Patrick Wilson facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Patrick Wilson
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Wilson in 2025
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Patrick Joseph Wilson
July 3, 1973 Norfolk, Virginia, U.S.
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| Education | Carnegie Mellon University (BFA) |
| Occupation |
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| Years active | 1995–present |
| Spouse(s) | |
| Children | 2 |
| Relatives | Marika Domińczyk (sister-in-law) Scott Foley (brother-in-law) |
Patrick Joseph Wilson (born July 3, 1973) is an American actor. He started his career in 1995, performing in Broadway musicals. He was nominated for two Tony Awards for his roles in The Full Monty (2000–2001) and Oklahoma! (2002). He also starred in the HBO miniseries Angels in America (2003). For this role, he received nominations for a Golden Globe Award and a Primetime Emmy Award.
Wilson has appeared in many films. These include The Phantom of the Opera (2004) and Watchmen (2009). He became widely known for his roles in the Insidious film series (2010–2023). He also played Ed Warren in The Conjuring universe (2013–present). Both are popular horror movie series. In 2023, he directed his first movie, Insidious: The Red Door.
On television, Wilson starred in the CBS drama A Gifted Man (2011–2012). He also played Lou Solverson in the second season of FX's series Fargo (2015). This role earned him another Golden Globe nomination. In the DC Extended Universe, he played Ocean Master in Aquaman (2018) and Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom (2023).
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Early Life and Education
Patrick Joseph Wilson was born in Norfolk, Virginia, on July 3, 1973. His mother, Mary Kay Wilson, was a voice teacher and singer. His father, John Franklin Wilson, was a news anchor. Patrick has two older brothers, Paul and Mark. Mark later became a news anchor like their father.
Patrick grew up in St. Petersburg, Florida. He went to Shorecrest Preparatory School. In 1995, he earned a degree in Drama from Carnegie Mellon University.
Starting on Stage and Screen
Patrick Wilson began his acting career in 1995. His first role was as an understudy in the touring show of Miss Saigon. The next year, he played Billy Bigelow in the national tour of Carousel. In 1999, he starred in the off-Broadway show Bright Lights, Big City.
Wilson made his Broadway theatre debut in The Full Monty in 2000. He played Jerry Lukowski. For this role, he was nominated for a Tony Award and a Drama Desk Award. In 2002, he played Curly McLain in the Broadway show Oklahoma!. Critics praised his performance, and he received more Tony and Drama Desk nominations.
In 2003, Wilson starred in the HBO miniseries Angels in America. He played Joe Pitt. This role earned him nominations for a Golden Globe Award and a Primetime Emmy Award.
Major Film Roles
In 2004, Patrick Wilson appeared in his first film, The Alamo. He played William B. Travis. That same year, he co-starred in the musical film The Phantom of the Opera. He played Viscount Raoul de Chagny.
In 2005, he starred in the thriller Hard Candy. In 2006, he played Brad Adamson in Little Children. He also appeared in Running with Scissors. In 2009, Wilson played Dan Dreiberg / Nite Owl II in the film Watchmen. He gained weight for this role.
Breakthrough in Horror and Action
Wilson played the villain Lynch in the 2010 film The A-Team. He also starred with Rose Byrne in the horror film Insidious. He returned for the sequel, Insidious: Chapter 2, released in 2013.
In 2013, Wilson played Ed Warren, a paranormal investigator, in the horror film The Conjuring. Vera Farmiga played his wife, Lorraine. The movie was very popular and became one of the highest-grossing horror films ever. Wilson played Ed Warren again in The Conjuring 2 (2016) and other films in the series.
In 2014, Wilson was cast as Lou Solverson in the second season of the TV series Fargo. He was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for his performance. He was also cast in the Marvel Cinematic Universe film Ant-Man, but had to leave due to other work.
