Luke Wilson

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Luke Wilson
Wilson in 2021
Born
Luke Cunningham Wilson

(1971-09-21) September 21, 1971 (age 52)[1]
Dallas, Texas, U.S.
OccupationActor
Years active1994–present
Parent
Relatives

Luke Cunningham Wilson (born September 21, 1971) is an American actor. He is known for his roles in films such as Bottle Rocket (1996), Rushmore (1998), My Dog Skip (2000), Legally Blonde (2001), The Royal Tenenbaums (2001), Old School (2003), Idiocracy (2006), You Kill Me (2007), The Skeleton Twins (2014), Meadowland (2015) and Brad's Status (2017). On television, he played Casey Kelso on That '70s Show (2002–2005), Levi Callow on Enlightened (2011–2013) and Pat Dugan / S.T.R.I.P.E. on Stargirl (2020–2022). He is the younger brother of actors Andrew Wilson and Owen Wilson.

Early life[edit]

Wilson was born in Dallas, Texas, the youngest of three sons of Robert Andrew Wilson (1941–2017), an advertising and television executive, and his wife Laura (née Cunningham; born 1939), a photographer.[2] His family, originally from Massachusetts, is of Irish Catholic descent.[3]

All three Wilson boys attended St. Mark's School of Texas. According to Owen, Luke was voted class president the first year he attended St. Mark's.[4] He became interested in acting while attending Occidental College in Los Angeles.[5]

Career[edit]

Wilson's acting career began with the lead role in the short film Bottle Rocket in 1994 which was co-written by his older brother Owen and director Wes Anderson. It was remade as a feature-length film in 1996.[2] After moving to Hollywood with his two brothers, he was cast opposite Calista Flockhart in Telling Lies in America[2] and made a cameo appearance in the film-within-the-film of Scream 2,[2] both in 1997. Wilson filmed back-to-back romantic films in 1998, opposite Drew Barrymore, Best Men, about a group of friends who pull off a heist on their way to a wedding,[2] and Home Fries which is about two brothers interested in the same woman for different reasons.[2] He played the physician beau of a schoolteacher in Rushmore (also released in 1998) also directed by Anderson and co-written by his brother Owen.[2]

Wilson in 2003

In 1999, he portrayed Detective Carlson in Blue Streak. He later starred opposite Reese Witherspoon in the 2001 comedy Legally Blonde.[6] It was followed by Old School and The Royal Tenenbaums.[2] Wilson also had a role on That '70s Show, as Michael Kelso's older brother Casey Kelso appearing sporadically from 2002 through 2005.[7]

In 2006, Wilson starred in Idiocracy, a dystopian comedy directed by Mike Judge. Wilson portrayed an ordinary serviceman frozen in a cryogenics project. He awakens after hundreds of years in an America which is significantly less intelligent.[8]

In 2007, Wilson starred in the thriller Vacancy, opposite Kate Beckinsale,[9] and Blonde Ambition. In the same year, he worked on Henry Poole is Here in La Mirada, California which was released in 2008.[2] In 2009, he starred in Tenure.[2][10] In 2010, he appeared in films Death at a Funeral and Middle Men.[2] From 2011 to 2013 he starred in the HBO TV series Enlightened.[11]

Wilson in 2016

Since 2020, Wilson stars in the DC Universe/The CW series Stargirl as sidekick-turned-mechanic-turned superhero Pat Dugan / S.T.R.I.P.E.[12]

In 2023, he starred in the HBO Max animated series Fired on Mars as Jeffrey Cooper, a graphic designer for a business on Mars whose life is changed upon his termination.

Wilson has written a Wright Brothers biopic with his brother Owen, in which they also plan to star.[13]

Personal life[edit]

Wilson was formerly in a relationship with Home Fries co-star Drew Barrymore.[14]

In a 2019 interview, he commented on the fact that he has publicly expressed interest in starting a family since 1996, saying, "I'm 47, I'm ready for that. I need to get to work."[15]

Filmography[edit]

Film[edit]

