40 Best Owen Wilson Movies From His Decades-Long Career
From comedy classics and romcoms to animated hits and war dramas, he's pretty much run the gamut.
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Hollywood wouldn't be the same without Owen Wilson. The actor has been making us laugh for years, with leading and supporting roles in hit films like Wedding Crashers, The Internship, Zoolander, and more. But his talent goes beyond his comedic skills, as proven by the dramas and action thrillers he's taken on, including Wonder, Behind Enemy Lines, and No Escape. In his most recent project, Paint, he plays a character inspired by the late artist Bob Ross.
Born in Dallas, Texas, the actor never planned on venturing into show business. But after meeting future filmmaker Wes Anderson at the University of Texas at Austin, everything changed. The two collaborated on Bottle Rocket in 1996—Wilson's big on-screen debut—and went on to attend the Sundance Film Festival together. From there, the star-to-be moved to Hollywood with his two brothers, Luke Wilson and Andrew Wilson, and continued to work with Anderson. Less than a decade later, the friends earned their very first Academy Award nomination for Best Original Screenplay with The Royal Tenenbaums.
Now, with over 80 acting credits, six producing credits, and four writing credits to his name, Wilson has become a force to be reckoned with in the industry. Take a look at 40 of his best movies throughout his decades-long career, as well as behind-the-scenes facts about his experiences.
Paint (2023)
In one of his most recent roles, Wilson plays an artist with his own television program, à la Bob Ross. Although his role (and hair and wardrobe) was inspired by the real late painter, the plot—including his rivalry with an up-and-coming artist—is entirely fictional.
Wedding Crashers (2005)
Many fans know Wilson from this classic comedy about buddies who sneak into weddings in the hopes of making romantic connections. Much of the film—including the "Lock it up!" scene and the line "I think we only use ten percent of our hearts"—was improvised by the actor.
The Royal Tenenbaums (2001)
Wilson co-wrote and starred in this film about a dysfunctional family reuniting after years of chaos—and it earned him an Academy Award nomination. He turned down a role in Ocean's Eleven for this film—and so did Danny Glover and Owen's brother, Luke Wilson.
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The Internship (2013)
Wilson and Vaughn reunited for this comedy about salesmen landing internships at Google—and learning that competing with tech-savvy youngsters for a job isn't as easy as they thought. The actors starred alongside 100 extras who were real-life Google employees at the time.
Fantastic Mr. Fox (2009)
Wes Anderson cast his longtime friend as Coach Skip in this animated tale of foxes versus farmers. Wilson, along with his costars George Clooney and Meryl Streep, recorded their parts outside a traditional studio: They went into a stable in a forest to increase the "spontaneity," Anderson once explained.
The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014)
In yet another hit film by Wes Anderson, Wilson plays a concierge-turned-secret-society-member helping to solve a mysterious murder. He bonded with costar Adrien Brody on set, so much so that after claiming he never bowled before, Wilson asked the fellow actor to go bowling one night—and beat him in a game that decided who would pay for their drinks.
Wonder (2017)
Playing the father of a boy born with Treacher Collins syndrome, Wilson's performance in this film was especially emotional. "When he came on set as Auggie after going through makeup, he became Auggie. It was easy to love and feel protective toward this brave, little dignified person," he told TODAY of costar Jacob Tremblay.
Meet the Parents (2000)
Though Kevin Rawley was a supporting role in this beloved comedy, Wilson made the part entirely his own. In fact, he managed to improvise most of his lines as the wealthy ex-fiancé of Teri Polo's character, Pam.
Meet the Fockers (2004)
Wilson reprised his role in the much-anticipated sequel, which shows the families of a couple meeting for the very first time. Not surprisingly, he had a great time filming all of the Fockers films. "Ben [Stiller] and I have worked together so much that anytime we're in a scene, we were always kind of laughing and stuff together," he once told CinemaBlend.
Little Fockers (2010)
In the final movie of the Fockers trilogy, Wilson shared an intimate scene with Barbra Streisand that had audiences cracking up. "To be able to say you kissed Barbra Streisand, that's pretty major. That's one you can check off the to-do list," he joked to CinemaBlend.
Cars (2006)
In an animated classic that defined the childhoods of many, Wilson voices Lightning McQueen, a car making his way to a big race. In a rare move for Pixar, a company that usually promotes its projects without drawing attention to the voices behind its characters, most of the film's marketing was centered around Wilson.
Cars 2 (2011)
Wilson reprised his iconic role after the first was a hit, this time taking Lightning McQueen to the World Grand Prix. The film earned a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Animated Film—the very first Pixar movie to ever be nominated in the category.
Cars 3 (2017)
Feeling pushed out of the sport by a new generation of race cars, Lightning McQueen sets out to prove he still has what it takes to be a champion. Wilson was able to tap into his animated character's emotions, thanks to NASCAR legend Jeff Gordon, who served as a consultant on the film.
Zoolander (2001)
Stiller and Wilson costarred together again in this hit comedy about male models turned secret agents. Fun fact: Wilson's memorable long blonde hair in the movie was a wig because he was filming Behind Enemy Lines at the time and had to keep his real hair short.
Zoolander 2 (2016)
A whopping 15 years later, audiences were thrilled when the stars reunited for the sequel. To announce the film, Wilson and Stiller dressed up as their characters and hit the Paris runway. Wilson didn't expect such a positive reaction, telling Collider, "When we first announced the movie at the Paris fashion show, we didn’t know what the reaction would be, but it seemed to be like a rock concert."
Marley & Me (2008)
In this rom-com, Wilson and Jennifer Aniston play newlyweds whose lives change forever after adopting a troublemaking puppy. In addition to working with 22 different dogs throughout the film, he also got to perform alongside his real-life parents, who played his character's parents.
Behind Enemy Lines (2001)
Wilson's career took a dramatic turn with this intense film about a pilot being shot down over war-torn Bosnia. To prepare for the role, the actor rode in a jet at supersonic speeds. Though he separated his shoulder during a stunt, he was back filming more physical scenes the next day.
No Escape (2015)
In another role that strayed from Wilson's usual lighthearted comedies, he portrays a father who finds himself and his family caught in the middle of an international coup. He later told Collider: "I guess the thing that attracted me to the script was that it didn't feel too action-y. It felt grounded in believability."
She's Funny That Way (2014)
In this comedy, the actor took on the role of a playwright whose life goes awry when his project leads to an unexpected love triangle. Director Peter Bogdanovich originally put the film on hold after his first choice for the lead, John Ritter, passed away. After Wes Anderson introduced Bogdanovich to Wilson years later, he decided to bring it back.
Starsky & Hutch (2004)
This buddy cop comedy follows Stiller and Wilson's characters as they catch criminals in their red and white Ford Gran Torino. When Wilson's character sings "Don't Give Up on Us Baby," the voice was actually that of David Soul, who played the original Ken Hutchinson in the 1975 television series.
