OWEN WILSON

 

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Owen Cunningham Wilson (born November 18, 1968) is an Academy Award-nominated American actor and writer. Wilson was nominated for an Academy Award for his work on the screenplay of The Royal Tenenbaums, but he is perhaps best known for his roles as John Beckwith in Wedding Crashers and as Hansel in Zoolander.

 

 

Owen Wilson and crowds premiere

 

Owen Wilson and crowds

 

 

Biography

 

Early life

 

Wilson was born in Dallas, Texas, and moved to Los Angeles with his brothers Luke and Andrew to pursue acting careers. Wilson's mother, Laura Wilson, has produced four photo books and served as Richard Avedon's assistant while he photographed his In the American West series.

 

 

Initial Success

 

While Owen Wilson found initial success as a film actor after his turn as Dignan in Bottle Rocket, Wilson remained a key creative collaborator to Wes Anderson's next two directorial efforts. Rushmore was the two writers' second script, and was partially based on Wilson's own expulsion from St. Mark's as a teenager. Although he didn't appear in the film, he and Anderson acknowledged on the Criterion Collection DVD audio commentary that Wilson has a sort of quasi-cameo as Rosemary Cross's dead husband, Edward Appleby. The photographs of Appleby in Ms. Cross's room are ones taken of Wilson as a boy.

 

Owen landed minor roles in big budgeted movies very quickly, such as The Cable Guy, directed by Ben Stiller, an early admirer of Bottle Rocket. After minor appearances in action films like Anaconda, Armageddon and The Haunting. Wilson also starred in two dramatic roles a supporting role in Permanent Midnight which starred Ben Stiller as a drug addicted TV writer and also Wilson starred in The Minus Man as a serial killer.

 

 

Movie Star

 

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

 

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

 

Owen returned to the buddy comedy genre in 2002 with the action comedy I Spy, co-starring this time with Eddie Murphy. The big screen remake of the television series flopped at the box office. He then reunited with Chan to make Shanghai Knights (2003) and the movie remake of the television series Starsky & Hutch (2004), and partnered with Vince Vaughn in the 2005 Wedding Crashers which grossed over $200 million dollars in the US alone. In 2006, Wilson voiced Lightning McQueen in Cars, starred in You, Me, and Dupree, and with Ben Stiller in Night at the Museum as well as Kyle Gulutzan and Sean Casey's production of "Roundabout", which will be released in December 2008.

 

 

Kate Hudson, Matt Dillon, and Owen Wilson in You, Me and Dupree

 

Kate Hudson, Matt Dillon, and Owen Wilson in You, Me and Dupree

 

 

Due to his busy schedule as an actor, he was unable to collaborate on the script for Wes Anderson's fourth feature, The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou, and the film was ultimately co-written by filmmaker Noah Baumbach. Wilson eventually did star in the film as Bill Murray's would-be son, Ned Plimpton, which was a role written specifically for Wilson.

 

Wilson, along with his brother Luke, Ben Stiller, Will Ferrell, Vince Vaughn, Jack Black, and Steve Carell are considered members of the Frat Pack. Owen is the first "Frat Pack" member to receive an Academy Award nomination. He has been in eight movies with Stiller (a long-time friend of Wilson) 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) and Night at the Museum (2006).

 

In early 2005, Wilson rushed to Stiller's defense, after The New Yorker published a disparaging characterization of Stiller's film performances, calling him "the latest, and crudest, version of the urban Jewish male on the make". The magazine published a letter written by Wilson, charging that the critic David Denby was a "bully" who blithely dismissed all of Stiller's filmography with a touch of personal rancor. In Wilson's words, he jumped to defend Stiller "not because [the article] was good or fair toward my friend but exactly because it wasn’t".

 

 

References in other media

 

Most references to Owen Wilson in other media focus on his misshapen nose (which was broken twice when he played football in high school and college):

  •  

    • On the Celebrity Death match episode where Wilson fights fellow Wedding Crashers costar, Vince Vaughn, Vaughn punches Wilson in his already broken nose, causing it to revert to normal. Wilson then laments, "Hey, you straightened my nose! There goes my career! I might as well be Luke Wilson," and punches his nose back to its broken state.

