In his khakis, plaid shirt and baseball cap, Luke Wilson looks like an accidental tourist in Hollywood. When he first moved to Los Angeles, Wilson recounts his dad pointedly asking, “Where do you get your clothes?” “He’d be looking at me, because I’d just be wearing stuff from surf shops, and I was like, ‘Dad, my style is: I haven’t given up, but I’m damn close!’ ”
On an August morning, over carrot juice at A Votre Sante, a health food cafe in Brentwood — the tony Los Angeles neighborhood in which Wilson resides — the actor appears restless. He fidgets in his chair and his eyes dart around the near-empty restaurant.
Though he’s been in Hollywood for almost 20 years, he still doesn’t seem to quite fit in; a fringe benefit of this otherness is his peculiar on-screen magnetism. Even now, as an established star, he contemplates returning to his home state of Texas, perhaps settling in Austin. And while he orbits just slightly outside the Hollywood system, he still garners tabloid stories extolling his beach body. “He still seems almost bewildered that this is his profession,” observes “Saturday Night Live” alum Bill Hader, just before launching into a spoton conjuring of Wilson’s Texas-hewn, aw-shucks drawl: “He’s like ‘Wow! Yeah? I’m an actor?’ ” (No surprise — Bill Hader does a great Luke Wilson impersonation).
Wilson and Hader star alongside Kristen Wiig in the sharply written and poignant dramedy “The Skeleton Twins,” now playing. In the film, Hader plays Wiig’s gay, suicidal, estranged twin brother. Wilson plays her eager, easygoing and somewhat clueless husband, Lance. “I just imagined the guy as a Labrador,” says Wilson of Lance, who appears incongruous among the movie’s more complex and melancholic characters. In a romantic comedy (which the actor has certainly done his share of), Lance would be the protagonist. In “The Skeleton Twins,” he’s the nice guy who finishes last.
In person, the 42-year-old Wilson comes across as a more soulful and contemplative version of his “Skeleton Twins” character. But he admits to not feeling that personally connected to the role. “Not that it wasn’t fun to play him,” says Wilson. “But I feel like I would have been much more connected to Bill and Kristen’s characters. Lance didn’t really get them — he was just glad to be around.”
Wilson was cast in “The Skeleton Twins” after director Craig Johnson watched the first season of the short-lived HBO drama “Enlightened,” where he played Laura Dern’s recovering addict ex-husband. “He was phenomenal in it,” Johnson says. “And the tone of that show is similar to ‘The Skeleton Twins’ — sort of funny and bittersweet.” “He’s profoundly humble,” Johnson continues, “and able to deliver lines that otherwise might come across as outrageous with such sincerity that you completely believe them.” Though it deals with some fairly heavy issues, “The Skeleton Twins” involved a lot of humorous improvisation. Regarding Wiig and Hader’s comedic jousts, Wilson says of the inveterate improv-ers, “It was like watching a tennis match, like, ‘Yeah, that’s really funny,’ ” he says, turning his head as if following a cross-court volley, “[and] now she’s being really funny . . . ”
Johnson maintains that Wilson comfortably held his own among the comedy pros. “He ended up being the improv secret weapon,” Johnson says. “Good improv is always really specific, and Luke had that. It was like he had been doing it forever.” Wilson was proud of one particular improvised moment. For a scene in which his character was supposed to be walking out of the house, Wilson recalls, “I always do this thing where I’ve lost my keys and I’m like: ‘Keys, keys, keys, keys!’ Is it okay if I try that?’ ” The director obliged. Wilson continues, “So I was like, ‘Keys! Keys, Lance! C’mon keys!’ And I looked over at Kristen, and her expression was one of those where . . . I had to really concentrate not to laugh!”
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Despite his ability to slip into a wide spectrum of characters, Wilson had no formal training. “I’d rather read about it than take an acting class,” he says. “It just seems ridiculous. And depressing! Screaming and hitting your chest?” But he’s been acting since he, brother Owen and friend Wes Anderson all got their big breaks from the quirky black-and-white short they made 20 years ago, which evolved into the critically acclaimed cult hit/box office flop, “Bottle Rocket.” They made the short in Dallas, their hometown. It eventually made it into Sundance, and then James L. Brooks became a fan and helped them turn it into a feature.
Riding the success of “Bottle Rocket,” Wilson moved to LA and landed comedies like “Legally Blonde” and “Old School.” He continued as a Wes Anderson muse in “Rushmore” and “The Royal Tenenbaums.” He confesses, however, that he’s not as driven as his “Bottle Rocket” cohorts. He is the youngest of three brothers (the eldest, Andrew, is a director). “It’s because of those guys that I fell into acting,” he says. “But it’s definitely the thing I was most interested in. That and music — but I can’t play an instrument.” While driving, the satellite radio is most often tuned to an Elvis station.
The actor’s earnest, deadpan style on-camera is remarkably similar to the real-life Wilson. He has an animated, childlike awe when talking about the things that excite him, like his favorite directors (Hal Ashby, Clint Eastwood, Stanley Kubrick) and his favorite actors (Gene Hackman, Jeff Bridges, Harry Dean Stanton). He’s currently geeked on Stephen King’s sequel to “The Shining.” “I read ‘Doctor Sleep,’ and it’s incredible,” he says. “I’ve gotten about four people to read it. It’s one of those books where I’ll be reading and then be like, ‘No!’ ”
Lately, Wilson has gotten more selective about his projects. “Now that I’m getting older,” he says, “I’d rather work on my own thing. I don’t want to have to go to Albuquerque for four weeks. I used to love hotel rooms, now I’m like, ‘Hmm . . . this is a little sad, isn’t it? Looking over the office park?’ ” Wilson has been with his girlfriend, Meg Simpson, a stunning former basketball player, since 2008. In his off time, he writes scripts and has been working on short films with his brother Andrew. He’s wrapped another dramedy, “Ride,” written and directed by Helen Hunt, which comes out in November. But he also flourishes at relaxing. “I’m surprised at how good I am at not doing anything,” he says, laughing. “That’s a little scary!”
Palihouse Santa Monica
The shoot’s location is a Moorish-influenced Mediterranean-style marvel and designated landmark. Its vibe is quintessentially Los Angeles — the perfect balance between grandeur and understated comfort. Exposed-beam ceilings and Spanish tile are complemented with rain showers and Apple TV. The hotel is just steps away from the farmers market, promenade and beach.
Palihousesantamonica.com, 310-394-1279, 1001 Third St., Santa Monica, CA 90403
Photographer: Jim Wright/Atelier Management Fashion Editor: Serena French Stylist: Jenny Ricker at Starworks Artists Groomer:Kim Verbeck using La Mer with The Wall Group.