Actor Owen Wilson, 46, reveals that his father, Robert A. "Bob" Wilson, 74, is suffering from Alzheimer's. For the first time, the actor opens up about the disease and how it is affecting him and his family.
"It is a rough thing," the actor told Guide Live. He admitted to thinking that it was going to be impossible to handle in the beginning, "But it does happen. Such things just happen in life," he continued. "You just have to do your best to deal with it. You've got no choice but to accept it."
Despite the challenges they have to go through as a family, Owen said that there are still a lot to be thankful for. "He is at home, taken care of, and he has people around that love him."
His father serves as an inspiration for Owen, who has taken on a serious role as a dad in his latest movie, "No Escape." In the film, his character, a tech engineer, is forced to move his family to Southeast Asia to protect them.
"There's a lot of worry that goes into being a parent," he said, according to Philly. "And this movie just puts all that stuff on steroids."
He remembers the few times he saw fear in his father's face like when his siblings got lost in a crowd at a state fair or when one of his brothers fell from a tree. "Worrying about your children and wanting them to be OK. When they're born, you feel this love you've never felt before. If they were in danger, you'd just do anything that you could to help them," he said to Guide Live.
With two kids of his own, Owen said that he could also relate to his latest role in this thriller drama. "When I read the script, I thought it seemed like an exciting story, and I could imagine playing the character," the actor said, according to New York Post.
Meanwhile, Owen hasn't entirely abandoned doing comedy films. In fact, he has just finished shooting "Zoolander 2" with Ben Stiller. Set for release in 2016, the movie is a follow-up to the original film released 14 years ago, with Owen reprising his role as the model, Hansel.
For the actor, his love for jokes and comedy is also a reflection of his father. "For me and my brothers, there just wasn't a bigger influence on us. Maybe it sounds trite or something, but I really believe that his spirit gets carried on through me, the way I like to joke around," he said, per Guide Live.