    • Note: - Owen has allegedly had his nose broken a total of 13 times from various accidents as a child, most involving incidents with his favorite sporting pastime football.

 

 

Character quotes

 

Oscar Choi (Armageddon)

  • "I'm, like, 98% excited, and maybe 2% scared. Or maybe it's backwards. Maybe I'm 98% scared, and, like, 2% excited. But that's what makes it so great... I'm so confused!"

 

Owen Wilson out on the town

 

Owen Wilson out on the town

 

 

Gary Dixon (Anaconda)

  • "Is it just me, or does the jungle make you horny?"

Hansel (Zoolander)

  • "You're talking loco and I like it!"

  • "The files are IN the computer?"

  • "I wasn't like every other kid, you know, who dreams about being an astronaut, I was always more interested in what bark was made out of on a tree. Richard Gere's a real hero of mine. Sting. Sting would be another person who's a hero. The music he's created over the years, I don't really listen to it, but the fact that he's making it, I respect that. I care desperately about what I do. Do I know what product I'm selling? No. Do I know what I'm doing today? No. But I'm here, and I'm gonna give it my best shot."

  • "Who are you tryin' to get crazy with, ese? Don't you know I'm loco?"

  • "Listen to your friend Billy Zane, he's a cool dude!"

  • "Well then you can just dere-lick... my balls."

 

Luke Saunderson (The Haunting)

  • "What's with the Addams Family mansion? Cos I gotta be honest with ya, I'm not getting a real strong sleep vibe."

 

Dignan (Bottle Rocket)

  • "What a lemon! One minute it's running like a top, and the next it's broken down on the side of the road. And I can't fix a car like this, because I don't have the tools! And even if I did have the tools I don't know if I could fix a car like this!"

  • "On the run from Johnny Law... ain't no trip to Cleveland."

  • "Well does the fact that I'm trying to do it, do it for you?"

 

Lightning McQueen (Cars)

  • "I'm stuck in hillbilly hell!"

  • "Speed... I am speed"

  • "Ka-chow!"

 

Filmography

 

Actor:
  1. Outsourced (2008) (announced) (in talks)

  2. The Darjeeling Limited (2007) (post-production)

  3. Drillbit Taylor (2007) (post-production)

  4. Night at the Museum (2006) (uncredited) .... Jedediah

  5. Mater and the Ghostlight (2006) (V) (voice) .... Lightning McQueen

  6. You, Me and Dupree (2006) .... Randy Dupree

  7. Cars (2006) (VG) (voice) .... Lightning McQueen

  8. Cars (2006) (voice) .... Lightning McQueen

  9. Wedding Crashers (2005) .... John Beckwith

  10. The Wendell Baker Story (2005) .... Neil King

  11. Meet the Fockers (2004) .... Kevin Rawley

  12. The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou (2004) .... Ned Plimpton

  13. Around the World in 80 Days (2004) .... Wilbur Wright

  14. Starsky & Hutch (2004) .... Ken Hutchinson

  15. The Big Bounce (2004) .... Jack Ryan

  16. Shanghai Knights (2003) .... Roy O'Bannon

  17. I Spy (2002) .... Special Agent Alex Scott

  18. Behind Enemy Lines (2001) .... Lt. Chris Burnett

  19. The Royal Tenenbaums (2001) .... Eli Cash

  20. Zoolander (2001) .... Hansel

  21. "King of the Hill" .... Rhett Van Der Graaf (1 episode, 2001)
        - Luanne Virgin 2.0 (2001) TV Episode (voice) .... Rhett Van Der Graaf

