Patrick Wilson Is Exactly Who You Think He Is — and ‘Jay Kelly’ Proves It

The instant Patrick Wilson joins our video call, I get a pretty good sense of the kind of actor — and person — he is. “Let me turn this on so I can see you,” he says, greeting me with a friendly smile as soon as he pops onto the screen. “I don't like doing Zooms when I can't see anyone. It feels weird.”

Logically, Wilson must be exhausted. Our interview falls on the afternoon of a long press day — one of many for Jay Kelly, but that’s par for the course when you have such a strong Oscar contender on your hands — which often starts before dawn and lasts well into the night after special screenings and Q&As. But the 52-year-old actor never seems anything but fully engaged throughout our conversation, lounging in a T-shirt on the heels of a photoshoot. Stamina, as well as the ability to be fully present in every moment, is crucial for any actor, perhaps none more so than theater performers, so maybe this is Wilson’s Broadway background coming in handy.

It could also be that Wilson is just used to the promotional whirlwind by now, considering he’s both part of the DC universe and one of the most popular horror franchises of all time. Earlier this year, The Conjuring: Last Rites, in which he stars as paranormal investigator Ed Warren alongside Vera Farmiga, made history as the biggest-ever opening for a horror movie. “It surpassed all our expectations,” Wilson admits. “It says a lot about what people want out of the movies and out of experiences. Yes, it’s the last one, and we're coming to the end. We have a lot of love for that series, so the marketing campaign was brilliant, and the movie stuck the landing. It was nostalgic enough, but with a heartfelt story. We were all incredibly proud of it.”

Capping off his tenure in the Conjuring franchise isn’t the only project Wilson has to be proud of this year. He also stars in Noah Baumbach’s Jay Kelly, which sees George Clooney inhabiting the titular role of a movie star grappling with his artistic legacy and the personal relationships he sacrificed to achieve it. Wilson plays Ben Alcock, an actor with a vastly different approach to his craft, who serves as a foil to both Jay and their shared manager, Ron, played by Adam Sandler.

‘Jay Kelly’ Is the Best Script Wilson Never Read

Every film is different, of course, but Jay Kelly was a particularly unusual experience from the very beginning. While the first order of business usually involves analyzing the script, Wilson didn’t actually even read it — and no, it’s not because he didn’t have time, or because Baumbach was hiding anything from him. “We're all sort of drop-in, drop-out guest stars,” he explains of the film’s unique approach to its ensemble, where the majority of the characters only appear in a couple of scenes. “My character, he's on his own journey. As we started to do it, Noah and I came to the conclusion between us that it just made sense. These actors are in such different worlds.”

While not having the full context of a film may sound intimidating, Wilson found it liberating. “There was actually a weird freedom in not knowing anything else, because it just made me concentrate on my stuff,” he admits. “It was really freeing to just go, ‘This is all I've got. Two pages, it's all I know.’” The little he did read was enough to sell him on the fact that this was a special movie. “The sides of the scenes were so, so, so, so well-constructed and well-written,” he recalls. “It actually made me just dig into the scenes. Ben is in his own world.”

What, exactly, does that world look like? Well, it’s full of people — and resentment. The audience meets Wilson’s Ben in Tuscany alongside his large family, where he’s being honored with an award he was the second choice for after Clooney’s Jay Kelly initially rejected the prize. When Jay changes his mind, Ben is forced to share the spotlight. It’s salt in the wound, considering that Ben already feels like Ron has been dropping the ball with his career to tend to Jay’s needs. While Ben is blessed with a “caravan of people” in his corner, Wilson isn’t convinced his character is as rich in the talent department. “I would love to see his movies. I was like, ‘What's he like as an actor?’ I don't know if it's very good.”

Because Wilson didn’t have the script to look to, he had to rely extra heavily on Baumbach’s direction — something he was more than happy to do. “I'm such a massive fan of his. I know I say it at every screening and talk back, but you get into movies to work with people like Noah. There's a very short list of directors that you stop anything and go, ‘Oh, really? He wants me? This is amazing. Let's go get it.’” Wilson likens the experience of collaborating with Baumbach to working with Todd Field on Little Children or Mike Nichols on Angels in America. “They're just on another level,” Wilson says. “I never take that for granted, having those experiences.”

