Owen Wilson - Actor, Writer, Depression
[TRIGGER WARNING – SUICIDE]
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Owen Cunningham Wilson is a producer, writer, actor, voice over artist and avid skateboarder from Dallas in Texas. He is best known on screen for his humorous, quirky
He was born on the 18th of November 1968 to Robert Andrew Wilson and Laura Wilson. His father was the operator and an advertising executive of a television station while his mother was a photographer. He was the second child and had two brothers both of whom were also actors. Owen attended the New Institute Military Institute and obtained a Bachelor of Arts in English from University of Texas in Austin.
His first role was acting as Dignan in the movie Bottle Rocket which he co-wrote with Wes Anderson in 1996. He also acted in the Cable Guy in the same year. He acted in 9 other movies between 1997 and the year 2000 before achieving fame in Shanghai Noon a movie he also acted in the year 2000. The movie was nominated for Blockbuster Entertainment Award for Best Action Team and Satellite Award for Best Supporting Actor Musical or Comedy. His fame continued to rise in other movies which he acted including Behind Enemy Lines in 2001, I Spy in 2002, Shanghai Knights in 2003, Around the Word in 80 Days in 2004, Wedding Crashers in 2005, Cars in 2006, The Darjeeling Limited in 2007, Over Her Dead Body in 2008, Fantastic Mr. Fox in 2009, Marmaduke in 2010, Midnight in Paris in 2011, Free Birds in 2013, The Grand Budapest Hotel in 2014 and No Escape in 2015.
He had two sons, the first from his ex-girlfriend, Jade Duell on the 14th of January 2011 and the second from his personal trainer, Caroline Lindqvist on the 30th of January 2014.
Owen Wilson’s battle with Mental Illness & Suicide
It wasn't all smooth for Owen Wilson however, as he had to battle with mental illness which led to him attempting suicide on 26th August, 2007. Luke Wilson, his brother, discovered him in a pool of blood and in a state of confusion and made a call to Santa Monical Police Station at about 12:00 noon on the fateful day. He took an overdose of pills and at the same time slit his wrist. His attempted suicide was however a shock to family and friends as none of them expected such an action from him. The general reason given for the attempted suicide was due to depression which is a form of mental health problem. Various reasons were however speculated to be the reason why he attempted to take his life.
Reason's behind his suicide attempt
One of these reasons were over-drinking, as it is believed that drinking consistently to deal with emotional issues exacerbates Depression. Another reason given was that artists normally experience ups and downs as part of their everyday life and perhaps he was just experiencing a down moment. Others also speculated that a break up with his then girlfriend Kate Hudson could have been responsible for the attempted suicide. While there seemed to be no effect of the break up on Kate, there were speculations that break up could have been stressful for him.
Some others also speculated that it could have been due to his involvement in drugs that led to the attempted suicide as evidenced by the fact that he was on an overdose of drugs when he was found. Others still, speculated that it was because he was single as it is believed that single guys are more at risk of committing suicide compared to married couples. They believed he was depressed because he intended to get married before the age of 30 but could not meet up even after he was 30. Others also claimed they had noticed a difference in him in recent times during get together as he was not always as excited about such meetings as he used to be initially. While others believed it was a combination of some or all of the factors listed above that led to the attempted suicide. No matter what the real reason was, it was linked to mental depression which could have cut shut his life as early as 8 years ago.
Treatment
After the attempted suicide, he was treated at the hospital for depression as confirmed by his lawyer. He has since regained his health and was able to continue to live a healthy and happy life after he was treated for the mental health problem. He has after the suicide attempt, acted over 20 movies.
AB Consultation and Counselling Service is a professional counselling psychology service that walks with people on their road to psychological recovery. For many years, we have been able to successfully help people move on with their lives, allowing them to get a hold of their condition and make progress. If you or someone you know suffers from any mental illness or you just want to talk to someone, please feel free to send us a message using the form below.