July 7, 2005

Inviting Owen Wilson to your wedding probably isn't a good idea. He's attended three weddings in his life and his track record isn't good.
 
"I was the best man at my older brother's wedding," Wilson says to the press. "That marriage lasted almost nine months, but they tried. I started to think that maybe I was a jinx, because I went to another wedding that didn't go the distance, either. Although I was at Ben Stiller's wedding and they are still married. So maybe I'm too hard on myself."

You're forgiven Owen, because your new movie, "Wedding Crashers," is the comedy everyone has been waiting for this summer. Wilson teams up with Vince Vaughn, and the two comedians play life-long womanizers who become experts at sneaking into weddings. When they hit the biggest event of the Washington D.C. social scene, Wilson falls for the Treasury Secretary's daughter (Rachel McAdams of "The Notebook") and threatens to break the cardinal rule of wedding crashing. The two actors work seamlessly together, but don't talk to Wilson about "chemistry."

"It's funny, when you're in a buddy movie they always talk about the chemistry," Wilson says. "It feels like it's up to the audience to determine the chemistry. If the audience likes it, I guess they had great chemistry. Eddie Murphy and I, we had a really good time [on 'I Spy'], but people didn't seem into that movie."

Wilson certainly isn't complaining about shooting "Crashers," though. One scene, at the end of the film's surprisingly energetic wedding montage, stood out in particular. It involved shot after shot of bare-chested women falling onto different beds. And Wilson was committed to making sure it was perfect.

"A lot of people like to say I'm not the hardest worker, but that was a day that I showed up early and stayed late," Owen says. "A lot of these poor girls would say, 'We've done 37 takes. Is that enough?' 'No, it isn't. Get ready for number 38.' We had to get it right."

Wilson did have a few tough scenes of his own, though. Fondling Jane Seymour (as McAdams' mom, no less) isn't as easy as you'd think.

"The truth was I was nervous, not because I had to touch a woman's breasts, but because it was 'Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman,'" Wilson says, as the room erupts into laughter. "There was something about putting my hands on her that was definitely not a healing way. It was a very sexual, inappropriate way. But I got into it."

Speaking of getting into it, Wilson has a reputation as quite the ladies man. Recently, a website cleverly dubbed him "The Butterscotch Stallion." Some stars would not take kindly to such a moniker, but Wilson appears to enjoy it.

"I love that," Owen says. "It has to be one of the most ridiculous, insane nicknames, but some of my friends have really picked up on it. I think they know it's kind of humiliating to me."

How long will the nickname even last? Is there a girl out there ready to sweep him off his feet?

"Well, I'm 36 and they haven't got me to bend a knee yet," he says grinning. "But one of these days, I'm sure I'll get some great girl to lasso me and tame this wild mustang."

And, just like in his new movie, Wilson leaves them laughing.

Next: Before finding out the story on Wilson's fellow "Crasher" Vince Vaughn, meet someone stunningly fantastic.