Wilson has been following Baumbach’s career from the very start. He vividly recalls watching the director’s debut feature, 1995’s Kicking and Screaming, to support his longtime friend Josh Hamilton. (Hamilton also appears in Jay Kelly, making for a beautiful full-circle moment.) “We did a play out here in LA, Cider House Rules, at the Taper, and we became friends in that. I saw that film that he was in, and I felt like it was something I don't see a lot. There were relationships that I didn't see reflected in movies.” It was an important milestone that opened up a whole new world for Wilson. “I grew up in Florida in the ‘80s, and I'm not knocking Florida in the ‘80s, but the term ‘independent cinema’... I didn't know those words. Coming out of theater school, I didn't see a lot of movies, either. It was at a time in my life in the late ‘90s and early 2000s, where I was just really sort of understanding what film really was aside from big blockbusters.”

There's a very short list of directors that you stop anything and go, ‘Oh, really? He wants me? This is amazing. Let's go get it.’

As someone who grew up in Indiana, similarly far from indie film, I confess I had the same experience after discovering Mistress America, as the relationships and dialogue resonated deeply with me despite the fact that I’d never seen anything like them before. “You're exactly right,” Wilson agrees. “It's his dialogue. Not growing up in New York, a lot of the very typical New York filmmaker movies….were so far from who I was. My wife [actor Dagmara Dominczyk], growing up in New York, that's her jam. Of course, I enjoy a lot of those movies and a lot of New York filmmakers, but they never felt like me. And it was interesting because Noah's dialogue both felt very, very New York and cinematic, but I could relate to it. Do you know what I mean?” I nod. I know exactly what he means. “Accessible,” I offer. “Accessible,” he concurs.

For Wilson, Jay Kelly strikes that same perfect combination of elevated and relatable. Still, he also hopes the film will be able to reach those who may be unfamiliar with Baumbach’s work, like One Battle After Another already has for Paul Thomas Anderson. “I think a lot of people maybe didn’t think a PTA movie could be so funny, so approachable. Jay Kelly is similar in that the core Noah Baumbach fans will enjoy it, but it really casts such a wide net. It may, on the outside, appeal to a certain demo, but the movie is so beyond that.” Though the story is embedded in the entertainment industry, Wilson notes that it doesn’t veer into self-aggrandizing territory — an easy trap to fall into when making art about the business. “It’s not too inside baseball that people will like, ‘Oh God, there’s Hollywood talking about themselves.’ It’s not that. There's such human emotion to the movie. I think we could all find somebody [we know] in there.”

When you’ve looked up to someone for so long, the way Wilson has with Baumbach, you must have some preconceived notions about what it would be like to work with them. When I ask Wilson what surprised him the most about working with the writer-director, his answer points back to our discussion about his dialogue, noting that Baumbach has an “efficiency of speaking” and “stoic nature” that stands in stark contrast to some of his more bombastic, comedic movies. Wilson doesn’t think he possesses that quality himself, but it’s one he greatly admires. “I like people who can stand in silence, and then, when they say something, it means something. He's very specific, and I knew his notes would be very specific.”

That’s not to say Baumbach was prescriptive or controlling — quite the opposite. “I think Noah trusted my instincts, so it wasn't a lot of major direction,” Wilson notes, describing his approach almost as one might a doctor or sculptor. “It was more sort of scalpel work, fine-tuning. I remember asking him, ‘How big of a stick do you want me to swing here?’ It was really working with him on how far he wanted to push me, how absurd we wanted it to be, and trying to get the tone right.”

Wilson’s ‘Jay Kelly’ Co-Stars Were Exactly Who He Wanted Them to Be

Baumbach’s vision is undoubtedly a key part of Jay Kelly’s success, but it’s also a film that lives or dies by the power of its performances. Luckily, it thrives in that department as well, which Wilson credits to the strength of the casting. While themes of selfishness and ego are front and center, he says the lack of both behind the scenes was instrumental in making Jay Kelly work. “I think [Noah] hires people who are smart enough to sort of intuit what they need to bring to the role and, for lack of a better term, be a team player. When you cast the right people in a movie, and everybody comes in with the same intention, and that same focus, and the same reason of, ‘We’re going to work on a Noah Baumbach movie,’ it levels the playing field. We know the caliber that he surrounds himself with, and we’re all very happy to be here.”