  22. Meet the Parents (2000) .... Kevin Rawley

  23. Shanghai Noon (2000) .... Roy O'Bannon

  24. The Haunting (1999) .. Luke Sanderson aka Maldición, La (USA: Spanish title)

  25. Breakfast of Champions (1999) .... Monte Rapid

  26. The Minus Man (1999) .... Vann Siegert

  27. Heat Vision and Jack (1999) (TV) (voice) .... Voice Of Heat Vision/Doug

  28. Rushmore (1998) (uncredited) .... Edward Applebee

  29. Permanent Midnight (1998) .... Nicky

  30. Armageddon (1998/I) .... Oscar Choi, Geologist

  31. Anaconda (1997) .... Gary Dixon

  32. The Cable Guy (1996) .... Robin's Date

  33. Bottle Rocket (1996) (as Owen C. Wilson) .... Dignan

  34. Bottle Rocket (1994) .... Dignan

 

Owen Wilson and Vince Vaughn in Wedding Crashers

 

 

 
Producer:
  1. You, Me and Dupree (2006) (producer)

  2. The Royal Tenenbaums (2001) (executive producer)

  3. Rushmore (1998) (executive producer)

  4. As Good as It Gets (1997) (associate producer)

Writer:
  1. The Royal Tenenbaums (2001) (written by)

  2. Rushmore (1998) (written by)

  3. Bottle Rocket (1996) (written by) (as Owen C. Wilson)

  4. Bottle Rocket (1994)

Miscellaneous Crew:
  1. This Is an Adventure (2005) (V) (special thanks)

Soundtrack:
  1. Starsky & Hutch (2004) (performer: "Don't Give Up On Us")

Self:
  1. Knocked Up (2006) (uncredited) .... Himself

  2. "Senkveld med Thomas og Harald" .... Himself (1 episode, 2006)
        - Episode dated 27 October 2006 (2006) TV Episode .... Himself

  3. "The Girls Next Door" .... Himself (1 episode, 2006)
    ... aka The Girls of the Playboy Mansion (UK)
        - Here's Looking at You, Hef (2006) TV Episode (uncredited) .... Himself

  4. The Road to Cars (2006) (TV) .... Himself

  5. "Late Night with Conan O'Brien" .... Himself (4 episodes, 1996-2006)
        - Episode dated 14 July 2006 (2006) TV Episode .... Himself
        - Episode dated 15 July 2005 (2005) TV Episode .... Himself
        - Episode dated 5 March 2004 (2004) TV Episode .... Himself
        - Episode dated 15 March 1996 (1996) TV Episode .... Himself

  6. "Live with Regis and Kathie Lee" .... Himself (3 episodes, 2005-2006)
    ... aka Live with Regis (USA: new title)
    ... aka Live with Regis & Kelly (USA: new title)
        - Episode dated 13 July 2006 (2006) TV Episode .... Himself
        - 'Cars' Premiere (2006) TV Episode .... Himself
        - Episode dated 14 July 2005 (2005) TV Episode .... Himself

  7. "The Daily Show" .... Himself (1 episode, 2006)
    ... aka The Daily Show with Jon Stewart (USA: new title)
    ... aka The Daily Show with Jon Stewart Global Edition (International: English title: cut version)
        - Episode dated 13 July 2006 (2006) TV Episode .... Himself

  8. "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno" .... Himself (3 episodes, 2004-2006)
        - Episode dated 11 July 2006 (2006) TV Episode .... Himself
        - Episode dated 8 July 2005 (2005) TV Episode .... Himself
        - Episode dated 23 February 2004 (2004) TV Episode .... Himself

  9. "HypaSpace" .... Himself (1 episode, 2006)
    ... aka HypaSpace Daily (Canada: English title: long title)
    ... aka HypaSpace Weekly (Canada: English title: long title)
        - Episode #5.116 (2006) TV Episode .... Himself

  10. 2006 MTV Movie Awards (2006) (TV) .... Himself/Presenter

  11. "Corazón de..." .... Himself (1 episode, 2006)
        - Episode dated 30 May 2006 (2006) TV Episode .... Himself

  12. CMT: The Greatest - Sexiest Southern Men (2006) (TV) (also archive footage) .... Himself

  13. The 78th Annual Academy Awards (2006) (TV) .... Himself - Co-presenter: Best Live Action Short

  14. "Magacine" .... Himself (1 episode, 2005)
        - Episode dated 7 October 2005 (2005) TV Episode .... Himself

