Photo Credit: Abby Brack/WireImage
The movies just haven’t been the same since Owen Wilson stepped out of the spotlight. The 41-year-old actor, with his laid-back persona and quirky good looks, stole scenes in indie hits like The Royal Tenenbaums (2001) and mega-hits like Wedding Crashers (2005). He still hasn’t spoken publicly about the period of depression that led to his suicide attempt in September 2007, but he’s laid low ever since, opting only for voiceover work (Fantastic Mr. Fox and Marmaduke) and very small parts (reprising his role in 2009's Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian and a cameo on the NBC show Community).
But judging from recent career moves, things are starting to look up. Wilson has plum roles in two upcoming comedies: the Farrelly Brothers’ Hall Pass, as a man whose wife gives him permission to have an affair, and the Ben Stiller-produced The Big Year, in which Wilson joins Steve Carell and Jack Black as a group of rival bird watchers.
Even more promising is the news that Wilson will star in director Woody Allen’s next film. Allen famoulsy shoots a movie a year, and not all of them become hits -- but he has a knack for helping talented actors achieve greater recognition and respectability. (Just take Scarlett Johansson and Jonathan Rhys Myers of 2005’s Match Point.) With Owen Wilson once again making both offbeat character dramas and big comedies, it certainly sounds as if his career is getting back on track.
Now, if only brother Luke Wilson could get a better gig than those AT&T commercials…
Plus: Owen Wilson to Play Marmaduke
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