With a cast including everyone from George Clooney to Adam Sandler to Laura Dern, to say that the caliber of talent is high would be an understatement. Wilson notes that rehearsals in London (“a novelty” in this business) helped break the ice and establish chemistry, since he had never worked with the majority of the cast before — something that turned out to be a blessing. “It's funny, because on one hand, I'm at a point where I want to work with friends. I want to work with like-minded people, who I trust and get along with. I didn't know anyone involved except for Billy [Crudup], and Billy and I had nothing to do with each other… that's unusual for me at this point. I’ve never worked with these producers. I did one wacky little horror movie with Netflix, but I didn't really know Netflix, so this was all a new experience. I learned [not to] get caught up in wanting to work with the people that you trust, because there are so many people that you don't know yet. Go in with an open mind and open heart.”

Though Wilson and Crudup don’t share any scenes, they did text beforehand and even attended a Telluride screening together. Wilson’s two main takeaways from that experience? That Crudup gives a hell of a performance (“I turned to him and was like, ‘Oh, god damn it — you're fantastic in this’”) and that, while a general audience will be able to relate to the film, they may interpret some of it very, very differently from a viewer who’s in the industry — particularly after a big reveal complicates the initially friendly relationship between Clooney and Crudup’s characters. “What was fascinating was that we had people come up to us after and say, ‘Oh, I didn't like you guys. Great job. Didn’t like your character.’ And we were like, ‘Huh? How can you not like Billy's character? The guy got totally screwed!’ People have a feeling about George Clooney, but we come at it from such an actor's perspective. It was really remarkable how people responded to that. As the actor who’s totally been in Billy’s shoes, I found it fascinating that some people really responded the complete opposite way that I thought they would.”

Nothing gives me more pleasure than to tell my friends back home who don't do this for a living, asking, ‘What are they like?’ to go, ‘They're like what you'd think.’

In addition to Baumbach, Wilson was also a massive fan of his co-stars’ work, divulging that he’s seen “probably everything” Sandler has ever made. While the actor’s resume includes over 80 projects, Jay Kelly is unlike anything he’s taken on before, showcasing an impressive level of depth and range. “Adam, for me, is remarkable in the movie in ways I haven’t seen him,” Wilson gushes, reflecting on the pivotal scene where their characters get drinks, which marks Ben’s first appearance and a turning point for Ron. “He was a real wildcard, which was great. He did takes where he was sloppy and falling all over the place, and some that were put together. I knew it was important for me to meet Adam where he was and then drive the scene, because this guy's falling apart.”

Wilson’s second major moment is with none other than Clooney himself, an experience he recalls as confusing in the best way. The scene is a whirlwind, with Ben and his enormous posse of family and friends running into Jay on the side of the road while he’s at arguably his lowest point in the film. Of course, Ben doesn’t know that — and neither did Wilson, since he was unfamiliar with the full story, which helped him not to overthink his choices and give a more truthful performance. “I love that it's just this crazy sidebar in his life. When I see that scene, I understand why Noah said, ‘Don't read the script.’ I had no idea where he was coming from. I knew nothing, which I love — because honestly, that's how life is, right? You never know what somebody walks in with.” Though the scene itself is chaotic, Wilson says it was the carefully crafted kind. “That was such a beautifully written scene. I think, in ADR, we added one more [little line], but that was it. Everything was so tight. There was no ad-libbing for a scene that seems like cacophony. Noah is like a surgeon with his dialogue, which I absolutely love.”

A two-time Oscar winner, Clooney is widely considered one of the greats — a well-deserved reputation, in Wilson’s opinion, both in terms of talent and disposition. Wilson is quick to praise both him and Sandler for the vulnerability and authenticity they brought to the set. “I gotta say, the great ones are usually great. The real great ones, they're like you'd think. They’re giving and listening. They wear their heart on their sleeve in their work. I think that's very, very, very difficult in any business, but certainly in our business, that can be so invasive to guys on that level. Nothing gives me more pleasure than to tell my friends back home who don't do this for a living, asking, ‘What are they like?’ to go, ‘They're like what you'd think.’”

Now, Wilson hopes he left a similar impression on all of his Jay Kelly co-stars. “That's the greatest takeaway that I would hope people would say about me and that I would say about Laura Dern and Billy Crudup and Riley Keough — all the people who I saw in this movie — is, ‘Yeah, they're just like you'd think.’”

