InfoAnda - Middle man Luke Wilson makes hard work look easy |

Pakistanis angry over detentions in Times Sq. case
Monday, May 24, 2010
ISLAMABAD – Relatives of three men detained by Pakistan for alleged links to the suspect in the attempted Times Square bombing say the men are innocent.
They

Taiwan denies boycotting Australian film festival
Thursday, August 6, 2009

AFP - Thursday, August 6TAIPEI (AFP) - - Taiwan's Beijing-friendly government on Wednesday denied boycotting an Australian film festival amid a row over the e

Merkel's support dips, regional ally resigns International
Thursday, September 3, 2009

By Sarah Marsh and Noah Barkin

BERLIN (Reuters) - Chancellor Angela Merkel suffered a double blow on Thursday as a senior party ally in east German

Minister seeks closure of anti-Berlusconi websites
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
ROME (AFP) - – The Italian government moved Tuesday to close down Internet sites encouraging further violence against Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, who

Asian markets mixed after Wall Street rally
Wednesday, March 18, 2009

By ELAINE KURTENBACH,AP Business Writer AP - Wednesday, March 18SHANGHAI - Asia's stock market rally seemed to be running out of steam Wednesday, despite an

Woman Charged With Setting Husband's Genitals On Fire Stalls Trial With Plea Negotiations | 25 January 2010
Central African Republic rebels halt advance, agree to peace talks | | 2 January 2013
Military, militants battle in tribal Pakistan | 10 August 2009

World stock markets slump on European debt fears | 6 February 2010

Forum Views () Forum Replies ()

Read more with google mobile : Middle man Luke Wilson makes hard work look easy |

