In his first interview since his suicide attempt in August, Owen Wilson talks about movies, monkeys and malaria – but not about his recent trouble. Sitting down with longtime friend and frequent collaborator Wes Anderson as part of the MySpace Artist on Artist series, Wilson starts by asking Anderson why he filmed his latest movie, The Darjeeling Limited, in India. Off of that question, the two friends wryly joke about getting shots, taking malaria pills and meeting monkeys. Asked by Anderson if he gotten trapped by some monkeys in India, Wilson answers, "Yes, I did. At first you think, gosh, monkeys, that's so kind of incredible...But they didn't have your best interests at heart. They weren't these adorable little creatures. ... They want to replace you." The men also discuss the meaning of The Darjeeling Limited, which Anderson directed and Wilson starred in. "I would say it's maybe, maybe my favorite," says Wilson, who adds that the movie's themes interest him. "My character says 'I want us to become brothers again like we used to be.' I really like that line and it means a lot to me." Owen's Suicide Scare The interview is the first Wilson has given since police responded to a medical-assistance call from his 23rd Street home in Santa Monica on Aug. 26. It was soon determined by police that Wilson had attempted suicide – news that stunned his fans, friends and family. The following day, from his hospital bed at L.A.'s Cedars-Sinai, Wilson issued a statement saying, "I respectfully ask that the media allow me to receive care and heal in private during this difficult time." On Oct. 4, Wilson made his first major public appearance since the suicide attempt, showing up briefly at the Los Angeles premiere of his and Anderson's new film, The Darjeeling Limited. At that event, Anderson introduced Wilson as "my best friend," to great applause, and added: "I've never made a movie without him, and I hope I never have to." Wilson and Anderson, both 38, have been friends and close working colleagues since meeting as students at the University of Texas. They have worked together on all five of Anderson's features: Bottle Rocket (1994), Rushmore (1998), The Royal Tenenbaums (2001), The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou (2004) and now Darjeeling. Wilson co-wrote the first three of those films with Anderson and had major acting parts in all of them except Rushmore. [people_magazine]