From Stage to Screen, Wilson Finds Inspiration Everywhere

Wilson has had meaningful encounters with the greats since the very beginning, with Tom Hanks famously being one of the first people he bumped into when he moved to New York. That meeting, as well as Hanks’ advice to persevere, left a lasting impression on Wilson — one that he hopes he’ll be able to tell the legend in person very soon. “I want to go see him in his play,” he says, referencing Hanks’ upcoming run in the off-Broadway show This World of Tomorrow alongside Wilson’s former Brigadoon co-star Kelli O’Hara. Though Wilson hasn’t crossed paths with Hanks in the 30 years since their initial meeting, he does still have a signed picture and letter Hanks sent him after he started in Season 2 of Fargo — written, of course, on one of the actor’s iconic typewriters.

Wilson also counts Paul Newman and Michael Keaton among his inspirations, noting that working with the latter on The Founder is one of the highlights of his career. “When I think about what I want to be — the versatility that I really want to achieve in film — it’s really based on a lot of Michael Keaton's work in the ‘80s. He's done amazing work since, obviously, but those were my formative years of deciding if I want to do this. I was amazed that somebody could go from Clean and Sober and Pacific Heights and Batman a few years before Mr. Mom — any genre that he wanted to on a studio scale.”

Wilson’s influences span beyond typical Hollywood stars. Considering his theater background, there’s a long list of stage actors who have impacted him, whether as the result of a single interaction (like Australian actor Anthony Warlow, whom Wilson met when he did Annie on Broadway) or because they served as the best man at his wedding (like former classmate Matt Stocke). Establishing a solid community, Wilson says, is crucial in this industry for any actor. “I got really fortunate in a really tough business. My buddies and I all stayed together, and all supported each other, and they've all gone on and done [great things]. I mean, Christian Borle has won more Tonys than I've ever been nominated for, and Matt continually works in the theater, so we all have found our way. One of our buddies, who is this really, really interesting actor — he got into this punk band and then became a magician and is a Satanic priest on the side. He’s found his thing, and it's awesome.”

I'm a diehard for New York actors who cut their teeth doing theater.

I ask whether Wilson can think of any actors akin to Billy Crudup’s character in Jay Kelly — great performers who he believes deserve more opportunities, or have been forced to leave the industry altogether. “Oh, yeah — tons,” Wilson easily confirms. “I went to Carnegie Mellon, and there were actors who came out of there who were absolutely incredible. By this point, there are very few of us actually still in the business.” Wilson is hesitant to name names, as it can be a sensitive topic, but says there’s a wealth of undiscovered or underappreciated talent still tirelessly working for their big break. “There are a lot of New York actors. Look at almost every episode of Law & Order, and chances are, there's some killer theater actor who’s doing some great work as a guest star on there. Hopefully, they will cut through, and you'll see them.” A small beat. “As you can tell, I'm a diehard for New York actors who cut their teeth doing theater.”

The topic comes up again when I inquire if he has any wild audition stories like the one that plays out in Jay Kelly. “I'm gonna sound very elitist right now, of ‘New York actor versus LA actor,’ but we came out of theater school. When you're auditioning for, specifically, musicals, you can't do a lot of dumb shenanigans. You gotta sing your stuff in like 16 bars, and you gotta act your scene and then make it to the dance call. You didn't have a lot of room for hijinks. Not to take anything away [from LA performers] — it's only my experience — but I think that's why New York casting directors really love those New York theater actors. They'll find some crazy show downtown and discover somebody, because you can still do that in New York.”

Wilson Owes Everything to Mike Nichols

It wasn’t exactly a crazy show downtown that helped Wilson get discovered — and it wasn’t by a casting director, either — but his theater roots certainly helped him get his big break, after director Mike Nichols saw him in The Full Monty, which led to him being cast in Angels in America. “Tons of people auditioned,” Wilson says. “I had no business getting that job. I'm extremely fortunate that he came to see the show and was like ‘I want to call on that guy,’ and then offered it to me in the room, which is a rarity.”

