Horror Icon of the Month: Patrick Wilson

A relatively new face to the horror scene steps into the spotlight this month. Why? Because he’s earned his place among the best of the best for his continual solid performances within the horror genre. He is Patrick Wilson.

Born on July 3rd, 1973 in Norfolk, Virginia, Patrick was the youngest of three boys to John Wilson, a retired news anchor for WTVT in Tampa, Florida, and Mary Kay Wilson, a voice teacher and professional singer.

With performing in his blood, Patrick graduated with a B.F.A. in Drama from Carnegie Mellon University in 1995. Shortly after, he made his acting debut as an understudy in the role of Chris Scott in the national touring production of Miss Saigon.

In 1999, he starred as Jamie Conway in the off-Broadway production of Bright Lights, Big City, and later made his Broadway theatre debut in The Full Monty, portraying Jerry Lukowski. His performance in the latter earned him a nomination for the Tony Award for Best Actor in a Musical and the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actor in a Musical.

Patrick certainly turned heads, performing On the Street Where You Live from My Fair Lady for Julie Andrews’ award ceremony when she received the Kennedy Center Honors in 2001.

It was that same year that Patrick turned his attention to film. While continuing to perform on the stage, he made his film debut on a project called My Sister’s Wedding, which to this day, has not been released on home media or streaming platform.

Not letting that slow him down, he continued plugging away, winning critical acclaim for his performance as Joe Pitt in Mike Nichols’ 2003 HBO drama miniseries Angels in America, receiving nominations for both the Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor – Series, Miniseries, or Television Film and the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie.

In 2004, Patrick made his official first film appearance in The Alamo, playing William B. Travis. Also that year, he appeared in the movie adaptation of one of the greatest, and most successful, musicals to ever grace the stage – The Phantom of the Opera. Playing Raoul, Patrick made Hollywood sit up and take note. A new star had risen.

In 2005, he worked alongside Elliot Page in the psychological thriller, Hard Candy, where he played an online pedophile named Jeff. I assure you, it’s not what you think, especially as Elliot Page’s character, Haley, turns the tables on Jeff. An outstanding performance from all involved in a criminally underrated film.

Drama, comedy, and romance seemed to the genres of choice for Patrick in the early years of his career. Movies like Little Children (2006), Running with Scissors (2006), and Purple Violets (2007) dominated his filmography. He even became a superhero in Watchmen (2009).

But it was in 2010 when things got a little spooky. Teaming up with Australia’s hottest new horror talent, James Wan and Leigh Whannell, Patrick found himself in The Further to protect his on-screen son from evil spirits. Insidious became a hit, securing a sequel almost immediately.

In 2012, Patrick found himself with a minor role in the resurgence of the Alien franchise, Prometheus as well as the star of his own short-lived TV drama, A Gifted Man.

But it was 2013 that saw the rise for Patrick within the horror genre. Not only did he reprise his role as Josh Lambert for Insidious: Chapter 2, he also became real life demonologist Ed Warren in The Conjuring. Both of these films saw him, once again, team up with James Wan to bring to life a story of supernatural occurrences. And while The Conjuring was based on the real life events of the demon-hunting Warrens, Insidious: Chapter 2 was a continuation of the Lamberts story as begun in the first film of the franchise.

2014 and 2015 saw Patrick return to his romantic roots, giving him leading roles in romantic comedies like Home Sweet Hell, Big Stone Gap and Let’s Kill Ward’s Wife, as well as a return to television in the hit series Fargo.

The biggest sleeper hit of 2015 was Bone Tomahawk, a western horror movie that saw Patrick team up with Kurt Russell, Matthew Fox, Richard Jenkins, and David Arquette. Patrick plays Arthur, a frontier man who is lame after an accident saw him injure his leg. When his wife is kidnapped by a band of cannibalistic Troglodytes, along with the town’s deputy, it’s up to him, the sheriff (Russell), a quick gun (Fox), and a loyal local (Jenkins) to rescue them.

Bone Tomahawk is a film that needs to be seen to be believed. Brutal in parts, it stays with you long after you’ve finished it. Western movies are rare these days, but this film stands out with characters you genuinely care about, a setting that is unnerving, and a gruesome, gory brutality that would please even the most cynical Mortal Kombat fans. Worth the watch.

The following year, Patrick found himself reprising his role of Ed Warren in The Conjuring 2. The storyline sees Ed and Lorraine (Vera Farmiga, a fellow Horror Icon recipient) Warren travelling to North London to help a single mother who is raising four children in a house that is plagued by an unholy spirit.

