Luke Wilson

Luke Cunningham Wilson (born September 21, 1971) is an American actor. He is best known for his work with filmmaker Wes Anderson, appearing in Anderson's Bottle Rocket (1996), Rushmore (1998) and The Royal Tenenbaums (2001). Wilson is also known as part of the Frat Pack, with whom he has starred in comedic films Bongwater (1997), Old School (2003), Brad's Status (2017) and The Wendell Baker Story (2005), which he also co-directed.

His other prominent film roles have included Blue Streak (1999), My Dog Skip (2000), Legally Blonde (2001), My Super Ex-Girlfriend (2006), Idiocracy (2006), You Kill Me (2007), The Skeleton Twins (2014) and Meadowland (2015).

On television, Wilson 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).

Early life

Wilson was born in Dallas, the youngest of three sons of Robert Andrew Wilson, an advertising and television executive, and Laura Cunningham, a photographer. His family, originally from Massachusetts, is of Irish Catholic descent.

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. He became interested in acting while attending Occidental College in Los Angeles.

Career

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. After moving to Hollywood with his two brothers, he was cast opposite Calista Flockhart in Telling Lies in America and made a cameo appearance in the film-within-the-film of Scream 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, and Home Fries which is about two brothers interested in the same woman for different reasons. He played the surgeon beau of a schoolteacher in Rushmore (also released in 1998) also directed by Anderson and co-written by his brother Owen.

In 1999, he portrayed Detective Carlson in Blue Streak. He later appeared opposite Frankie Muniz in the 2000 comedy-drama My Dog Skip, Cameron Diaz, Drew Barrymore and Lucy Liu in the 2000 action comedy Charlie's Angels, and Reese Witherspoon in the 2001 comedy Legally Blonde. It was followed by The Royal Tenenbaums (2001), Old School (2003), Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle (2003), Legally Blonde 2: Red, White and Blonde (2003), and Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy (2004). Wilson also had a role on That '70s Show, as Michael Kelso's older brother Casey Kelso appearing sporadically from 2002 through 2005.

In 2006, Wilson starred in My Super Ex-Girlfriend, opposite Uma Thurman, and 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.

In 2007, Wilson starred in the thriller Vacancy, opposite Kate Beckinsale, and Blonde Ambition. In the same year, he appeared in You Kill Me, 3:10 to Yuma, Blades of Glory, and worked on Henry Poole is Here in La Mirada, California which was released in 2008. In 2009, he starred in Tenure. In 2010, he appeared in films Death at a Funeral and Middle Men. From 2011 to 2013 he starred in the HBO TV series Enlightened. He followed this up with roles in The Skeleton Twins (2014), Meadowland (2015), Brad's Status (2017), and Zombieland: Double Tap (2019).

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.

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.

Personal life

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

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."

Filmography

Film

Television

See also

• Notable alumni of St. Mark's School of Texas

External links

• at IMDb