Wilson credits Nichols with giving him far more than his first television job; the director gave him confidence and the tools to succeed, too. “I've heard Tom Hanks say the same thing — you just want to feel comfortable. You want to feel comfortable in your workplace, and especially as artists, you want to have the space to screw up. You want to have a space to try something. You want to have a space where you're not gonna be shut down. Mike was so great about making it feel like it was your idea. I think I would have had a different film career — I probably wouldn't have any film career — if Angels wasn't the experience for me that leapfrogged me in my film technique. Mike had such a way of shooting it and being intimate and understanding the intimacy of the camera, and I think that helped me to go from him to Joel Schumacher to David Slade to John Lee Hancock. It was a crazy few years of very different kinds of directors, but starting with Mike really set the tone.”

Wilson is grateful that his natural sensibilities also helped to make the move to the screen relatively seamless. “It can be a hard transition, I think, for some actors. You want the chops of a stage actor, but dialing it into the technique of film does take a bit. I think my style lends itself more to film. If I'm nerding out about acting, I always start small and then grow from there, and trying not to have false moments, because on film, they'll see it. You can BS your way through it on stage sometimes, honestly, but you can't really do that on film.”

Angels in America was a bona fide hit, sweeping every major eligible category at the Emmys that year and earning Wilson his first nomination. Did all of that acclaim come with any pressure? “Yes and no,” Wilson admits, sharing that he had already gone through a similar trajectory on the stage. “I've always been the guy who just dives headfirst. My first role in musical theater was in Carousel, and for classic musicals, Billy Bigelow is one of the best. I never thought I would be playing that at 22 for 500-something performances. I already had this mantra of, ‘What some people in musical theater wait their life to do, you are doing as your first role, so that's the journey you're on. So I didn’t really look at it like, ‘How am I gonna live up to Angels?’ I don't operate like that.”

I think I would have had a different film career — I probably wouldn't have any film career — if 'Angels' wasn't the experience for me that leapfrogged me in my film technique.

In many ways, the switch to TV and film happened at the perfect time in Wilson’s life. “I think it also helps that it came when I was, like, 30. If I were 22 and doing Angels in America, I might have been like, ‘I'm gonna be a giant movie star.’ After, I did a couple movies, and my wife and I started dating — now, we've been married for, like, 20 years — so I was already on a much more personal journey. I didn't really get caught up in, ‘Good luck matching that.’”

Still, there were admittedly some drawbacks as well. “I got into doing movies so late, really, in Hollywood terms,” Wilson adds, recalling one of his first auditions in LA around the time Angels in America was set to premiere. “I came out to a casting director, and I opened my mouth to say, ‘Hi, I'm Patrick Wilson.’ And she goes, ‘Oh, I'm so sorry — I thought you would be British.’ And I said, ‘Why?’ And she goes, ‘Well, because you're 30, and I've never heard of you.’ I felt very defensive. I was like, ‘Well, I have been nominated for two Tonys. I'm not just a hack.’ That was during the rise of all the Marvel movies, too, that were just starting to cast. I was in my mid-30s, and they were looking at guys that were, like, 27, and you're like, ‘But I'm just getting going! Whoa, this is crazy.’”

Luckily, the sting wore off quickly, and Wilson found his niche in indie films and big franchises alike — including, ironically enough, a superhero franchise in the form of DC’s Aquaman. “I'm super blessed, and I never look at any of that negatively, because when I was young, I was doing theater and trying to prepare for a career in acting, wherever that took me. I had no idea.”

Wilson Wants to Return to His Roots (and Keep Putting Down New Ones)

While Wilson considers Broadway his home, he hasn’t been back in around 15 years. “Oh, it's ridiculous,” he says after I point this out, which I interpret as him saying he’s itching to return. “I'm more than itching,” he confesses with a laugh. “I've itched myself to… I don’t know — you can continue the metaphor. I’m like a dog that gets a hot spot. I've been trying. I really have. I used to say ‘I'm trying,’ but I really wasn't. I actually have been trying for the past few years.”

Wilson had been workshopping an adaptation of Elia Kazan’s A Face in the Crowd, utilizing Elvis Costello’s music, all through COVID, though various obstacles kept it from taking off. But he’s determined to find the right project, one that will excite and challenge him. “I don't want to go and just sing, like, one song. If I'm gonna do it — if I’m gonna sacrifice that eight times a week — I'm not just going to either make a paycheck or just to be in something cool and have a couple scenes. Trying to find a role that's age-appropriate for me, that's the lead, it's hard. I remember a couple of years ago when Josh Groban did Sweeney Todd, I was like, ‘Damn, that would have been cool.’ So now I gotta wait several years if I ever wanted to try that, if you're talking about revivals.”