Year Title Role Notes
1996 Bottle Rocket Anthony Adams
1997 Bongwater David
Telling Lies in America Henry
Best Men Jesse Reilly
Scream 2 Billy Loomis Plays a character in the film-within-a-film Stab.
1998 Dog Park Andy
Home Fries Dorian Montier
Rushmore Dr. Peter Flynn
1999 Kill the Man Stanley Simon
Blue Streak Detective Carlson
2000 My Dog Skip Dink Jenkins
Committed Carl
Preston Tylk Preston Tylk
Charlie's Angels Peter Kominsky
2001 Legally Blonde Emmett Richmond
Soul Survivors Jude
The Royal Tenenbaums Richard "Richie" Tenenbaum
2002 The Third Wheel Stanley
2003 Masked and Anonymous Bobby Cupid
Old School Mitch Martin
Stuck on You Himself
Alex and Emma Alex Sheldon / Adam Shipley
Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle Peter Kominsky
Legally Blonde 2: Red, White and Blonde Emmett Richmond
2004 Around the World in 80 Days Orville Wright
Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy Frank Vitchard
Wake Up, Ron Burgundy: The Lost Movie Direct-to-video
2005 The Wendell Baker Story Wendell Baker Also director, writer and producer
The Family Stone Ben Stone
2006 Hoot Officer David Delinko
Mini's First Time John Garson
My Super Ex-Girlfriend Matt Saunders
Idiocracy Corporal Joe Bauers
Jackass Number Two Himself
2007 You Kill Me Tom
Vacancy David Fox
3:10 to Yuma Zeke
Blades of Glory Sex Class Instructor
Battle for Terra Lt. James "Jim" Stanton Voice
Blonde Ambition Ben
2008 Henry Poole Is Here Henry Poole
Vacancy 2: The First Cut David Fox Archive footage
2009 Tenure Charlie Thurber
2010 Death at a Funeral Derek
Middle Men Jack Harris
2012 Meeting Evil John
Straight A's William
2013 Move Me Brightly The Interviewer Documentary
2014 The Skeleton Twins Lance
Ride Ian
2015 Playing It Cool Samson
Meadowland Phil
The Ridiculous 6 Danny
Concussion Roger Goodell
2016 Outlaws and Angels Josiah
Dear Eleanor Bob Potter
All We Had Lee
Rock Dog Bodi Voice
Approaching the Unknown Louis Skinner
2017 Brad's Status Jason Hatfield
The Girl Who Invented Kissing Leo
2018 Arizona Scott
Measure of a Man Marty Marks
High Voltage Rick
2019 Berlin, I Love You Burke Linz
Phil Detective Welling
Guest of Honour Father Greg
The Goldfinch Larry Decker
Zombieland: Double Tap Albuquerque
2020 All the Bright Places James
Bobbleheads: The Movie Earl Voice
Direct-to-video
2021 12 Mighty Orphans Rusty Russell
The Cleaner Jim Russell
2022 Gasoline Alley Vargas
Look Both Ways Rick
2023 Miranda's Victim Lawrence Turoff
Fingernails Duncan
Merry Little Batman Batman Voice[16]
2024 Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 1 Post-production
Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 2 Post-production
TBA Plus/Minus Post-production
You Gotta Believe Bobby Ratliff

Television[edit]

Year Title Role Notes
1998 The X-Files Sheriff Hartwell Episode: "Bad Blood"
2001–2004 That '70s Show Casey Kelso 6 episodes
2004 Entourage Himself Episode: "Talk Show"
Saturday Night Live Himself (host) Episode: "Luke Wilson/U2"
2011–2013 Enlightened Levi Callow 11 episodes
2013 Drunk History Will Keith Kellogg Episode: "Detroit"
2016 Roadies Bill 10 episodes
2019 Room 104 Remus Episode: "The Plot"
2020–2022 Stargirl Pat Dugan / S.T.R.I.P.E. Main role
2020–2021 Emergency Call Himself (host) 10 episodes
2023–present Fired on Mars Jeff Cooper (voice) Main role

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ Fernández, Alexia (June 17, 2021). "Luke Wilson Says He's 'Starting to Feel Panicky' About Turning 50: 'When Did This Happen?'". People. Dotdash Meredith.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k "Luke Wilson- Biography". Yahoo!. Retrieved March 26, 2023.
  3. ^ Stuever, Hank (July 20, 2006). "The Brothers Grin". The Washington Post. Retrieved May 11, 2010.
  4. ^ audio commentary on Criterion Collection's Bottle Rocket DVD
  5. ^ Zoller Seitz, Matt (August 4, 2010). "Luke Wilson: How it feels to be America's boyfriend". Salon. Retrieved July 14, 2020.
  6. ^ ""Legally Blonde" Movie Review". about.com. Retrieved October 11, 2012.
  7. ^ "Everybody Loves Casey". tv.com. Retrieved October 11, 2012.
  8. ^ "Idiocracy". empire online. Archived from the original on March 9, 2012. Retrieved October 11, 2012.
  9. ^ "Picks and Pans Review: Vacancy's Luke Wilson ... Checks in About Brotherly Love—and the Other Kind Too!". people. May 7, 2007. Retrieved October 12, 2012.
  10. ^ "DVD Review: Luke Wilson in "Tenure"". Orlando Sentinel. April 23, 2010. Archived from the original on April 26, 2010. Retrieved October 12, 2012.
  11. ^ Patterson, Troy (October 14, 2011). "Laura Dern Is Enlightened". slate.com. Retrieved October 12, 2012.
  12. ^ Boucher, Geoff (January 8, 2019). "'Stargirl': Luke Wilson Joins Cast of DC Universe Series". Deadline. Retrieved January 9, 2019.
  13. ^ Larry King (September 26, 2014). "Luke Wilson on "Larry King Now" - Full Episode in the U.S. on Ora.TV". Archived from the original on December 21, 2021 – via YouTube.
  14. ^ Escalante, Ana (January 28, 2022). "Drew Barrymore Reveals She Had an Open Relationship With Luke Wilson". Glamour. Archived from the original on February 5, 2022. Retrieved June 8, 2022.
  15. ^ Swan, Allison (January 30, 2019). "Luke Wilson Admits He'd Still Love To Be A Dad At 47: 'I Need To Get To Work' On That". Hollywood Life. Retrieved June 24, 2021.
  16. ^ Melissa, Billie (November 14, 2023). "Luke Wilson Is Bruce Wayne in Merry Little Batman". Men's Journal | Streaming. Retrieved November 14, 2023.

External links[edit]