patrick wilson, oct 2014
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Patrick Wilson
by Lacy Morris ~ photograph by MiLLer MobLey/redux
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7 8 | s o u t h e r n l i v i n g | o c t o b e r 2 0 1 4
t r a v e l + c u l t u r e p a p e r n a p k i n i n t e r v i e w
Growing up, my brothers and
I would spend some summers
playing in the woods in a little
coal mining town called Big
Stone Gap, Virginia. we still have
my grandmother’s house there on
wilson road—half of the people
on the street are related to us.
even though i never lived [in that
town], it’s where i feel my wilson
people are from.
In the South, hospitality comes
through. you want everyone to
feel like they’re part of your family.
When I was in southwestern
Virginia filming Big Stone Gap, I
found a hookup for moonshine.
when i came home with it, people
were like, “you’re the only guy in
new jersey who has moonshine at
a party.” i have a variety of flavors,
and [when people drink it] i try to
give my little spiel about what has
higher proof.
I’d love to go toe-to-toe with
Al Pacino again. it was a real thrill
for me to act with him in Angels in
America. that was my first proper
[project]. and not that i’m not
proud of my work [in it], but 10
years and nearly 30 movies later,
i think i have a little more of the
technical prowess.
I don’t like wearing bow ties
because I think I have a long
head and they look silly on me.
i was getting fitted to perform at
the white house for the Kennedy
center honors, and a salesman
said, “you can actually wear a long
tie instead.” so i did. and then
President bush joked, “thanks for
dressing up.” the next year i per-
formed, colin Powell said, “what,
you can’t wear a bow tie?” i guess
that’s just going to be my thing.
“Bless her heart” gets you out
of any trouble. you can be bad-
mouthing someone like, “she
looks like she fell out of the ugly
tree and hit every branch all the
way down. bless her heart.” For
some reason that [phrase] justifies
everything. men can’t really use it
well, but women certainly can.
Big Stone Gap [the movie] is based
on a novel by Adriana Trigiani.
i stayed in my grandmother’s
house [while filming]. it was really
special because i got to act with my
brother. he never pursued acting as
a profession, but it was something
he did in high school and college.
watching him was the reason i got
into it. to be able to be in a scene
with him was amazing.
The best Southern
phrase I ever heard
was my grandfather
describing my high
school girlfriend. he
said, “she’s as cute as a
speckled pup under a
studebaker.” i’ve never
been able to pull that off
in real conversation. i
tried to in Big Stone Gap,
but my character is a
coal miner, so it just
never quite worked out.
My two older brothers
and I grew up as die-
hard Van Halen fans.
we formed a band for
fun—we’re not trying to
change the course of
history here—and some-
one dubbed us Van
wilson. i said, “if we’re
going to be stupid, let’s
at least invert it.” so our
band is the wilson Van.
I treasure when I get
my family to have a sit-
down meal. it doesn’t
happen every night, but
it’s a big priority. my dad
went to work when i got
home from school—he
was a tV anchor—so the
only time i got to see him
during the week was at dinner. Fam-
ily dinner became very important.
I gave up soda, but I still have
this penchant for Coke and
peanuts. it’s such a southern
thing—pouring peanuts in glass
bottles of coke—that i’ve kept
with me all these years. i always
loved that as a kid growing up in
[the south].
PatricK at tiPsy Parson
new yorK, ny
HOMETOWN: norFolK, Virginia | OCCUPATION: actor/singer | WHAT’S ON HIS PLATE: the release oF his latest Film,
BIG STONE GAP, with costar ashley judd. it’s set in the heart oF Virginia’s blue ridge mountains.
“in the south, hospitaLity coMes
through. you want everyone to
feeL Like part of your faMiLy.”
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