Luke Wilson says it's easy to be typecast in Hollywood. That's why he was delighted when Kevin Costner approached him to take on a leading role in his epic new Western.
"Hollywood's famous for pigeonholing people in this kind of role or that kind of role, and I get known for comedies," he tells TODAY.com in a sit-down interview, "I’ve done all kinds of things, but it's what (I'm) known for."
Costner is the director, writer and star of the film “Horizon: An American Saga,” out in theaters June 28, and when he reached out about a role in his Western, Wilson was more than a little surprised.
"(I'm pretty sure) Kevin hasn't seen 'Legally Blonde,' 'Idiocracy' or 'Old School,' so for him to be like 'Yeah, there's something about this guy that I like as the captain of the wagon train' is pretty cool," says Wilson.
Wilson, 52, recalls getting the news that he landed the "Horizon" role of Matthew Van Weyden, a family man and the upstanding leader of a band of settlers heading west.
"I thought it was a job interview where he was going to say, 'Tomorrow I'd like to have you read with somebody.' But he said, 'I hope you'll come west with me.'"
It took a minute for Wilson to realize that Costner was offering him the role.
"The next thing out of my mouth was, 'Hell yeah!" he says.
The sweeping new saga is the first film in a four-part series produced by Costner, which the "Yellowstone" actor tells TODAY.com in a separate conversation that he doggedly pursued for more than 36 years.
“It was something that started in 1988. So, if you just look at the scope of time, you can realize that it’s obviously been a journey,” says Costner of bringing "Horizon" to the big screen.
It's a journey that took Costner, the cast and production crew to southern Utah to shoot not one, but two of the series' four movies and the filming lasted nearly a year.
"It was incredible," Wilson says of filming on location for months, which allowed him to immerse himself in the role. "It helped me focus and get into the part."
Wilson confirms to TODAY.com that he's returning in the second chapter of "Horizon," which arrives in theaters on Aug. 16, and he will likely appear in the third movie as well.
"(Kevin) got in touch with me and he said, 'I think I've figured out a way to bring you back if you'd be up for that,'" says Wilson of the third installment of the "Horizon" series, which is already into production and slated for a 2025 release.
"And I said the same thing I did when he hired me the first time, 'Hell yeah!'"
The “Old School” actor says it’s a two-word response he wouldn’t mind swapping out.
"I wish I'd been more eloquent or let him know how much it means to me or how much he means to me," says Wilson. "One day, I'll find the right words to let him know how much it means to me."
Wilson's portrayal of an 1800s pioneer is a departure from some of his earlier roles, including the 2001 comedy "Legally Blonde," in which he plays Emmett Richmond, the love interest of Elle Woods (Reese Witherspoon).
It was a role Wilson was initially unsure of taking on, given it wasn't necessarily in his wheelhouse. But after finding out he'd be starring opposite Witherspoon, whom he admired after seeing her in the 1999 film "Election," he signed on.
“Reese really played a character and I just remember the first day being like, ‘OK, I’ve got to buckle down, concentrate and do a good job supporting her,'" Wilson recalls.
The movie would go on to be a powerhouse, spawning the sequel "Legally Blonde 2: Red, White & Blonde" and a long-running Broadway musical, among other spinoffs.
With a new "Legally Blonde" TV series in production at Amazon Prime Video and talks of a potential third sequel, Wilson weighs in on whether he'd reprise his role or make an appearance in either of the projects.
"Definitely. I just like Reese so much personally and professionally," he says, adding that it would be "great" to see a "Legally Blonde 3" at some point down the road.
