While his brother, Owen Wilson, may be one of the most popular comedy stars of the past few decades, Luke Wilson has an equally impressive resume of classics within his filmography. An idiosyncratic actor who's appeared in both mainstream crowd-pleasers and indie favorites, Wilson brings a universal likability to his roles.
While he’s become a favorite of directors like Wes Anderson, Wilson has also helped spotlight many films from emerging filmmakers; Wilson’s popularity has skyrocketed in recent years thanks to his performances in streaming shows like Fired on Mars and Stargirl. These are the best Luke Wilson films, ranked.
'Concussion' (2015)
Concussion is the type of sports drama that forces its audience to recontextualize their love of the game. The underrated 2015 biographical film explores the efforts by Dr. Bennet Omalu (Will Smith) into the shocking corruption at the heart of the National Football League; for years, the NFL has been ignoring research that suggests players are suffering as a result of traumatic brain injuries.
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Wilson has a particularly memorable role as Roger Goodell; considering how frequently Goodell appears in the spotlight today, it was impressive to see Wilson take on the part.
'12 Mighty Orphans' (2021)
12 Mighty Orphans doesn’t do much to distinguish itself from other inspirational sports dramas, but that doesn’t make it any less endearing. The 2021 biographical film follows the Texas football coach Rusty Russell (Wilson) as he becomes a mentor to a team of misfit football players who have grown up together in an orphanage.
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Russell teaches them to combine their strengths as a team, but he also inspires the players to take pride in themselves as individuals. Considering that Wilson was such a popular star in his youth, it’s interesting to see him serve as a mentor to a younger generation of actors.
'Old School' (2003)
Fraternity “party movies” haven’t evolved much since Animal House and American Pie, but Todd Phillips’ 2003 comedy manages to elevate the raunchiness of the subgenre. Wilson, Vince Vaughn, and Will Ferrell star in this zany film as a group of older men who decide to relive the experiences of their youth by restarting their old fraternity.
Although Ferrell and Vaughn are wildly over-the-top, Wilson added a sense of grounded emotionality to the film that made it feel at least somewhat believable. Old School allows the viewers to both laugh with and at the characters; it's evident that Wilson and Phillips aren’t attempting to lionize how pathetic these men actually are.
'Idiocracy' (2006)
Mike Judge’s groundbreaking dark comedy Idiocracy may have felt absurd in 2006, but today, its premise of a future with no intelligent thought seems more than plausible. Wilson stars as the United States Army Corporal Joe Bauers, who is dispatched several centuries into the future to find a version of the country where the average IQ has dropped significantly.
Wilson perfectly captures Joe’s befuddlement; while he never considered himself to be a “smart guy,” Joe finds that he has more knowledge than literally anyone else on the planet, and must become its leader.
'Brad's Status' (2017)
Brad’s Status features one of Ben Stiller’s best dramatic performances ever, and Wilson was also able to tone down his usual comedic qualities for a more realistic role as well. Stiller stars in the titular role of Brad Sloan, a middle-aged nonprofit organizer who begins to reconnect with his old friends as he takes his son on a trip to different colleges.
Wilson appears as Jason Hatfield, who is certainly not the same man that Brad remembered him being; he learns that his college mate is under legal suspicion, and is now raising a young daughter of his own.
'The Skeleton Twins' (2014)
The Skeleton Twins allowed Wilson to add a bit of comedy to an otherwise serious film. The Sundance favorite starred Bill Hader and Kristen Wiig as the siblings Milo and Maggie. In the wake of Milo’s suicide attempt, Maggie invites her brother to stay with her and her husband Lance (Wilson).
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Milo and Lance couldn’t be any more different; while Milo is a flamboyant actor with dreams of making it in Hollywood, Lance considers himself a “man’s man” who attends to all of his wife’s needs. Nonetheless, it’s the friendship that emerges between the two that makes The Skeleton Twins so charming.
'Bottle Rocket' (1996)
After Wilson appeared in Wilson’s debut short film Bottle Rocket, he took on the same role in the director’s feature-length directorial debut of the same name. Wilson and his brother star as a pair of misguided brothers who attempt to stage a robbery with the help of a senior criminal (James Caan).
Although many of the hallmarks of Anderson's style are on display here - notably his symmetrical framing and offbeat absurdist humor - Bottle Rocket is significantly darker than many of the other films within his career due to the heist elements.
'Legally Blonde' (2001)
Reese Witherspoon’s performance as Elle Woods is one of the defining comedy performances of the early 21st century, but Wilson deserves just as much credit for playing an authentic and respectful romantic interest. His character Emmett Richmond is the ideal romantic-comedy boyfriend, which stands out in a film with many toxic male characters.
Emmett supports Elle’s success, whilst still challenging her to be more focused on her pursuit of the legal profession. In a film that is filled with goofier performances, Wilson added a healthy dose of reality to the comedy classic.
'Rushmore' (1998)
Anderson didn’t grant Wilson quite as large of a role in his follow-up to Bottle Rocket. However, it’s often the single-scene character in Anderson’s films that are the most memorable, and that’s certainly the case with Rushmore.
Wilson appears as Peter Flynn, the boyfriend of the prep school teacher Rosemary Cross (Olivia Williams). Due to his infatuation with Cross, Jason Schwartzman’s Max Fischer considers Peter to be his romantic rival.
'The Royal Tenenbaums' (2001)
The Royal Tenenbaums is both one of Anderson’s funniest and most emotionally earnest films ever. The film centers on the three troubled children of the eccentric family man Royal (Gene Hackman), whose children Chas (Ben Stiller), Richie (Wilson), and Margot (Gwyneth Paltrow) have all grown up to despise him because of the high expectations they faced during their youth.
Richie’s plight in particular is a hilarious one; upon discovering that Margot was adopted, Richie finds himself infatuated with her. Wilson hilariously shows Richie’s struggle to express his feelings for his adopted sister.
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