Owen Wilson's Real Name: Owen Cunningham Wilson

Quick answer: Owen Wilson's full name is Owen Cunningham Wilson. He was born on November 18, 1968, in Dallas. He co-wrote and starred in Wes Anderson's Bottle Rocket and shared an Oscar nomination for writing The Royal Tenenbaums. He became a comedy star in Shanghai Noon, Zoolander, Wedding Crashers, and Midnight in Paris (Britannica; Library of Congress).

Real name and early life

Britannica gives his name in full as "Owen Cunningham Wilson." The Library of Congress name authority files him as "Wilson, Owen, 1968-." It cites credits as "Owen C. Wilson" and records "b. November 18, 1968 in Dallas, Texas, USA."

According to Britannica, he is the middle son of photographer Laura Wilson and Robert Wilson, a public television executive. Britannica credits Robert with putting Monty Python's Flying Circus on American TV for the first time, through Dallas station KERA. His older brother, Andrew, and younger brother, Luke, are also actors. The boys grew up without a television at home.

Britannica says he was expelled from St. Mark's School in Dallas after refusing to name another student involved in cheating on a geometry test. He finished high school at a military academy. He then studied English at the University of Texas at Austin, leaving shortly before graduating.

Career highlights

At UT in 1989, Wilson met Wes Anderson, and the two became roommates. They made a 13-minute short that caught producer James L. Brooks's attention, and Brooks backed a feature version. In Bottle Rocket (1996), Owen played the optimistic schemer Dignan alongside Luke. Test screenings went so badly that he briefly considered joining the military. The film found its audience on home video and launched both men's careers.

He had a small part in The Cable Guy (1996), directed by Ben Stiller. It was the first of many collaborations, and the press later grouped them in the "Frat Pack." Ensemble roles in Anaconda, Armageddon, and The Haunting followed. His comedy run included Shanghai Noon, Meet the Parents, Zoolander, Wedding Crashers, and Marley & Me.

With Anderson he co-wrote The Royal Tenenbaums (2001), which earned Oscar and BAFTA nominations for best original screenplay. He also appeared in The Life Aquatic, The Darjeeling Limited, Fantastic Mr. Fox, and The Grand Budapest Hotel. Woody Allen's Midnight in Paris (2011) brought him a Golden Globe nomination. He also voices Lightning McQueen in Pixar's Cars films.

Name notes for searchers

He is credited as Owen Wilson, and some early writing credits use "Owen C. Wilson." Cunningham is his middle name. He is often confused with his brother Luke Wilson, an actor and frequent collaborator.