At 56, Owen Wilson says he's finally learning to "smell the roses."
The Academy Award-nominated actor, known for comedic roles in films like "Wedding Crashers," "Zoolander" and "Meet the Parents," stars in the new Apple TV+ series "Stick" as Pryce Cahill, a washed-up professional golfer seeking redemption.
Speaking at Liberty National Golf Club in New Jersey, Wilson reflected on how his perspective on success has evolved over his decades-long Hollywood career.
"Those studies that say the happiest time in people's lives are after 50 — as a kid, I really had a hard time believing that," Wilson said. "But here, I do find myself feeling pretty happy and pretty content."
Wilson said he's moved past the pressure he felt earlier in his career, when poor performance felt catastrophic.
"Early on, you'd make something like, wow, this doesn't do well. I don't know what I'm gonna do," he said. "It just felt like so much was riding on stuff, so much pressure to kind of do well and succeed. I do kind of feel, yeah, a little bit more sort of peace, and .... taking time to smell the roses."
The actor has also been open about his mental health struggles, a theme that resonates in "Stick." The show explores what Wilson calls "a reckoning that most people have to kind of face in life."
"That idea of rock bottom reminds me of times in my life when I've had struggles, how much I needed other people — family, friends," Wilson said. "I think that's reflected in this show."
Wilson, who remains as active as ever in Hollywood, said he's learned to appreciate setbacks as necessary stepping stones.
"We can all sort of look back at bad things that happen, where you're like, yeah, without that bad thing, then I don't get to this good thing," he said.
The first season of "Stick" is now streaming on Apple TV+.
Nate Burleson