Patrick Wilson gets physical in 'Watchmen'

McClatchy Newspapers - (MCT) - Patrick Wilson has a close friend who is a die-hard comic book fan. Any time the stage, film and television actor has been sent a script that is remotely connected to the genre, he will call his friend to get a sense of how important the comic book is to fans.

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"As soon as I said 'Watchmen' he said 'Oh God.' It was both excited and nervous, as I think most fans were," Wilson says during an interview at the Beverly Hilton Hotel.

If Wilson had any doubts after that conversation, they were eradicated when he bought and read the graphic novel. Wilson actually ended up reading "Watchmen" multiple times.

He found that his role as Nite Owl II gave him an assortment of emotions to play. The character has such great respect for superheroes that he followed in the footsteps of one. At the same time, he is willing to give up that life when the world's view of costumed crime fighters changes.

Also, he has long carried a torch for a fellow superhero, and has been willing to hide those feelings for years.

"I think the reason I was attracted to this movie is because it is so hard to call it a superhero movie. It is its own genre. It is so raw. It is so nice that it is not just good versus evil. It is our own struggles in ourselves with good versus evil," Wilson says. "Whenever I see a guy who is trying to find his way ... I get attracted to those characters anyway. I loved the character. I felt like I got him."

The Virginia native was well aware of all of the emotional aspects of the role by the time the filming started. He wasn't quite ready for the physical demands of the part.

Wilson had no trouble handling the fight scenes. In fact, he was in such top physical shape before the filming started, he had to gain weight to play a superhero who has been out of work for a few years.

It was the wardrobe that tested him the most. Nite Owl II's costume is the closest to a traditional superhero outfit of the group. He wears a long cape and a mask that allows only his eyes and chin to be exposed.

"It is a whole different ballgame when you are in sweats and a ballcap fighting and then you have to put on the suit. You become extremely limited because it is tight and stiff," Wilson says. "I am swinging around about a nine-pound cape. The goggles kept fogging.

"But you never felt you were sacrificing any acting by being in this genre of a movie because the script was so good. You never thought you were cutting corners because you were wearing a suit."

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The hero: Nite Owl II. Secret identity: Dan Dreiberg. Has a basement full of gadgets to fight crime.

The actor: Patrick Wilson. His credits include "Lakeview Terrace," "Little Children," "Hard Candy," "Angels in America."

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© 2009, The Fresno Bee (Fresno, Calif.).