Opening with critical acclaim, The Conjuring 2 became a rarity in the horror genre; a sequel that surpassed the original film. Solid performances by Vera and Patrick in the title roles, plus Bonnie Aarons as the demonic Valek, sealed the deal with this highly anticipated entry. Viewers were even treated to a surprise when, during one of the movies lull moments, Patrick returned to his stage roots by pulling out a guitar and serenading the children with an Elvis impersonation. An incredible all-round performance.

Despite missing the 3rd installment of the Insidious franchise, Patrick returned for Insidious: The Last Key, once again reprising his role as Josh Lambert. Though the story focuses more on Elise Rainier (Lin Shaye), Patrick’s role was pivotal to the story, seeing as we finally get to see how the initial film came to be.

The same year, Patrick loaned his voice to Nightmare Cinema, an anthology film featuring five strangers converging at a haunted movie theater owned by The Projectionist. Once inside, the audience members witness a series of screenings showing them their deepest fears and darkest secrets. Keep an ear out in the segment titled This Way to Egress. The voice of Eric Sr. is Patrick Wilson.

The Conjuring films spurred a series of spinoffs featuring demonic entities featured in the films. First to receive a spin-off was Annabelle (2014), the titular doll. Valek, from The Conjuring 2 even got her own spinoff entitled The Nun (2018). Patrick Wilson gets a movie credit for a cameo appearance in the film as the movie’s main storyline ties in the footage of a demonic possession from the first Conjuring movie. However, like most movie fans noticed, an additional line of dialogue was included for Ed Warren in The Nun as opposed to what was initially said in The Conjuring.

Seems that Patrick and James Wan make a great pairing as they were thrown together once again for 2018’s Aquaman. The often forgotten or mocked DC superhero finally got some respect by blowing movie goers out of the water (pun intended) with a spectacular action sequences and incredible storytelling. Starring as King Orm, Patrick was incredible, holding his own against a stellar cast including Jason Momoa, Nicole Kidman, and Willem Dafoe.

As 2019 rolled around, so did another Annabelle film. Annabelle Comes Home was the story of how the demonically possessed doll came to live in the Warren’s Museum of possessed items.

Both Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga reprised their roles as the Warrens, and while they did have some original scenes – not just rehashing scenes from previous Conjuring movies – the movie itself mainly focuses on the Warren’s daughter and her babysitters.

The Annabelle films have gotten better with each installment into the franchise. Annabelle Comes Home gave audiences exactly what they expected from a movie from the Conjuring universe; thrills and chills with plenty of atmosphere and jump scares. If you’re into these kinds of films, check out Annabelle Comes Home.

That same year, Patrick joined a horror universe revered by horror fans, The Stephen King universe. In The Tall Grass sees siblings Becky and Cal racing into a field of overgrown grass upon hearing the cries of a young boy. But the grass is a sinister force, disorientating and separating them, cutting them off from the world, and each other.

Patrick Wilson plays Ross, the father of the young boy trapped. Reverting from loving, concerned father, to a sinister force controlled by the grass was a shocking turn of events. Audiences were used to seeing him as a good guy, so when he takes a turn for the darker side of horror, we were left shocked. But it’s no surprise that he can play a sinister and unhinged character as well as he can play a loving and nurturing one. His incredible talent is on full display in this slow-burn Stephen King classic.

Which brings us to this year, 2021. The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It opened in selected theaters worldwide, it’s earnings heavily impacted by the current global pandemic. The movie was highly anticipated, with audiences having high expectations after seeing what had come before.

Like other Conjuring entries, this was based on a true story. But fell short of the expectations set by horror movie fans. While it’s still an enjoyable film, that sees our beloved Ed Warren fighting off his own possession, compared to the two previous entries, it’s the weakest of the franchise. Watchable to complete the collection, but compared to part 2, it’s forgettable.

With two films in post-production and currently filming – Moonfall and Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom – audiences will see Patrick Wilson on our screens again very soon.

As for the horror genre, we’ll have to wait and see. There’s always hope he’ll return to headline a new spooky franchise or feature, especially if James Wan is behind the camera. He’s proven himself worthy of stepping into the Horror Icon Spotlight, holding his own against the best in the business. And personally, I’d love to see him take on more sinister roles.

His charisma and boyish charm teamed with his classic good looks leaves audiences wanting more. His stage and screen presence commands attention, demanding audiences to believe in what he’s doing. That’s the mark of a great actor. He can rescue me from a demonic spirit any day.