Edition: U.S. Article Comments (0) Save Email Print Reprints Most Popular Most Shared South Korea president calls for reunification tax 15 Aug 2010 FOREX-Yen rises as high-yielders slip; eyes on govt, BOJ 15 Aug 2010 Republicans attack Obama over Muslim center comments 15 Aug 2010 U.S.-South Korea drills anger North, worry China 14 Aug 2010 No longer all in the family: Indian businesses step out 13 Aug 2010 Growth angst drifts back to U.S. shores 15 Aug 2010 UK Stocks -- Factors to watch on Aug 16 1:55am EDT UPDATE 1-Hong Kong property stocks down on tightening moves 15 Aug 2010 Japan growth slows amid worry about yen's climb 12:15am EDT FOREX-Yen up on talk of Japanese flows; eyes on govt, BOJ 1:45am EDT Best of the week 13 Aug 2010 Ramadan begins 12 Aug 2010 Republicans attack Obama over Muslim center comments 15 Aug 2010 Nikkei falls 0.6 pct as GDP data hits exporters 2:08am EDT Factbox: Australia economy key focus of election campaign 12:18am EDT Key Pink Floyd albums drop from digital market 13 Aug 2010 Pakistan gets respite from rains but aid flow is slow | Video 3:00am EDT Bank repossessions drive up July foreclosures 12 Aug 2010 Hundreds protest in Jakarta, urge religious freedom 15 Aug 2010 Judge allows JPMorgan overtime lawsuit to proceed 09 Dec 2008 "Middle" man Luke Wilson makes hard work look easy Digg This Tweet This Share on LinkedIn Share on Facebook Related News Will Ferrell hoping for rebound with "Other Guys" Fri, Aug 6 2010 Women rise to the top in "Mad Men" Fri, Jul 30 2010 Comic-Con match-ups: Who won? Mon, Jul 26 2010 Director Noyce back from cold with "Salt" thriller Wed, Jul 21 2010 Related Topics Fashion » Entertainment » People » By Jenelle Riley Sun Aug 15, 2010 11:53pm EDT LOS ANGELES (Back Stage) - By his own account, Luke Wilson should never have become an actor. Growing up in Dallas, he wasn't active in drama; he did one play in high school, and the writer-director yelled at him for not taking things seriously. He was "forced" into his breakthrough role in the short film "Bottle Rocket" by its writers: his brother Owen and director Wes Anderson. And he has never, ever had a headshot. Wilson explains in his signature laid-back Southern drawl, "I was told many times, 'You need one, go get one!' And I could never bring myself to do it. I'd go into auditions, and I'd see a stack of a thousand of them, and I would tell myself, 'I may not get this job, but I know I'm not going to be in that stack.'" While it would be easy to resent Wilson for his subsequent success, he remains an engaging screen presence: a likable Everyman who brings his low-key charm and easy affability to even the most nebulous of roles. It helped him stand out when he was cast as a series of nonthreatening boyfriends in the "Legally Blonde" and "Charlie's Angels" films and "My Super Ex-Girlfriend." And he has taken interesting risks along the way, dodging killers in the underrated thriller "Vacancy" and playing a disillusioned cynic who unwillingly houses a miracle in "Henry Poole Is Here." He also leveraged his success to co-write and co-direct (with his other brother, Andrew) the offbeat comedy "The Wendell Baker Story," in which he also played the title role. And if anyone still wants to dismiss Wilson for never having taken a single acting class, his sublime turn as the suicidal tennis pro in love with his adopted sister in "The Royal Tenenbaums" should be enough to earn the actor at least some grudging respect. Recently, audiences have seen Wilson mostly on the small screen, as the spokesperson for AT&T in a campaign he admits drew him some criticism. "I've had people say disparaging things to me about doing ads," he notes. "It would surprise you the kind of people who are negative and then the people I really respect -- from Dennis Quaid to Stephen Stills -- who say really good things about them." But Wilson had another reason for wanting to do the commercials: They were directed by Oscar-winning documentarian Errol Morris, whom Wilson is a fan of. "To get to work with him was unbelievable," Wilson enthuses. "And, I mean, who am I to say I'm not going to do an ad? Or say no to working with Errol Morris?" One other perk: "I did get four or five free iPhones," he says, "which I gave to friends." Wilson has just returned to theaters with "Middle Men," a fictionalized retelling about the first entrepreneurs to put pornography on the Internet. Based on producer Christopher Malick's own experiences, the film begins in 1995 and stars Wilson as Jack Harris, an average guy who ends up in business with two unpredictable drug abusers (played by Giovanni Ribisi and Gabriel Macht) who become millionaires when they hit upon the idea to put adult content online. In addition to their own excesses, the three end up battling the Russian mafia and enduring an FBI investigation, while Harris tries to maintain his front of a normal family man. Although the role initially seems right in Wilson's wheelhouse as the ordinary guy in over his head, it also offers the actor an opportunity to exhibit a darker side, particularly as Harris' personal life unravels. The film relies on Wilson holding the center to make the story believable and -- more important -- to make us care about this amiable screwup. Or as Ribisi puts it, "He's the calm in the storm -- the guy who sort of made sense of it all. In this movie, Luke is better than I have ever seen him." "ROCKET" MAN Wilson was unlike his brothers, who