Owen Wilson’s suicide attempt in 2007 shocked the actor’s fans and colleagues. However, the actor is feeling quite grateful nowadays.
In August 2007, Hollywood actor Owen Wilson gave his fans and colleagues a huge scare when news blogs reported the actor had attempted suicide. According to reports, Owen was rushed to a hospital after police officers responded to a call about an attempted suicide at his Santa Monica home.
Thankfully, they arrived in time, and the 38-year-old was rushed to the hospital, where he was admitted. A day after the tragic incident, Owen released a statement asking for privacy to enable him to receive proper care and subsequently heal. Although news about the actor’s health status and state of mind was scarce, fans became relieved when his colleague Wes Anderson told the press he was recovering well.
Wes, who is also the director of some of his movies, including “The Darjeeling Limited,” and “The Royal Tenenbaums,” said:
“Obviously he has been through a lot this week. I can tell you he has been doing very well, he has been making us laugh. When he is ready he’s going to speak for himself much better than any of us could.”
However, the director also reiterated that Owen’s privacy should be respected amid the sad incident. Meanwhile, actor Adrien Brody who played Wilson’s brother in “The Darjeeling Limited,” also lauded the actor for his tremendous humor.
Andrew Helped Owen Recover From Suicide Attempt
For long periods after the suicide attempt, Owen refused to address or speak about the incident. However, during an interview with Esquire, Owen spoke briefly on the subject. Although a bit reluctant to go into much detail, Owen lauded his elder brother Andrew for his impact days after the event.
Speaking about his struggles, Owen explained that sometimes life is tough but fair like Gene Hackman is playing it in “Hoosiers.” The actor expressed, “He’s going to demand a lot, but if you play as a team and do your job, things work out. That’s a good feeling. Things make sense.” However, life may sometimes be played by Tom Hardy in “The Revenant,” where you never truly escape even if you get the upper hand. All you can do, according to Owen, is hang on and wait for it to pass.
Still, Owen noted that Andrew held his hands and helped him walk through the dark days. The actor explained that Andrew stayed in his house and looked after him the day after the incident. He would wake up each morning and write out little daily schedules. Little by little, normality returned to Owen’s life, and he was able to take huge steps in his recovery.
Owen Became Obsessed With Death at Age 11
Meanwhile, the “Loki” actor, in the same interview with Esquire- where he praised his brother Andrew- added that he battled with depression very early in his life, which lasted for a very long time. Owen shared that as a kid, he thought about things alot and started thinking about death when he was just 11 years old. He noted:
“I don’t remember ever talking with my parents about it. Although I do remember one time saying to my dad—and I remember exactly where in the house—saying, ‘I worry about dying,’ and seeing my dad turn away and catch himself. And I was surprised to see that reaction. But who knows, maybe that was part of why I said it.”
However, years on from the incident, the 53-year-old movie star feels more appreciative about life. His career picked back up, and he has appeared in movies like “Wonder.” He even joined the Marvel Cinematic Universe with a role on the series “Loki.” Owen is feeling quite thankful about things saying:
“I’ve been in sort of a lucky place of feeling pretty appreciative of things. I know everything’s kind of up and down, but when you get on one of these waves, you’ve gotta ride it as long as you can. … Feeling pretty grateful.”
Besides his on-screen commitments, the actor is also focused on being a father to his kids. Owen also spoke about his fatherhood challenges, explaining that reading to them alone requires much effort. Still, it’s quite a beautiful story to see Owen gradually overcoming his demons.