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Troubled Owen Wilson drops film project
2007-08-29
Owen Wilson, hospitalized after an apparent suicide attempt, has dropped out of the upcoming ensemble comedy "Tropic Thunder." The 38-year-old actor will not appear in the DreamWorks movie, already six weeks into production in Hawaii. Sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they weren't authorized to comment, told The Associated Press that Wilson was to have a cameo role in the film. "Tropic Thunder" stars Jack Black, Robert Downey, Jr., and Ben Stiller, who is also directing. Wilson was taken by ambulance to a hospital Sunday after police responded to a call about a suicide attempt at his Santa Monica home. Wilson's next big-screen appearance is in "The Darjeeling Limited," slated for release next month, in which he stars with Adrien Brody and Jason Schwartzman. In an eerie coincidence, Wilson plays a distraught man -- bandaged throughout the film -- who other characters imply has attempted suicide. "Following a discussion between the cast and filmmakers, all have agreed `The Darjeeling Limited' will open as planned on September 29," Fox Searchlight said in a statement Wednesday. Wilson's publicist, Ina Treciokas, has declined to answer questions about whether the actor tried to take his own life. Wilson issued a statement Monday asking for privacy so he could "receive care and heal ... during this difficult time." A message left with Treciokas on Wednesday was not immediately returned. Industry analyst Paul Dergarabedian of Media By Numbers said Wilson's personal issues could make marketing of his upcoming movies more difficult. "Certainly it presents a challenge if you have a film toplined by a star who's having a troubled situation. It would give most marketing executives pause," he said. But, he added, "everyone's trying to be sensitive to what he's going through." Production has wrapped on another Wilson-starring vehicle: Paramount's "Drillbit Taylor," set for a March release. British actor Steve Coogan, who appeared with Wilson in "Night at the Museum" and "Around the World in 80 Days," denied tabloid reports Wednesday that he provided Wilson with drugs. "My thoughts are with my friend Owen at this difficult time," Coogan said in a statement to The Associated Press. "But I do want to set the record straight and say that the allegations published today are completely and utterly false." Coogan is also set to appear in "Tropic Thunder."
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