Recent Success and Directing Debut
In 2016, he co-starred in The Founder, a movie about the person who started McDonald's. In 2018, Wilson appeared in the action thriller The Commuter. He reunited with his The Conjuring co-star Vera Farmiga in this film.
Also in 2018, he played Orm Marius / Ocean Master in the DC Extended Universe film Aquaman. He worked with director James Wan again on this film. Wilson played Ocean Master again in the 2023 sequel, Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom.
In 2019, Wilson starred in the World War II film Midway. In 2022, he appeared in the movie Moonfall.
In 2023, Patrick Wilson made his debut as a director with Insidious: The Red Door. This film is a direct sequel to Insidious: Chapter 2. Wilson also returned to play his role as Josh Lambert in the movie. He even sang a song for the film's soundtrack with the band Ghost.
Personal Life and Charity Work
Patrick Wilson married actress Dagmara Domińczyk in 2005. They met at Carnegie Mellon University. They have two sons, born in 2006 and 2009. They live in Montclair, New Jersey. Patrick's youngest son, Kassian, has appeared in a few films, including a small role in Insidious: The Red Door. Patrick's sister-in-law is actress Marika Domińczyk. She is married to actor and director Scott Foley.
In May 2012, Wilson and his brothers performed a concert with their band, VanWilson. The concert raised money for Southeastern Guide Dogs' Paws For Patriots program. They raised $30,000 for the program. The organization honored them by naming puppies after them. The brothers have also performed concerts to benefit All Children's Hospital and the St. Petersburg Free Clinic.
In April 2012, Wilson gave a speech at his old university, Carnegie Mellon University. He shared memories from his childhood and career.
Filmography
Film Appearances
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | My Sister's Wedding | Quinn | Unreleased film |
| 2004 | The Alamo | William B. Travis | |
| The Phantom of the Opera | Viscount Raoul de Chagny | ||
| 2005 | Hard Candy | Jeff Kohlver | |
| 2006 | Little Children | Brad Adamson | |
| Running with Scissors | Michael Shephard | ||
| 2007 | Purple Violets | Brian Callahan | |
| Evening | Harris Arden | ||
| Brothers Three: An American Gothic | Peter | ||
| 2008 | Life in Flight | Will Sargent | |
| Lakeview Terrace | Chris Mattson | ||
| Passengers | Eric Clark | ||
| 2009 | Watchmen | Dan Dreiberg / Nite Owl II | |
| 2010 | Barry Munday | Barry Munday | |
| The A-Team | Agent Lynch / Agent Vance Burress | ||
| The Switch | Roland Nilson | ||
| Insidious | Josh Lambert | ||
| Morning Glory | Adam Bennett | ||
| 2011 | The Ledge | Joe Harris | |
| Young Adult | Buddy Slade | ||
| 2012 | Prometheus | Mr. Shaw | |
| 2013 | The Conjuring | Ed Warren | |
| Insidious: Chapter 2 | Josh Lambert | ||
| 2014 | Jack Strong | David Forden | |
| Space Station 76 | Captain Glenn Terry | ||
| Stretch | Kevin "Stretch" Brzyzowski | ||
| Big Stone Gap | Jack MacChesney | ||
| Let's Kill Ward's Wife | David | Also producer | |
| 2015 | Zipper | Sam Ellis | |
| Home Sweet Hell | Don Champagne | ||
| Bone Tomahawk | Arthur O'Dwyer | ||
| 2016 | Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice | President of the United States (voice) | Cameo |
| A Kind of Murder | Walter Stackhouse | ||
| The Hollow Point | Sheriff Wallace Skolkin | ||
| The Conjuring 2 | Ed Warren | ||
| The Founder | Rollie Smith | ||
| 2018 | The Commuter | Alex Murphy | |
| Nightmare Cinema | Eric Sr. | ||