  15. "Getaway" .... Himself (1 episode, 2005)
    ... aka United Travel Getaway (Australia: new title)
        - Episode #14.27 (2005) TV Episode .... Himself

  16. "Richard & Judy" .... Himself (1 episode, 2005)
        - Episode dated 13 July 2005 (2005) TV Episode .... Himself

  17. "HBO First Look" .... Himself (5 episodes, 1999-2005)
        - Wedding Crashers (2005) TV Episode .... Himself
        - The Big Bounce (2004) TV Episode .... Himself
        - Starsky & Hutch (2003) TV Episode .... Himself
        - I Spy (2002) TV Episode .... Himself
        - The Haunting (1999) TV Episode .... Himself

  18. Reel Comedy: Wedding Crashers (2005) (TV) .... Himself

  19. 2005 MTV Movie Awards (2005) (TV) .... Himself

  20. This Is an Adventure (2005) (V) .... Himself

  21. "Ellen: The Ellen DeGeneres Show" .... Himself (1 episode, 2005)
        - Episode dated 28 April 2005 (2005) TV Episode .... Himself

  22. Starz on the Set: The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou (2005) (TV) .... Himself

  23. Reel Comedy: Life Aquatic (2005) (TV) .... Himself

  24. "4Pop" .... Himself (1 episode, 2004)
        - Pääsiäisen leffaspesiaali (2004) TV Episode .... Himself

  25. "Friday Night with Jonathan Ross" .... Himself (1 episode, 2004)
        - Episode #6.1 (2004) TV Episode .... Himself

  26. "Player$" .... Himself (1 episode, 2004)
        - Impin' with a Pippin! (2004) TV Episode .... Himself

  27. The 76th Annual Academy Awards (2004) (TV) .... Himself - Co-presenter: Best Live Short and Best Animated Short

  28. "Tinseltown TV" .... Himself (1 episode, 2004)
        - Episode dated 24 January 2004 (2004) TV Episode .... Himself

  29. Starsky & Hutch: A Last Look (2004) (V) .... Himself/Ken Hutchinson

  30. "Ruby Wax with..." .... Himself (1 episode, 2003)
        - Ben Stiller and Parents (2003) TV Episode .... Himself

  31. Brit Awards 2003 (2003) (TV) .... Presenter

  32. Yeah Right! (2003) (V) .... Himself

  33. Reel Comedy: I Spy (2002) (TV) .... Himself

  34. The 74th Annual Academy Awards (2002) (TV) .... Himself - Co-Presenter: Best Costume Design

  35. 2000 Blockbuster Entertainment Awards (2000) (TV) .... Himself

  36. The Making of 'Rushmore' (2000) (V) .... Himself

  37. The Making of 'The Haunting' (1999) (V) .... Himself

 

 

Owen Wilson

 

Owen Wilson tidy

 

 

Movie salaries

  • Shanghai Noon (2000) $4,000,000

  • Behind Enemy Lines (2001) $3,000,000

  • Zoolander (2001) $2,000,000

  • Starsky & Hutch (2004) $8,000,000

  • Wedding Crashers (2005) $10,000,000

  • You, Me and Dupree (2006) $15,000,000

  • Cars (2006) $2,500,000

 

 

LINKS and REFERENCE

 

 

 

A - Z FILMS INDEX

 

 

 

