Owen Wilson is not a television man. But at the season premiere of Saturday Night Live last night, the prolific actor re-enacted his animated role as Lightning McQueen from Pixar’s Cars film franchise. And everyone is talking about his raunchy take on the cartoon character.
Owen Wilson has had a prolific career in the film industry
Owen Wilson | Jason LaVeris / FilmMagic
As a member of the so-called “Frat-Pack”, Owen Wilson became famous in comedic roles in the 90s and 2000s. He memorably played the male supermodel Hansel in Zoolander, a role that almost went to Jake Gyllenhaal.
He also played the sanctimonious writer Eli Cash in The Royal Tenenbaums. He also appeared in Wedding Crashers (2005), Starsky & Hutch (2004), Marley & Me (2008), How Do You Know (2010), The Big Year (2011) and The Internship (2013).
But Owen Wilson is also an accomplished voice actor. He spoke to Coach Skip in Wes Anderson’s Fantastic Mr. Fox (2009). He also voiced the legendary Lightning McQueen racing car in the Disney and Pixar Cars series.
The actor voiced ‘Cars’ character Lightning McQueen
As McQueen, Wilson has just the right amount of arrogance and sympathy. It went perfectly with the Pixar and Disney films. In a 2017 interview for Cars 3, Wilson told Filmdoctor what it’s like to express the character.
“We always film the voice-over process because the animators like to refer to it to try to fit our expressions into the actual car,” said Owen Wilson. “Most of the time you don’t take on other actors, so it’s a bit like being a kid and acting out – you’re in your head, using your imagination.”
In another interview with ScreenRant, Wilson said producers were willing to consider contributions from him.
“You are certainly open to any ideas and I know that even with this one, when we started recording a few years ago, the story moved on and they kind of tinkered with it and the ending kind of changed,” said he to Screenrant. ”I think it’s because they’re so open to making the best story they can. They don’t mind rewriting or changing something … ”
Owen Wilson repeated Lightning McQueen on SNL – with a twist
In the SNL season premiere on October 2, Wilson enters the recording studio for a theoretical sequel. And this is even more flexible to changes. Also, the script is a bit explicit.
Two studio managers greet Wilson and say the producers kept the Cars 4 sequel “pretty quiet”. Wilson’s lines begin tame enough. “Radiator Springs, I’m coming!” Sounds like it’s straight out of the movie. However, they are changing.
“Back, Jacka **”, reads Wilson as Lightning. “I didn’t look at your wife!”
Eventually, Wilson stops recording to ask about the plot of this upcoming family movie. “You know, I haven’t seen a full script yet,” replies Day. “But do you want to continue?”
“So what college do you go to girl?” Wilson is reading. “Oh, are you in high school? Could have been deceived! ”The lines go on.
The situation turns hilariously into the fact that Lightning complains about a “bad date” about a “witch hunt”. Finally, Wilson explains that it sounds like McQueen is the “bad guy”.
“It just feels like a lot of him sneaking into girls’ cars and then arguing with their fathers and husbands and all, and it’s a real change for the character.”
It’s a departure for the cartoon character, but certainly not for Wilson’s composite films. The combined effect of the two made for an entertaining look at Wilson’s long, if somewhat raunchy, career.
And we can’t resist a final “Ka-chow!”.
TIED TOGETHER: ‘Zoolander’: Jake Gyllenhaal almost had Owen Wilson for the role of Hansel. beaten