Fans might have to wait a little longer before they see Wilson onstage again, but he’s been busy behind the scenes in the meantime, producing The Lost Boys alongside college friends Marcus Chait and James Carpinello, which officially opens in April at the Palace Theatre. The trio has produced together once before and had been looking for another project, in whatever medium. It just so happened that a musical turned out to be the perfect fit after Chait noticed TV stations were constantly playing The Lost Boys during the pandemic and thought it could translate well. “We all love musicals. We've all been in a bunch of them — some that have worked, some that haven't, which is usually more important to understand what you've learned.”

That's the thing about musicals — when it works, there's nothing more powerful to me than that.

There were, admittedly, a few hesitations and hurdles Wilson had to overcome before the dream could become a reality. “I grew up with the movie, but I had real reverence for it. I didn’t want to screw it up because of Joel Schumacher, since we did Phantom of the Opera together.” Once Wilson and his producing partners felt they had a good handle on how to approach a musical version, the first order of business was securing the rights — a massive feat in and of itself. “Luckily, the film was at Warner Bros.,” he says, noting that his frequent collaboration with them, on everything from The Conjuring and Aquaman to Phantom of the Opera and Little Children, gave him a leg up. “I knew they would at least take my call. I got our pitch together, and Mark Kaufman, the head of Warner Bros. Theatrical, actually said, ‘This is our most sought-after property. Why should I give it to you? You guys have never produced a musical before.’”

Wilson believes that digging into the show’s true themes helped them seal the deal. “I explained, ‘Well, it's not a show about vampires — it's a coming-of-age story. It's a show about belonging to your people, finding your people. We can all relate to that, whether it's your friends, your family. Who's your real family? Who's your family that you find? It’s very tribal.’” He also credits rock band The Rescues for the show’s unique sound and director Michael Arden for helping them stay true to the source material while giving it a truly new spin.

“He was about 40 years old and hadn't seen the movie, which I love, because he came to it fresh, like, ‘What are you guys doing?’ Once we dug into it, we thought, ‘There's enough there to be nostalgic, but let’s make it something really different and cool and not try to just recreate the movie on stage. That will never work, and that never works when that happens.’ I think that’s the kiss of death. You can't rely on…the feeling that you got from a movie. For my generation of Lost Boys, I was a teenager then, and I'm never recreating what that feels like. You want to bring it to a new audience, hopefully. There's a lot, obviously, from the film that's in there that I hope everyone will enjoy that we tip our hat to, but you also can't rely on nostalgia. It's gotta be an interesting story and a moving story. That's the thing about musicals — when it works, there's nothing more powerful to me than that.”

For Wilson, Nothing Beats a Classic

Wilson’s sensibilities and traditional performance background seem to be at odds with where the industry is heading with trends like the rise of AI, and I wonder how he’s grappling with this shift. “It's such a loaded question,” Wilson admits, pausing to formulate his answer. “I don't think it's a question of replacing. I guess I am a purist because theater's been around for thousands of years, so I don't think that's going anywhere. Will there be AI movies? Sure. It will look interesting, but something will be off. I think you can learn a lot from even big superhero movies or horror movies, whatever the genre is, where a lot of VFX and computer-generated characters have been. You don't feel for them. And ultimately, I think audiences want to feel something. They just do. I don’t think that’s me sounding like an out-of-touch actor or an old guy. Every director worth their salt knows that, and they're constantly trying to find, yes, it's cheaper to do X, Y, and Z, but how does the audience feel about that? Short of Thanos, where we could see Brolin in there, we could at least go, ‘Okay.’ Beyond that, it's really difficult to care at all about that. That's how I view anything so computer-generated. Of course, there'll be those kinds of movies, but they're not replacing One Battle After Another.”

That’s not to say Wilson doesn’t think there should be protections in place. “I do, of course, think we need to protect our image and all that. Of course. Are you kidding me? That's crazy to me. I feel like I heard somebody — maybe an older actor — say, ‘I'm fine with them using my image as long as my family can negotiate the contract.’”

