Living in Los Angeles has proven to be beneficial in more ways than one for Luke Wilson.
Not only has the actor called LA his home for more than two decades, but it’s also provided plenty of fodder for his latest role as JD Campbell in the new Netflix series “No Good Deed.” Campbell is a washed-up soap star, or, as Wilson puts it, “a not-very-smart guy.”
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WATCH HERE"For me, it was funny to play an empty-headed soap opera actor. I heard the description of the character, and it just started making me laugh just thinking of the ideas you could bring to it," Wilson tells TODAY.com in a sit-down interview.
"I mean, just living in LA, you come across successful actors and people that want to be successful actors, and there's all kinds of material for it," he explains.
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Wilson is no stranger to the Hollywood-style hijinx that play out in "No Good Deed," a dark comedy that revolves around a group of scheming LA house hunters hoping to score a home being sold by Lydia and Paul Morgan (Lisa Kudrow and Ray Romano), a grieving couple with some surprising secrets of their own.
"(There were) definitely things I identified with personally and then certainly things you've seen on set, both good behavior and bad behavior, in set and around town," Wilson says of the LA scene.
Along with Kudrow, Romano and Wilson, the new Netflix series also stars O-T Fagbenle, Abbi Jacobson, Poppy Liu, Denis Leary and Linda Cardellini, who plays opposite Wilson as Margo Starling, JD's scheming wife.
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"Linda's just so funny and really drives these scenes," says Wilson of the "Dead to Me" actor.
"She reminded me of people I've met in LA and people I've met back home in Texas where — male or female — they're looking for the best car, the best house, the best vacation spot, the best spouse."
In fact, Wilson says that he could relax knowing that Cardellini was in the driver's seat in many of their scenes together.
"Playing a not-very-smart guy, I would get worried. You want scenes to be dynamic and interesting," explains Wilson. "So, knowing how funny she was, and the kind of energy that she was bringing to each scene, made me think, 'OK, now I can just play my part.'"
Will there be a 'Legally Blonde 3'?
Though "No Good Deed" is Cardellini and Wilson's most recent project together, it's not their first.
"We first worked together on 'Legally Blonde' 25 years ago, but we didn't have any scenes together," says Wilson. "We were just kind of around each other in this courtroom scene."
"Legally Blonde," which was released in 2001 and starred Reese Witherspoon as sorority girl-turned-law student Elle Woods and Wilson as her love interest, Emmett Richmond, got a sequel, “Legally Blonde 2: Red, White & Blonde,” back in 2003. Talk in recent years has been rampant about a third installment in the franchise.
As far as reprising his memorable role in "Legally Blonde," Wilson says that the fate of a third sequel remains up in the air.
"I think Reese (Witherspoon) has been working over the years, trying to put something together, and Reese is just so smart. She's not just going to do a Part 3," he says.
"And especially after something like 'Barbie,' there's certainly an audience out there for something that's very funny and light, but also has a positive message. So, I'm just hoping that they do it while we still can."
Though Wilson hasn't appeared as Emmett on the big screen in over two decades, he did portray the character opposite Savannah Guthrie, dressed as Elle, during a surprise appearance on TODAY's annual Halloween extravaganza on Oct. 31.
"I was hoping Savannah and I could kick it into gear a little," the actor jokes about the potential for a "Legally Blonde 3."
Either way, Wilson says he feels fortunate to have been cast in the original movie, which also spawned a Broadway musical and a variety of other spinoffs.
"You never know when something's going to become popular when you're working on it. You just want to have a good time making it. You want to do a good job on it. Then you want people to go see it. That's the hope," Wilson says.
"So, when something becomes part of people's lives, and I've definitely met mothers who have passed it on to their daughters now, I feel very lucky to have been a part of it."
Kevin Costner and the 'Horizon' sequel
From his early roles in films like "Charlie's Angels," "Old School," and "The Royal Tenenbaums," to his recent work on "Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 1," Wilson, 53, says his career perspective has shifted over the years.
"I definitely appreciate things more now," he says, reflecting on his younger days.
"I think I just had my head down and was working so much and going from this project to this project, to that location and that location. I've made dozens and dozens of movies, and I've been lucky enough to have these few that connect. So, I think the beginning of my career was really especially fun."
In hindsight, however, he says it was occasionally a lot. "If you think back on the day to day, I was probably a little overwhelmed at times."
Even so, Wilson considers himself fortunate to have worked on many films with his brothers, actors Owen and Andrew Wilson. He's also grateful for his time alongside an admirable group of friends and colleagues including Kevin Costner, whom Wilson calls "incredible" for his work on the "Horizon" series.
Appearing in both the first film and its yet-to-be-released sequel, "Horizon: An American Saga - Chapter 2," Wilson says he's unsure when the the second installment will come out.
"It's great," he says on the latest chapter of Costner's epic Western series. "We have some work still to do in the filming of it, so I definitely want to get the gang back together and finish it."
In the meantime, Wilson explains he's enjoying being able to do projects like "No Good Deed," saying that much like the beginning of his career, he's also happy to be where he's at.
"I definitely like the time I'm in now, too."
This story first appeared on TODAY.com. More from TODAY:
