice only Nominated " People's Choice Award for Favorite Animated Movie Voice
	The Big Year	Kenny Bostick
2013	The Internship	Nick Campbell
	Freezing People Is Easy
	You Are Here		Completed
	Free Birds	Reggie	Voice only
	Drunk History	John Harvey Kellogg	Season 1 Episode 6: Detroit
2014	She's Funny That Way
	Inherent Vice	Coy Harlingen
	The Grand Budapest Hotel

Video Games

Year	Title	Role	Notes
2006	Cars	Lightning McQueen	Voice only