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Full Name: Owen Cunningham Wilson
Date of Birth: 18 November 1968
Place of Birth: Dallas, Texas
Early Life
Owen Wilson was born in Dallas, Texas, to photographer, Laura
Wilson (née Cunningham), and Robert Andrew Wilson, an
advertising executive and operator of a public television
station. His family is Irish American and Roman Catholic. While
living in Dallas, Wilson attended The Lamplighter School, which
he revisited in 2005; and St. Mark's School of Texas, when in
the tenth grade after stealing his teacher's textbook in an
attempt to help him finish his math homework quicker, he was
expelled. Owen Wilson also attended his senior year in high
school at the New Mexico Military Institute.
In 1991, Wilson moved to Los Angeles with brothers Luke and
Andrew to pursue acting careers.
Career
While Wilson found some initial success as a film actor after
his turn as Dignan in Bottle Rocket, he also remained a key
creative collaborator in Wes Anderson's next two directorial
efforts. Rushmore was the two writers' second script
collaboration. Although Wilson 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. When Max Fischer visits
Miss Cross in Appleby's boyhood bedroom, photographs of a young
Owen Wilson are incorporated in the set for the scene.
Wilson quickly landed roles in big-budget movies 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 appeared in two dramatic
roles: supporting actor in Permanent Midnight, which starred
Stiller as a drug-addicted TV writer; and a role as a serial
killer in The Minus Man.
Owen is considered a part of the Frat Pack, a group of actors
including Steve Carell, Will Ferrell, Ben Stiller, Jack Black,
Vince Vaughn, and brother Luke Wilson.
Owen 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 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 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 Wilson had a memorable supporting role in the
film as Eli Cash, a wigged-out, drug-addled bon vivant who
becomes a literary celebrity. It earned the writing team an
Academy Award nomination for Best Original Screenplay; Owen is
the only "Frat Pack" member to receive an Academy Award
nomination.
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 the
movie remake of the television series Starsky & Hutch (2004).
Due to his busy schedule as an actor and his ongoing sinus
malady, Wilson was unable 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.
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 2006, Wilson provided the voice of Lightning
McQueen in the Disney/Pixar film Cars, starred in You, Me, and
Dupree with Kate Hudson, and appeared with Stiller in Night at
the Museum.
Wilson has appeared in eight movies 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) and Night at the Museum (2006).
Wilson's most recent release, another Wes Anderson film, The
Darjeeling Limited, screening at the 45th annual New York Film
Festival, the Venice Film Festival, opened September 30, 2007,
co-starring Jason Schwartzman and Adrien Brody, in which three
brothers take a train trip through India.
-Edit: Owen is currently filming 'Marley & Me' with Jennifer
Aniston.
Relationships
Wilson was previously linked with actress Demi Moore, singer
Sheryl Crow and, most recently, with actress Kate Hudson. Their
relationship ended in May 2007. More recently rumours have been
circulating about his closeness to 'Marley and Me' co-star
Jennifer Aniston.
Courtesy of
Wikipedia - Some editing by me
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