|
luke wilson - biography
Full Name: Luke Cunningham Wilson
Date of Birth: 21 September 1971
Place of Birth: Dallas, Texas
Early life
Wilson was born in Dallas, Texas, the son of Laura Wilson (née Cunningham),
a photographer, and Robert Andrew Wilson, an advertising executive and
operator of a public television station. His family is Irish American and
Catholic. Luke has two older brothers, fellow actors Owen and Andrew (the
eldest).
Wilson attended St. Mark's School of Texas and Occidental College, where he
was initially more interested in the school's athletics department than he
was in drama or theater. He excelled at track and field at Occidental, and
later at Texas Christian University, once he transferred.
Career
Wilson's film acting career began with the lead role in the film Bottle
Rocket in 1994, which was co-written by Wilson's older brother Owen and
director Wes Anderson. Bottle Rocket was later made into a feature-length
film in 1996.
After moving to Hollywood with his two brothers, he was cast opposite
Calista Flockhart with romantic designs in Telling Lies in America and made
a cameo appearance in the film-within-the-film of Scream 2 (both 1997).
Wilson filmed back-to-back romantic films opposite Drew Barrymore, Best
Men, about a group of friends who pull off a heist on their way to a
wedding, and Home Fries (both 1998), about two brothers interested in the
same woman for very different reasons. (Off-screen, the actor won the girl;
he and Barrymore became a couple, but parted ways in 1998.) Wilson remained
in demand, playing the doctor beau of a schoolteacher in Rushmore (also
1998), directed by Anderson and co-written by brother Owen. A starring role
opposite Reese Witherspoon in the 2001 comedy Legally Blonde elevated him
to a major name in Hollywood and was followed up by hits like Old School
and The Royal Tenenbaums. As a result of these and other roles, he became
known as a part of the Frat Pack, a set of actors including his brother
Owen Wilson, Ben Stiller, Jack Black, Will Ferrell, Vince Vaughn, and Steve
Carell who often work in each other's movies.
Luke Wilson also made a notable role in the television show That '70s Show,
as Michael Kelso's charming and athletic brother Casey Kelso. He appeared
on and off the show from 2002 through 2005.
His most recent movies include 'My Super Ex-Girlfriend', 'Vacancy' and more
recently 'Henry Poole is here'.
| 
