Luke Wilson

The actor luke wilson began his career with Bottle Rocket, a film co-written by Luke Wilson’s brother, Owen Wilson, and Wes Anderson. It did not take long, however, before luke wilson became a Hollywood star, making mostly comedies and romantic comedies. The boyish good looks of the actor luke wilson landed him the lead role of the small film Home Fries with Drew Barrymore. Luke Wilson has often worked with Drew Barrymore in romantic comedies. The movie that really initiated luke wilson into the Frat Pack was old school, when the actor luke wilson co-starred with Will Ferrell and Vince Vaughn. The other two major luke wilson movies are charlies angels and legally blonde. Both charlies angels and legally blonde also have sequels.

 

As charlies angels and legally blonde were both aimed primarily at female audiences, luke wilson became popular as a romantic comedy star. Beyond these films, luke wilson has also gained exposure and critical success with his roles in Wes Anderson films, especially with the Royal Tennenbaums. When charlies angels was first released, the actor luke wilson had significantly less star power than he carries now. Still, the luke wilson role is mostly a cameo, as charlies angels features bit parts by many celebrities, including Matt LeBlanc and Tom Green. In charlies angels, Luke Wilson plays a bartender who falls for the Cameron Diaz character. The luke wilson character in charlies angels is naïve and trusting, even when his girlfriend gets strange calls from a man named Charlie and has to run off in the middle of a date. While luke wilson does not have a particularly memorable role in charlies angels, he was brought back for the sequel charlies angels: full throttle.

 

The movie charlies angels gave Luke Wilson some exposure but was really little more than a cameo and a paycheck for a fun film. Luke Wilson would play a version of the same character in his next high profile romantic comedy, legally blonde. In legally blonde, the actor luke wilson plays Reese Witherspoon’s love interest. Once again in legally blonde, like in charlies angels, the Luke Wilson character certainly lives in the shadows of the female lead. In legally blonde, luke wilson plays a teaching assistant in one of Reese Witherspoon’s law classes. Luke Wilson takes pity on the legally blonde lead when she’s struggling and gives her some tips to help her survive law school. Other than that one action, luke wilson in legally blonde is little more than the necessary nice guy that Reese Witherspoon needs to get over her ex. The problem with the actor luke wilson in legally blonde is that he is given no character. In legally blonde, Luke Wilson really just has to smile and be nice in a few scenes. Yet again luke wilson is brought back for the legally blonde sequel, which is even more mind numbing than the first and without any of the charm. Personally, I think charlies angels and legally blonde are some of the lowest points in the career of the actor luke wilson. Where the actor luke wilson actually shines is as the straight man in comedy.

 

While the actor luke wilson is not zany like Will Ferrell or great at playing arrogant and quick-witted like Vince Vaughn, he is perfect as playing the guy who meditates on the things happening around him. In old school, Luke Wilson is at the centre of the comedy as Mitch, a guy whose girlfriend has just cheated on him (with multiple people at once) and who is generally walked all over in life. When the luke wilson character decides to buy a house, the other leads in old school, Vaughn and Ferrell, convince him to turn the house into a fraternity. Luke Wilson shines in old school as the nice guy who has let people take advantage of him for far too long until he finally decides to take control of his own life. Luke Wilson became popular with a broader male audience after old school and has since appeared in many other Frat Pack movies, such as anchorman, in smaller cameo roles. Hopefully luke wilson will continue to make quality comedies like old school, rather than always play the predictable love interest like he did in charlies angels and legally blonde. Where the actor luke wilson has shined the most is in the films he has made with his brother and Wes Anderson, most notably the Royal Tennenbaums but also Bottle Rocket and Rushmore. In the Royal Tennenbaums, luke wilson plays the tennis pro brother who suffers from depression and has always been in love with his adopted sister, played by Gwenyth Paltrow. Luke Wilson is covered with a heavy beard and long hair through the majority of the film, until the luke wilson character attempts suicide by shaving off all his hair and then slitting his wrists.

 

Luke Wilson does a great job playing a manic-depressive who finally tries to take control of his own life after his unsuccessful suicide attempt. Hopefully luke wilson will make many more Wes Anderson movies because these films have brought the luke wilson the critical acclaim and credibility that blockbusters like charlies angels and legally blonde rarely get. Fans of the actor luke wilson will probably also recognize him from roles in the Christmas drama The Family Stone, again playing a minor “nice guy” role, and as Michael Kelso’s brother Casey on That 70’s Show.

 

Unfortunately for luke wilson fans like myself who prefer his films like the Royal Tennenbaums, old school, and the cult hit Bongwater, all that Luke Wilson has planned in the future right now is an animated film and yet another legally blonde film. It is kind of sad to see Luke Wilson wasting his comedic talent on films like charlies angels and legally blonde when he is so good in films with more of an indie feel. While it is probably unlikely that the actor luke wilson will ever return to low-budget films like Bottle Rocket and Bongwater, hopefully Luke Wilson will soon break away from his stereotype as the romantic comedy nice guy.