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), My Super Ex-Girlfriend (2006), 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.

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

Early life

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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

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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

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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

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Film

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YearTitleRoleNotes
1996Bottle RocketAnthony Adams
1997BongwaterDavid
Telling Lies in AmericaHenry
Best MenJesse Reilly
Scream 2Billy LoomisPlays a character in the film-within-a-film Stab.
1998Dog ParkAndy
Home FriesDorian Montier
RushmoreDr. Peter Flynn
1999Kill the ManStanley Simon
Blue StreakDetective Carlson
2000My Dog SkipDink Jenkins
CommittedCarl
Preston TylkPreston Tylk
Charlie's AngelsPeter Kominsky
2001Legally BlondeEmmett Richmond
Soul SurvivorsJude
The Royal TenenbaumsRichard "Richie" Tenenbaum
2002The Third WheelStanley
2003Masked and AnonymousBobby Cupid
Old SchoolMitch Martin
Stuck on YouHimself
Alex and EmmaAlex Sheldon / Adam Shipley
Charlie's Angels: Full ThrottlePeter Kominsky
Legally Blonde 2: Red, White and BlondeEmmett Richmond
2004Around the World in 80 DaysOrville Wright
Anchorman: The Legend of Ron BurgundyFrank Vitchard
Wake Up, Ron Burgundy: The Lost MovieDirect-to-video
2005The Wendell Baker StoryWendell BakerAlso director, writer and producer
The Family StoneBen Stone
2006HootOfficer David Delinko
Mini's First TimeJohn Garson
My Super Ex-GirlfriendMatt Saunders
IdiocracyCorporal Joe Bauers
Jackass Number TwoHimself
2007You Kill MeTom
VacancyDavid Fox
3:10 to YumaZeke
Blades of GlorySex Class Instructor
Battle for TerraLt. James "Jim" StantonVoice
Blonde AmbitionBen
2008Henry Poole Is HereHenry Poole
Vacancy 2: The First CutDavid FoxArchive footage
2009TenureCharlie Thurber
2010Death at a FuneralDerek
Middle MenJack Harris
2012Meeting EvilJohn
Straight A'sWilliam
2013Move Me BrightlyThe InterviewerDocumentary
2014The Skeleton TwinsLance
RideIan
2015Playing It CoolSamson
MeadowlandPhil
The Ridiculous 6Danny
ConcussionRoger Goodell
2016Outlaws and AngelsJosiah
Dear EleanorBob Potter
All We HadLee
Rock DogBodiVoice
Approaching the UnknownLouis Skinner
2017Brad's StatusJason Hatfield
The Girl Who Invented KissingLeo
2018ArizonaScott
Measure of a ManMarty Marks
High VoltageRick
2019Berlin, I Love YouBurke Linz
PhilDetective Welling
Guest of HonourFather Greg
The GoldfinchLarry Decker
Zombieland: Double TapAlbuquerque
2020All the Bright PlacesJames
Bobbleheads: The MovieEarlVoice
Direct-to-video
202112 Mighty OrphansRusty Russell
The CleanerJim Russell
2022Gasoline AlleyVargas
Look Both WaysRick
2023Miranda's VictimLawrence Turoff
FingernailsDuncan
Merry Little BatmanBatmanVoice[16]
2024Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 1Matthew Van WeydenPost-production
Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 2Post-production
TBAPlus/MinusPost-production
You Gotta BelieveBobby Ratliff

Television

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YearTitleRoleNotes
1998The X-FilesSheriff HartwellEpisode: "Bad Blood"
2001–2004That '70s ShowCasey Kelso6 episodes
2004EntourageHimselfEpisode: "Talk Show"
Saturday Night LiveHimself (host)Episode: "Luke Wilson/U2"
2011–2013EnlightenedLevi Callow11 episodes
2013Drunk HistoryWill Keith KelloggEpisode: "Detroit"
2016RoadiesBill10 episodes
2019Room 104RemusEpisode: "The Plot"
2020–2022StargirlPat Dugan / S.T.R.I.P.E.Main role
2020–2021Emergency CallHimself (host)10 episodes
2023Fired on MarsJeff Cooper (voice)Main role
TBANo Good DeedJD CampbellUpcoming series[17]

See also

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References

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  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.
  17. ^ Grobar, Matt (December 15, 2023). "Netflix's 'No Good Deed' Adds Linda Cardellini, Luke Wilson, Teyonah Parris, Abbi Jacobson & Poppy Liu". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved April 23, 2024.
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