always knew they wanted to work in the movie business. Though he remembers being fascinated by films and reading about directors, he originally attended college as a track athlete. "By the time I got into acting, I hadn't gotten around to figuring out what I wanted to do," he says. So it was Owen and Wes' fault he became an actor? "Definitely," Wilson says, without a trace of irony. "They were very driven and practical and just sort of told me I would be in their movie." The movie in question was the 1994 short "Bottle Rocket," in which the brothers played would-be thieves trying to stage a burglary. Wilson didn't think much of the project: "I can remember thinking, 'What the hell's a short film? Who watches them? How do you tell a story in 13 minutes?' But even then, Owen and Wes had a real forward-thinking vision." Shooting the short marked the first time either Wilson appeared in front of a camera, and they were off to an inauspicious start. "We were shooting a scene behind a 7-Eleven, just me and Owen," Wilson recalls. "Wes said 'Action,' and we both just stood there. We didn't know what to do. It was the worst kind of feeling." Though the short got into Sundance and eventually led to the 1996 feature version of "Bottle Rocket," which became a cult sensation on video, things were far from glamorous. "When we went to Sundance, we thought we made it," Wilson recalls. "But nothing happened there. On top of that, we couldn't get into any movies or parties. It was like going back to grade school; we felt like complete outsiders -- which we were." The film found its way to James L. Brooks, who signed on as producer and brought the directors to Los Angeles and gave them offices at Columbia Pictures to develop the feature version. Wilson, who had dropped out of school, joined them in L.A. and spent his time "hanging around." Several times, the film got the green light to shoot, only to have it canceled. "We'd celebrate and get so pumped up, and then they would tell us we were put on hold," Wilson says. "We were like, 'But we celebrated the green light already!'" At one point, there was discussion of making the film with different, bankable actors. "I was actually the one who said, 'That seems like a good idea!'" he recalls with a laugh. "I thought Wes could just put us in the next one. But to Jim Brooks' credit, he said, 'It makes no sense to do the movie unless you have these guys.'" When the feature version of "Bottle Rocket" finally came out, it made less than $1 million in theaters, and Wilson didn't work for another year and a half. He was down to his last $400 from shooting "Bottle Rocket" when he began to book roles. At first it was small parts like one day on "Scream 2" or little indies like "Best Men," but a year later he was sharing top billing with Drew Barrymore in "Home Fries" and Martin Lawrence in "Blue Streak." Wilson notes he didn't put any qualifiers on the size of role or type of film he was interested in. "From the beginning it was never about lead roles or important roles," he maintains. "I just wanted good parts in any kind of movie. Some of my favorite roles were smaller parts that had a big impact, like Jack Nicholson in 'Easy Rider.'" Wilson also doesn't spend any time worrying over the legacy of his projects. "My favorite actor is Warren Oates, and he's not someone who spends a lot of time asking himself, 'Should I do this movie? Shouldn't I?' It's more like, 'I'm free. I'll do it.' "I know it can be frowned up, and I respect both sides of the fence: people who do everything and people who are really choosy. I just feel, for me, my personality and how I'm happiest is when I'm on the job." Fashion Entertainment People Add a Comment *We welcome comments that advance the story directly or with relevant tangential information. We try to block comments that use offensive language or appear to be spam and review comments frequently to ensure they meet our standards. If you see a comment that you believe is irrelevant or inappropriate, you can flag it to our editors by using the report abuse links. Views expressed in the comments do not represent those of Reuters. © Copyright 2010 Thomson Reuters Editorial Editions: Africa Arabic Argentina Brazil Canada China France Germany India Italy Japan Latin America Mexico Russia Spain United Kingdom United States Reuters Contact Us Advertise With Us Help Journalism Handbook Archive Site Index Video Index Reader Feedback Mobile Newsletters RSS Podcasts Widgets Your View Analyst Research Thomson Reuters Copyright Disclaimer Privacy Professional Products Professional Products Support Financial Products About Thomson Reuters Careers Online Products Acquisitions Monthly Buyouts Venture Capital Journal International Financing Review Project Finance International PEhub.com PE Week FindLaw Reuters on Facebook Thomson Reuters is the world's largest international multimedia news agency, providing investing news, world news, business news, technology news, headline news, small business news, news alerts, personal finance, stock market, and mutual funds information available on Reuters.com, video, mobile, and interactive television platforms. Thomson Reuters journalists are subject to an Editorial Handbook which requires fair presentation and disclosure of relevant interests. NYSE and AMEX quotes delayed by at least 20 minutes. Nasdaq delayed by at least 15 minutes. For a complete list of exchanges and delays, please click here.