| Aquaman | Orm Marius / Ocean Master | ||
| 2019 | Annabelle Comes Home | Ed Warren | |
| The Assistant | Famous actor | Uncredited cameo | |
| In the Tall Grass | Ross Humboldt | ||
| Midway | Edwin T. Layton | ||
| 2021 | The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It | Ed Warren | |
| 2022 | Moonfall | Brian Harper | |
| 2023 | Insidious: The Red Door | Josh Lambert | Also director |
| The Nun II | Ed Warren | Cameo | |
| Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom | Orm Marius / Ocean Master | ||
| 2024 | Millers in Marriage | Scott | |
| 2025 | The Conjuring: Last Rites  |
Ed Warren | Post-production |
| Jay Kelly |
Post-production |
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Denotes films that have not yet been released |
Television Appearances
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | Angels in America | Joe Pitt | 6 episodes |
| 2006 | Tampa Bay: Living Legacy | Narrator (voice) | Documentary film |
| 2009 | American Dad! | Jim (voice) | Episode: "Wife Insurance" |
| 2011–2012 | A Gifted Man | Dr. Michael Holt | 16 episodes |
| 2013, 2017 | Girls | Joshua | 2 episodes |
| 2015 | Fargo | Lou Solverson | 10 episodes |
| 2019 | The Other Two | Himself | Episode: "Chase Shoots a Music Video" |
| 2022 | Teen Titans Go! | Himself (voice) | Episode: "365!" |
| Little Demon | Everette (voice) | Episode: "Everybody's Dying for the Weekend" | |
| TBA | Cape Fear |
Tom Bowden | Miniseries |
Video Game Voice Roles
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | Watchmen: The End Is Nigh | Nite Owl II (voice) |
Stage Performances
| Year | Title | Role | Category | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | The Secret Garden | Lieutenant Shaw | Regional | |
| Miss Saigon | Marine / Slater
u/s Chris Scott |
U.S. national tour | ||
| 1996 | Carousel | Billy Bigelow | ||
| 1997 | Harmony | Erwin "Chopin" Bootz | Regional | |
| 1999 | Bright Lights, Big City | Jamie Conway | Off-Broadway | |
| 2000 | Tenderloin | Tommy Howatt | Encores! | |
| 2000–2001 | The Full Monty | Jerry Lukowski | Broadway | |
| 2002 | Oklahoma! | Curly McLain | ||
| 2006 | Barefoot in the Park | Paul Bratter | ||
| 2008–2009 | All My Sons | Chris Keller | ||
| 2014 | Guys and Dolls | Sky Masterson | Concert | Carnegie Hall |
| 2017 | Brigadoon | Tommy Albright | Off-Broadway | Special Event |
| 2023 | Gutenberg! The Musical! | Producer | Broadway | One night only |
| 2025 | Big Fish | Edward Bloom | Workshop |
Audio Work
Cast Recordings
- Allegro (2009; studio cast recording)
- Bright Lights, Big City (2005; studio cast recording)
- The Full Monty (2001; original Broadway cast recording)
- Dreamgirls in Concert (as film executive; 2001 concert cast recording)
- Tenderloin (2000; Encores! concert cast recording)
- Lucky in the Rain (2000; studio cast recording)
- Terrence Mann's Romeo & Juliet: The Musical from William Shakespeare (1999)
- Brigadoon (2017; New York City Center cast recording)
Soundtracks
- The Phantom of the Opera (2004)
- Insidious: The Red Door (2023)
Audiobooks
- The Garden of Eden by Ernest Hemingway (2006) (Simon & Schuster)
- The Ruins by Scott Smith (2006) (Simon & Schuster)
Other Audio Projects
- Every Day Is a Holiday (2009 Christmas album) by Mary McBride
- Lucky (2004 CD) by Gary Kline
- Broadway Cares: Home for the Holidays (2001 CD)
- The Dreams in You (2001 CD)
- Encore: Movie Partners Sing Broadway (2016 CD) by Barbra Streisand
- Stay - Ghost (2023 CD)
See also
In Spanish: Patrick Wilson (actor) para niños
