1) Older Brother: Owen Wilson
Owen Wilson is generally regarded as the best known of the Wilson brothers. He is the middle sibling born on November 18, 1968, four years after the eldest brother Andrew, and three years before Luke. He is distinguishable by his nose, which was supposedly broken numerous times during Owen’s athletic career in school, primarily as a football player.
Owen is sometimes thought of as the troublemaker of the three siblings. He attended St. Mark’s Academy in Dallas with his brothers; however, Owen was expelled in his sophomore year of high school there. He claims that this happened when he tried to xerox answers from his teacher’s geometry book and got caught. He finished that school year at Thomas Jefferson School, and then transferred to a military academy in Arizona. He also reportedly shot his brother Andrew with a BB gun when they were young, contributed to Andrew’s divorce with his first wife by spending too much time at their home at one point trying to sneak in and falling through the roof, kicked out of Whole Foods in his home town for neglecting to wear shoes (long after becoming famous), and skipped out early while dining with a small group of company that included former President Bill Clinton. He’s known also for being a party animal and untameable ladies’ man.
Owen’s fame, like Luke’s, stemmed from “Bottle Rocket” which he co-wrote with Wes Anderson, his classmate from the University of Texas at Austin. He recruited his siblings Luke and Andrew to act in the movie. Owen co-wrote the script and had the starring role, so the critical success of “Bottle Rocket” jump-started his career, which progressed slowly, but only for a year or so.
After Bottle Rocket, Owen appeared in a few box office misses, including “The Cable Guy” (1996), “Anaconda” (1997), “The Haunting” (1999), and “Breakfast of Champions” (1999). His career really took off in 2000 with his roles in the movie “Shanghai Noon” and “Meet the Parents.” From there, he starred in several box office hits. Owen’s movies include (from most to least recent):
1. Night at the Museum 2: Escape from the Smithsonian (2009) (currently filming)…Jedediah
2. Marley & Me (2008) (filming)…John Grogan
3. Drillbit Taylor (2008)…Drillbit Taylor
4. The Darjeeling Unlimited (2007)…Francis L. Whitman
5. Night at the Museum (2006) (uncredited)…Jedediah
6. Mater and the Ghostlight (2006) (V) (voice)…Lightning McQueen
7. You, Me and Dupree (2006)…Dupree
8. Cars (2006)…voice of Lightning McQueen
9. Wedding Crashers (2005)…John Beckwith
10. The Wendell Baker Story (2005)…Neil King
11. Meet the Fockers (2004)…Kevin Rawley
12. The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou (2004)…Ned Plimpton
13. Around the World in 80 Days (2004)…Wilbur Wright
14. Starsky & Hutch (2004)…Ken Hutchinson
15. The Big Bounce (2004)…Jack Ryan
16. Shanghai Knights (2003)…Roy O’Bannon
17. I Spy (2002)…Special Agent Alex Scott
18. Behind Enemy Lines (2001)…Lt. Chris Burnett
19. The Royal Tenenbaums (2001)…Eli Cash
20. Zoolander (2001)…Hansel
21. Meet the Parents (2000)…Kevin Rawley
22. Shanghai Noon (2000)…Roy O’Bannon
23. The Haunting (1999)…Luke Sanderson
24. Breakfast of Champions (1999)…Monte Rapid
25. The Minus Man (1999)…Vann Siegert
26. Heat Vision and Jack (1999) (TV) (voice)…Voice Of Heat Vision/Doug
27. Rushmore (1998) (uncredited)…Edward Applebee
28. Permanent Midnight (1998)…Nicky
29. Armegeddon (1998/I)…Oscar Choi, Geologist
30. Anaconda(1997)…Gary Dixon
31. The Cable Guy (1996)…Robin’s Date
32. Bottle Rocket (1996 edition) (as Owen C. Wilson)…Dignan; (1994 edition)…Dignan
2) Eldest Brother: Andrew Wilson
Andrew Cunningham Wilson was born August 22, 1964 in Dallas, Texas. He is the eldest Wilson brother. Though not as widely known as his younger siblings, Andrew was the first of the three to move to Los Angeles in 1994. Owen followed a year later.
Andrew played a supportive role in “Bottle Rocket,” the breakthrough movie that launched the fame of the Wilson brothers. He did not appear as often in the film as brothers Owen and Luke, but Andrew’s character John Mapplethorpe (also known as “Future Man”) was easily as memorable as the major characters, and pivotal to audience’s response to the storyline. Through this cruel, egotistical big brother character, audiences quickly become sympathetic of, and endeared to the plights and personalities of Dignan Maplethorpe (Owen Wilson) and Anthony Adams (Luke Wilson).
Following this, Andrew played many minor film roles in movies that star one or both of his younger siblings.
He is best known for his role of director in the movie “The Wendell Baker Story,” in which he directed a well-known cast in a quirky, comical movie about the story of an ex-con named Wendell Baker, played by Luke Wilson. This movie also co-starred sibling Owen Wilson, as a criminal, and employed help from other family members as well including an uncle and even Luke’s pet dog! Numerous well-known cast members included Eva Mendez, Will Ferrell, Eddie Griffin, and Kris Kristofferson. The movie was self-financed and was shelved for a year before being picked up by Franchise Pictures for distribution in 2007.
