Throwback! Young Owen Wilson Talks About His First Big Movie Role in Bottle Rocket in 1996—Watch Now!

Actor gets candid with his brothers Luke and Andrew

By Kendall Fisher Aug 27, 2015 8:11 PMTags
Watch: E! Looks Back at Owen Wilson in 1996

Before Owen Wilson became the famously funny big-time actor he is today, he was cleaning pools and finding no luck in picking up women.

But thanks to his first big role in Bottle Rocket, the now 46-year-old was able to shower off the scent of chlorine and make it big in Hollywood.

In 1996, E! News caught up with Owen and brothers Andrew and Luke Wilson to chat about how they came together to create the comical "day movie of the year," as they described it.

"It's not like a strong message movie or anything but I think it's kind of funny, and it's original, and if you want to laugh," Owen describes the flick, before Luke interrupts, "It's the day movie of the year!'"

The brothers had been living together with a few friends in a dump, just trying to figure out their lives before they got the bright idea to create the short for Bottle Rocket.

"Andrew, Owen, Wes [Anderson] and me and Bob [Musgrave] and it just kind of this real pit," Luke describes their home. "And we were just all kind of living there and trying to get by. I was going to school and these guys were working… And Owen was cleaning pools. He had that real chlorine smell on him."

Owen adds with a laugh, "Well, I'd read enough Penthouse forums to know that as a pool cleaner I was gonna need a baseball bat to fight 'em off as these lonely women just swamp me. But, uh, it never happened."

Jack Plunkett/WireImage.com

But Owen did find some luck. He had become friends with Wes Anderson (the director of Bottle Rocket) while going to school at the University of Texas and began collaborating on the short.

"We had made some connections and had some people who were willing to work for free," Owen continues. "So we made the short and that went to Sundance, and then it eventually got in the hands of James L. Brooks, the Terms of Endearment director."

Big move for just a couple of twentysomething dudes! But had any of the brothers acted before jumping into the film?

"None of us had done anything in front of a camera," Luke explains. "We had all kind of done stuff in school and college, but the short was the first time."

The E! News reporter sort of told the future with the follow-up question: "Is this going to be the first of many? Or are you going to do other things together?"

Andrew was quick to answer, "Since we don't speak any more unless we're in situations like this, I can assure you!"

Looks like he was right!