Owen Wilson Quits New Ben Stiller Movie

Owen Wilson has placed his acting career on hold as he recovers from his suicide attempt.

Wilson, 38, has dropped out of Tropic Thunder, a movie comedy for DreamWorks he was set to begin shooting in two to three weeks with longtime pal Ben Stiller, Variety reports.

Wilson's role was due to take a week, according to the trade paper. Stiller – who is producing, directing and starring in the film – started shooting in Hawaii six weeks ago.

The decision for Wilson to sit out the project was apparently mutual between him and Stiller, and it is unclear whether Wilson will be replaced or if his role will be dropped from the script, says Variety.

Tropic Thunder involves a group of actors on the location set of a war movie who find themselves caught up in a real-life conflict. The comedy also stars Jack Black, Robert Downey, Jr. and Nick Nolte.

Wilson and Stiller, 41, have starred together in eight movies: The Cable Guy (1996), Permanent Midnight (1998), Meet the Parents (2000), Zoolander (2001), The Royal Tenenbaums (2001), Starsky & Hutch (2004), Meet the Fockers (2004) and Night at the Museum (2006).

Wilson is currently in Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles after being taken there Sunday. In his only statement since then, the leading man has asked to be given the privacy to "heal."

Neither DreamWorks nor Wilson's reps have commented on the casting development.

Re: Owen Wilson Quits New Ben Stiller Movie

Owen Wilson Attended Church Before Suicide Attempt


While Kate Hudson was reveling in her new romance with Dax Shepard (the two were photographed making out in an L.A. grocery store over the weekend), her ex Owen Wilson was hitting rock bottom.

A depressed Wilson visited St. Monica church in his neighborhood on August 23, out of either devotion or desperation. Three days later, actor Luke Wilson, 35, found his brother in his Santa Monica, California, home with his left wrist slashed, having ingested a quantity of pills.

Owen, 38, who was immediately rushed to the hospital, is now recovering on the eighth floor of Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, where one staffer was overheard saying to another, "Owen Wilson cut his wrists with a knife."

While the news stunned Owen's fans, members of his and Hudson's inner circles were reportedly all too aware of his private struggles with depression and addiction to cocaine and heroin. (A rep for Owen adamantly denies the actor has ever used heroin or cocaine.)

According to sources close to the actor, his downward spiral only worsened after his June split from Hudson, 28.

"We always thought he was just too fun-loving, but now it's obvious he was just dealing with way too much to handle," says a family friend.

Message edited 8/29/2007 9:42:42 AM.

Re: Owen Wilson Quits New Ben Stiller Movie

oh wow, I didn't know he was addicted to coke and herion too.
I hope he gets the help he needs

Re: Owen Wilson Quits New Ben Stiller Movie

this story makes me so sad. I hope that he can get the help that he needs

Re: Owen Wilson Quits New Ben Stiller Movie

so sad....

Re: Owen Wilson Quits New Ben Stiller Movie

I feel so bad for him

he is so cute- and seemed so happy

I guess he is just a great actor

Re: Owen Wilson Quits New Ben Stiller Movie

This is so sad!

Re: Owen Wilson Quits New Ben Stiller Movie

Re: Owen Wilson Quits New Ben Stiller Movie

Poor guy! I hope he gets the help he needs. Not that any of us can know him just from his movies and occasional paparazzi stuff but I'd never think he was depressed, shows you just never know what's going on for someone.