How did Owen Wilson’s brother help him recover after he tried to take his own life in 2007?
In 2007, Owen Wilson was in a very dark mental space and he saw no way out of it, but to attempt suicide. Since the reports first came out of what he did he has been silent about it, but now, in an interview with Esquire, he has finally opened up a little bit about what led him to do it:
Sometimes it seems like life is being played by Gene Hackman in Hoosiers. Tough but fair. 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.
Sometimes life seems to be played by Tom Hardy in The Revenant, some nightmarish guy trying to kill you, where even if you get the upper hand, he’s still going to be there at the end whispering, ‘This ain’t gonna bring your boy back’ or ‘your dad back’ or ‘any good times from your past back.’ Or whatever. And when life’s being played by that guy, you just gotta hang on and wait for it to pass.
After the attempt, his brother Andrew stayed with him in his house. They would get up together, make schedules for their day to try and make the days more manageable, and this lasted until he felt good again, which took a long time to happen.
Also in the interview, he revealed that he has battled depression since he was young, and the thought of dying first came to his head when he was eleven:
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.
As to how he currently feels, he stated:
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. I’ve just felt—yeah. Feeling pretty grateful. Well, grateful’s one of those words that get used all the time. Appreciative. Of, you know, stuff.
Thank you for reading and don’t be afraid to seek help if you need it.
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