Other News on Monday, 16 August 2010
Petraeus hedges bets on Afghan withdrawal
Six Cuban dissidents 'ready' for release
Hamas, secular groups, oppose direct talks with Israel
Ship crews robbed in Gulf off Iraqi oil hub Basra
Asteroid In Neptune Orbit May Prove Planetary Migration
Petraeus holds out prospect of Taliban reconciliation
Hamas and secular groups, oppose direct talks with Israel |
Qaeda No. 2 urges Turkish break with Israel
Prominent critic of Syria's Assad turns 80 in jail |
Police fear higher Sinai migrant death toll
Orthodox flock to once-banned holy site in Turkey
Former Nigerian VP Abubakar announces election bid |
In sign of stability, Israel removes blast wall
Ship crews robbed in Gulf off Iraqi oil hub Basra |
Afghanistan: NATO strike kills 2 fleeing militants
US-ENTERTAINMENT Summary
Stallone knocks out Julia Roberts at box office
Beatles piano withdrawn from sale: auctioneers
Saudi sitcom row tests tolerance toward Christians
Stallone knocks out Julia Roberts at box office |
Gates, Petraeus differ over Afghanistan exit
French Gypsy protest blocks major highway
Pakistan gets respite from rains but aid flow is slow |
Zsa Zsa Gabor calls in priest for final rites
U.S. urges vigilance in sanctions on Iran shipping
Foreign troop deaths in Afghan war 'top 2,000'
Hurricane formation linked to sea color: study
Thailand lifts emergency rule in 3 more provinces |
NZ checking whether Afghanistan prisoners tortured
"Toy Story 3" Heads To DVD And Blu-Ray In November
Prominent critic of Syria's Assad turns 80 in jail
Australia PM Gillard pins election hopes on economy |
Petraeus sees 'areas of progress' in Afghan war
Internet era espionage pits spy against tech
Malaysia's Anwar loses bid to lift sodomy charges
Neil Patrick Harris to be father of twins
Australia PM Gillard pins election hopes on economy
Zsa Zsa Gabor asks for last rites
S.Korea, US launch massive joint war games
U.S. video viewing site Hulu plans an IPO: report |
Hong Kong film hopes to break new ground with 3-D porn |
Colombian rebels release Japanese hostage
China-funded port a 'symbol of non-partisan policy'
India microlender SKS shares soar in debut trade
Stallone's 'Expendables' storm US, Canadian box office
Religious minorities in Indonesia push back
Sylvester Stallone talks "Expendables" sequel
Indonesia economy must not be 'caged tiger'
SKorea, US launch war games despite NKorea threat
Seoul shares trim losses; financials weigh
Thousands flock to see asteroid pod in Japan
S.Korea to take preorders for iPhone 4
Japan's growth slows as recovery loses steam
PAKISTAN
Taiwan GDP growth could beat 6 pct forecasts in 2011
Japan world's second-largest economy: govt
Seoul shares trim losses; financials weigh
Korea Hot Stocks
Zsa Zsa Gabor asks for last rites |
Eat Pray Love marks writing debut for actress |
U.K. director Edgar Wright takes on The World |
Neil Patrick Harris to be father of twins |
Jude Law's ex recounts doomed marriage in memoir |
Kristen Bell cast in indie ballet comedy |
Theater actress sues over Green Day musical promo |
Middle man Luke Wilson makes hard work look easy |
Lottery Ticket has no winners |
US-TECH Summary
Hong Kong film hopes to break new ground with 3-D porn
Tearful German pop star confesses in HIV trial
Air strike kills al Qaeda cell leader in Afghan north |
Sudan expels five UN/ICRC staff from West Darfur
Colombian airliner crashes during storm, one dead |
Russia says fires abating close to nuclear site
Filmmakers In Race To Release 3D Porno
Storm rips through northwest Russia
U.S.-S.Korea drills anger North, worry China |
Iran says to push ahead with new enrichment plants |
Hamas and secular groups oppose direct talks with Israel |
Eurozone inflation rises to 1.7% in July
Iran sets timetable for third uranium plant
Car bomb aimed at Iranian pilgrims kills 5 in Iraq |
Afghan Taliban call for joint probe into civilian deaths
Putin's party abandons unpopular Russian governor |
Prosecutors appeal Khmer Rouge torturer's jail term |
Kyrgyz forces aided attacks on Uzbeks: rights group |
NATO says al-Qaida operative killed in Afghanistan
Prosecutors appeal Khmer Rouge torturer's jail term
Pakistanis block highways to protest slow flood aid
Vanilla Ice To Debut Home Makeover Series
Thailand ends emergency rule in more areas
”Star Wars” Films To Hit Blu-Ray In 2011
Three Wounded In Chicago High-Rise Fire
Israel rejects 'preconditions' for direct peace talks
Alvin Greene Won't Quit Senate Race Despite Indictment
Shoe-throwing policeman hailed as 'hero' in Kashmir
Memorial Service Planned For Former Alaska Senator Ted Stevens
U.S. hails big win in technology trade case against EU |
Malaysia charges tourism chief with criminal breach of trust
Dell to buy storage company 3PAR for $1.15 billion |
Adolescent Troubles Linked To Adult Health Problems
UN warns of diseases in Pakistan floods
US Team For Middle-East To Discuss Security Council Sanctions Against Iran
Intel to buy TI's cable modem unit |
Probe Launched In Suicide Of "Craigslist Killer"
China mudslide town lacking supplies
Apple manager charged with taking kickbacks |
Study: 'Only Children' Develop Adequate Social Skills
ASEAN calls for peaceful end to Cambodian-Thai spat
Stallone's "The Expendables" Beats Box Office Competition, "Eat Pray Love" At 2nd Place
Charge ex-Malaysia Airlines boss over losses: opposition
Donkeys come to the rescue in Pakistan floods
Little Feat, 40 years on, keep rocking Americana
Director Cameron dives beneath Lake Baikal
Kristen Bell cast in indie ballet comedy
"Eat Pray Love" marks writing debut for actress
"Middle" man Luke Wilson makes hard work look easy
Death of anti-communist radical divides Czechs
U.K. director Edgar Wright takes on "The World"
Theater actress sues over Green Day musical promo
Zsa Zsa Gabor asks for last rites |
Battling political confessionalism in Lebanon
Director Cameron dives beneath Lake Baikal |
Little Feat, 40 years on, keep rocking Americana |
Study: 2 To 5 Percent Of Canadians Are Hoarders
Lourdes Shrine In France Evacuated After Bomb Threat
Greece at new risk of being pushed off euro
Bodies of missing Tenn. mom, Jo Ann Bain, and daughter found
Female Breasts Are Bigger Than Ever
AMD Trinity Accelerated Processing Units Now in Volume Production
The Avengers (2012 film), made the second biggest opening- and single-day gross of all-time
AMD to Start Production of piledriver
Ivy Bridge Quad-Core, Four-Thread Desktop CPUs
Islamists Protest Lady Gaga's Concert in Indonesia
Japan Successfully Broadcasts an 8K Signal Over the Air
ECB boosts loans to 1 trillion Euro to stop credit crunch
Egypt : Mohammed Morsi won with 52 percent
What do you call 100,000 Frenchmen with their hands up
AMD Launches AMD Embedded R-Series APU Platform
Fed Should not Ignore Emerging Market Crisis
Fed casts shadow over India, emerging markets
Why are Chinese tourists so rude? A few insights

USD EUR - 1 year graph	VPN on MacOSX	BlogMeter 1.01