{"id":133197,"date":"2025-11-18T08:00:10","date_gmt":"2025-11-18T13:00:10","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.sheilaomalley.com\/?p=133197"},"modified":"2025-11-17T08:58:39","modified_gmt":"2025-11-17T13:58:39","slug":"happy-birthday-owen-wilson","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.sheilaomalley.com\/?p=133197","title":{"rendered":"“I care desperately about what I do. Do I know what product I’m selling? No.” — Owen Wilson"},"content":{"rendered":"

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\nI just want to point you towards a recent remarkable profile of Wilson in Esquire<\/em><\/a>, the cover story. The writer – Ryan D’Agostino – really knows what he’s doing. It’s a beautiful piece of writing filled with interesting observations. Wilson even spoke of his 2007 suicide attempt, which he’d never done before, except for “Please, media, let me be cared for and healed” public statement at the time. <\/p>\n

I find Owen Wilson funny, but I also find him touching. Maybe my own life of near-constant mental struggle means I recognize these things in him, even with how funny he is, there’s a strain of sadness underneath even the whimsy. It’s why he’s such a good writer. His sense of joy is hard-won. <\/p>\n

In 2013, I wrote an essay about Owen Wilson – his melancholy, wistfulness and humor – for Rogerebert.com. <\/p>\n

The Melancholy Hero: On the Acting of Owen Wilson<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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\nThank you so much for stopping by. If you like what I do, and if you feel inclined to support my work, here’s a link to my Venmo account<\/a>. And I’ve launched a Substack, Sheila Variations 2.0<\/a>, if you’d like to subscribe.<\/em> <\/small><\/p>\n