Patrick Wilson Reveals An 'Itch' to Return To the Broadway Stage

In a new interview with Collider, Broadway star turned Hollywood leading man, Patrick Wilson revealed that he has more than a little itch to return home to the Broadway stage.

According to the interview, Wilson considers Broadway his home, though he hasn’t tread the boards in around 15 years.

When asked if he wished to return to his stage roots, Wilson revealed, “Oh, it's ridiculous...I'm more than itching,”

He continued, “I've itched myself to… I don’t know — you can continue the metaphor. I’m like a dog that gets a hot spot. I've been trying. I really have. I used to say ‘I'm trying,’ but I really wasn't. I actually have been trying for the past few years.”

Patrick Wilson began his career in musical theater, working steadily on national tours and off-Broadway before emerging as a Tony-nominated Broadway performer.

In 1995, Wilson made his professional acting debut as an understudy for the role of Chris Scott in the national touring production of Miss Saigon. He followed this with a featured role as Billy Bigelow in the national tour of Carousel. In 1999, he appeared off-Broadway as Jamie Conway in Bright Lights, Big City, continuing to build a résumé rooted in contemporary and classical musical theater.

Wilson made his Broadway debut in The Full Monty (2000), portraying Jerry Lukowski. His performance earned him a Tony Award nomination for Best Actor in a Musical as well as a Drama Desk Award nomination for Outstanding Actor in a Musical. Around the same period, he completed work on the film My Sister’s Wedding, which was never released. In 2001, Wilson performed “On the Street Where You Live” from My Fair Lady at the Kennedy Center Honors ceremony celebrating Julie Andrews.

In 2002, Wilson starred as Curly McLain in the Broadway production of Oklahoma!, receiving critical acclaim and earning his second Tony Award nomination for Best Actor in a Musical, along with a second Drama Desk Award nomination. He later gained significant recognition for his performance as Joe Pitt in Mike Nichols’ 2003 HBO miniseries Angels in America, receiving nominations for both the Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor in a Miniseries or Television Film and the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Miniseries or Movie.

He went on to establish a substantial career in film, appearing in a wide range of studio features and independent projects. His early film credits include The Alamo (2004), The Phantom of the Opera (2004), Hard Candy (2005), Little Children (2006), Watchmen (2009), and The A-Team (2010). His performance in Little Children earned him an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor.

Wilson gained broader mainstream recognition for his work in the horror genre, starring in the Insidious film series beginning in 2010 and portraying Ed Warren in The Conjuring universe starting in 2013. His continued presence across both franchises has made him a recurring figure in contemporary horror cinema. In 2023, he made his feature directorial debut with Insidious: The Red Door, in which he also reprised his role from the series.

On television, Wilson starred in the CBS drama A Gifted Man from 2011 to 2012 and received critical acclaim for his performance as Lou Solverson in the second season of FX’s anthology series Fargo in 2015, earning a Golden Globe nomination. He later joined the DC Extended Universe, portraying Orm Marius / Ocean Master in Aquaman (2018) and Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom (2023).