Hollywood star feared he’d burn alive as he was trapped in lift with Wes Anderson
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Hollywood star Luke Wilson reveals terrifying lift ordeal(Image: AFP via Getty Images)
Actor Luke Wilson was convinced he would burn alive when he found himself stuck in a broken lift. The star described the moment as something out of the “tower of terror”.
On 6 July, 54-year-old Wilson, known for films like Legally Blonde, had been at a 30th anniversary screening of Bottle Rocket at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures in Los Angeles, alongside director Wes Anderson. When it was over, both men got into the lift to take them to their cars – but it stopped midway.
All 11 occupants, including Wilson, Anderson and fellow Hollywood director James L. Brooks, had to wait for an hour for the LA fire and rescue department to save them.
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Luke Wilson got trapped in a lift(Image: FilmMagic)
Speaking to Digital Spy shortly afterwards, Wilson explained what was going through his head during that moment. While trying to figure out how to go to the toilet surrounded by 10 other people, he began to worry about his safety: “It was getting hot and I didn’t say it but I thought ‘If they can’t get this open, what if there was a fire?'”
Thankfully, firefighters did arrive and were able to free the trapped star. Wilson praised the team for the “great job” they did, but shared his surprise at what seeing them in action was really like. After demonstrating how slowly the responders moved, he said: “I was like ‘Guys, I was looking for a little more of an adventure story, kind of hustle’. But they did a great job! They got us out.”
He also revealed that the lift had already been hit by issues, as when he arrived earlier that night, he had to take the stairs. By the time the event was over, they thought the lift was fixed and hopped in, only to find that there was still a problem.
The actor has appeared in several huge films including Legally Blonde, where Wilson played love interest Emmett. He also appeared in Charlie’s Angels, the Anchorman films, The Family Stone and Zombieland: Double Tap. He has worked with Wes Anderson multiple times, starting with Bottle Rocket and continuing to include Rushmore and The Royal Tenenbaums.
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Wes Anderson, James L. Brooks and Luke Wilson at the 30th anniversary screening of Bottle Rocket(Image: Academy Museum Foundation via Getty Images)
His brother, Owen Wilson, is also an actor. He appeared in Bottle Rocket, Rushmore and The Royal Tenenbaums alongside his brother, but also starred separately in Zoolander, the Night at the Museum films, Marvel’s Loki and Midnight in Paris.
Luke Wilson’s terrifying ordeal in the lift comes just after welcomed his first baby with Kendall Yates, 24. The couple made a public appearance last week at a press event in California to promote Wilson’s Netflix series, The Hawk. The Hollywood star and his partner brought their newborn daughter along, introducing her to friends and fellow attendees.
While many X users congratulated to the new parents, others were quick to highlight their 30-year age gap. “Imagine being 30 when your wife was born. No thanks,” wrote one user.
One user pointedly noted that Yates is “younger than Legally Blonde”, while another suggested she had “more in common with the baby”.
Wilson and Yates have been romantically linked since at least 2023, though they’ve largely maintained privacy around their relationship.
