Luke Wilson

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]

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]

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]

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

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Luke Wilson.

• Luke Wilson at IMDb