Wilson is also a director worth his salt now, having helmed his debut feature with Insidious: The Red Door back in 2023. “I’d like to step back in the director's seat again,” he reveals. “I’m certainly looking for something.” While the experience obviously taught him a lot about being behind the camera, Wilson says it proved invaluable for him as an actor as well. “Once you direct a movie, and once you cut a movie and you spend time — many, many, many hours — working with your editor, it gives you a shorthand with directors.” And while Wilson has always had an appreciation for the entire crew (nothing drives him crazier than hearing actors refer to a film as ‘their movie’ — “it's not your movie; you're in the movie”), the process made him more curious about watching directors work, particularly regarding the technical aspects. “I always love to get inside their head about their point of view of the scene. It opened my mind up because I’ve been there. The director is editing in their head, and so I like to be in their head, too, to understand what I need to give them in the scene.”

This was especially true on one of Wilson’s latest projects, Apple TV’s upcoming adaptation of Cape Fear, which is an adaptation of the Martin Scorsese movie, which is an adaptation of the 1962 Robert Mitchum-Gregory Peck film, which is an adaptation of the 1957 novel The Executioners by John D. MacDonald. That may sound like a disastrous chain of dominoes, but Wilson assures me the series blends nicely, integrating parts of the book that the films had to cut out due to its more concise length while paying special tribute to the 1991 version. “Cinematically, we’re leaning on a lot of Scorsese-type stuff — real nods to that film — but it's an expanded world.” Though it’s not necessary to watch Scorsese's adaptation before diving into the show, Wilson highly encourages people to. “He swung a massive stick that I didn't really realize, because I didn't understand filmmaking then,” he says, noting the director’s creative use of snap-zooms and split-diopter shots. “I think it was the first time I ever saw somebody using a diopter with a split-focus, where Nick Nolte's brushing his teeth — that kind of stuff. Growing up in Florida, I didn't see a lot of arthouse movies, so for me, I was like, ‘They're both in focus! How does that happen?’” he recalls with a chuckle.

Ultimately, I think audiences want to feel something. They just do.

Showrunner Nick Antosca, he teases, brings new characters and storylines to the series, and Wilson’s co-stars — including Amy Adams, who plays his character Tom’s wife Anna Bowden — offer new takes on the beloved characters. “Javier Bardem is a much different actor from Mr. De Niro, so how he's imbued Max Cady, what that brings to that backstory [is different]. We all dug in and brought our A-game. There are some fantastic directors, and Nick is a great showrunner and writer, and we're excited. I think people will be pleasantly surprised. I was surprised, but I think they'll be really, really interested.”

In addition to the upcoming Apple TV series, you’ll also be able to catch Wilson on the big screen again soon with NB Mager’s debut dark comedy Thoughts & Prayers, which is based on a short film she also wrote and directed. Wilson praises Mager’s vision and voice — one that’s sure to resonate with many. “We’re all trying — we humans and citizens of the United States, especially as artists — to figure out, how do we both reflect what we're doing in society but not preach to the choir? It deals with the aftermath of gun violence, but dare I say, not in a heavy-handed way. What I loved about the short film was that it dealt with the aftermath through the eyes of a kid who’s now grown up, and what that does to a town and to a school in an elevated society, a theatrical society. The cast is pretty stellar,” he says of the ensemble that includes Elizabeth Marvel, Bill Camp, and Molly Ringwald. “I'm really excited. It's an interesting tone, for sure. That’s why you do this.”

Wilson has already had an incredible career, but he also doesn’t plan on slowing down any time soon. “There’s so much stuff,” he assures me, that he still wants to do. In addition to returning to the stage, he’d like to be in more comedies, as well as work with some more of the directors he admires. “It's nice having the producers on your show be named Marty and Steven,” he says, a nod to Scorsese and Spielberg’s EP roles on Cape Fear, “but I would like to work with them as an actor. I gotta get into one of their films.”

While Wilson continues to dream big, he’s enjoying the current moment, as he always tries to do. With a fond smile and genuine passion when talking about his projects — past, present, and future alike — he’s the kind of person you actually believe when he says he’s not taking any of this for granted. “The fact that I was a Broadway musical guy, and then a Conjuring guy, and now I’m working with Noah Baumbach? I'm good. I'm super blessed.”

Photography: Yellowbelly | Stylist: Brooke Llewellyn & Sam Spector | Groomer: Sonia Lee