13 GOING ON 30

16 BLOCKS

20,000 LEAGUES UNDER THE SEA

A PERFECT STORM

ALIEN

AUSTIN POWERS

BABE

BACK TO THE FUTURE

BATMAN

BRAVEHEART

BREAKFAST AT TIFFANY'S

BRIDGET JONES' DIARY

CASABLANCA

CAST AWAY

CATWOMAN

CHRISTINE

CON AIR

CROCODILE DUNDEE

DEAD CALM

DIAMONDS ARE FOREVER

DIE HARD

DIRTY ROTTEN SCOUNDRELS

DISCLOSURE

DOLORES CLAIBORNE

DR. NO

ERIN BROCKOVICH

FIRE ON THE AMAZON

FLIPPER

FREE WILLY

FRENCH KISS

FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE

GLADIATOR

GOLDFINGER

HARRY POTTER

HORNBLOWER

INDIANA JONES

JAMES BOND

JAWS

JURASSIC PARK

JUST LIKE HEAVEN

KING KONG

LEON

MAN ON FIRE

MASTER and COMMANDER

MEAN GIRLS

MEDICINE MAN

MEN OF HONOUR

MISERY

MISS CONGENIALITY

MUTINY ON THE BOUNTY

 

 

NAKED GUN

NATIONAL TREASURE

OVERBOARD

PARENT TRAP

PAYBACK

PEARL HARBOUR

PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN

PLANET OF THE APES

PSYCHO

P2 DEAD MANS CHEST

RACE THE SUN

RAMBO

ROB ROY

ROXANNE

SCOTT OF THE ANTARCTIC

SEABISCUIT

SPEED

SPIDERMAN

STAIRWAY TO HEAVEN

STAR GATE

STAR TREK

STAR WARS

THE 39 STEPS

THE AVIATOR

THE COUNT OF MONTE CHRISTO

THE DAMBUSTERS

THE FLY

THE MATRIX

THE MUMMY RETURNS

THE PATRIOT

THE PERFECT STORM

THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS

THE SOUND OF MUSIC

THE TERMINATOR

THE THING

THE WORLD IS NOT ENOUGH

THE WORLDS FASTEST INDIAN

THUNDERBALL

TITANIC

TOP GUN

TRADING PLACES

TREASURE ISLAND

TROY

TRUE GRIT

UNFORGIVEN

YOU ONLY LIVE TWICE

WAR OF THE WORLDS  

WATERLOO BRIDGE

ZULU

 

 

 

 

 

A - Z ACTORS INDEX

 

 

 

Angelina Jolie

Anthony Hopkins

Arnold Shwazenneger

Arnold Vosloo

Ben Stiller

Brad Pitt

Brendan Fraser

Bruce Willis

Catherine Zeta Jones

Charlize Theron

Chris Cooper

Clint Eastwood

Daniel Craig

Demi Moore

Denzel Washington

Eric Bana

Eva Green

George Clooney

Gerard Depardieu

Goldie Hawn

Gregory Peck

Halle Berry

Harvey Keitel

Humphrey Bogart

Ian Holm

Ingrid Bergman

Jack Black

Jack Nicholson

James Caan

James Cromwell

Jean Reno

Jeff Bridges

 

 

 

Jeff Daniels

Jim Carrey

Joaquin Phoenix

John Hurt

John Travolta

John Wayne

Johnny Depp

Judi Dench

Julia Roberts

Julie Andrews

Kate Hudson

Kate Winslett

Kathy Bates

Keanu Reeves

Keira Knightley

Kevin Spacey

Kirsten Dunst

Kurt Russell

Leonardo di Caprio

Liam Neeson

Linda King

Linda Kozlowski

Lindsay Lohan

Mads Mikkelsen

Marlon Brando

Matthew McConaughey

Mel Gibson

Michael Cain

Michael Douglas

Michael J Fox

Michael Keaton

Morgan Freeman

 

 

 

Naomi Watts

Nicholas Cage

Nicole Kidman

Orlando Bloom

Owen Wilson

Paul Bettany

Paul Hogan

Pierce Brosnan

Rachel Weisz

Reese Witherspoon

Rennee Zellweger

Richard Gere

Robert de Niro

Roger Moore

Russell Crowe

Sally Edwards

Sam Neil

Samuel L Jackson

Sandra Bullock

Sean Connery

Sharon Stone

Sigourney Weaver

Stanley Baker

Steve Martin

Steven Segal

Slyvester Stalone

Tim Roth

Tobey Maguire

Tom Cruise

Tom Hanks

Tommy Lee Jones

Uma Thurman

Willem Dafoe

 

 

 


 

 

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