Who Does Owen Wilson Meet in Midnight in Paris?

By Robert Palmer

In the movie “Midnight in Paris,” Owen Wilson plays the role of Gil Pender, a disillusioned Hollywood screenwriter who finds himself transported back in time to 1920s Paris. While exploring the city at night, he meets a number of famous writers and artists from the era. But who are these characters and how do they impact Gil’s journey?

Ernest Hemingway
One of the first people Gil meets is Ernest Hemingway, played by Corey Stoll. Hemingway is depicted as a larger-than-life figure, with a gruff demeanor and a penchant for blunt language. He takes an immediate liking to Gil, recognizing him as a fellow writer, and offers to read his manuscript.

Salvador Dali
Later in the film, Gil attends a party hosted by his friend Paul, where he encounters Salvador Dali (Adrien Brody), the surrealist painter known for his bizarre and dreamlike imagery. Dali is portrayed as an eccentric character who speaks in riddles and makes grandiose statements about art and life.

Pablo Picasso

Gil also crosses paths with Pablo Picasso (Marcial Di Fonzo Bo), one of the most famous artists of the 20th century. Picasso appears briefly in one scene, where he is shown sketching on a napkin at a cafe. Although he doesn’t have much dialogue or interaction with Gil, his presence serves to reinforce the idea that this is a world populated by creative geniuses.

F. Scott Fitzgerald

Another notable character that Gil meets is F. Scott Fitzgerald (Tom Hiddleston), author of “The Great Gatsby” and other classic novels.

Fitzgerald is depicted as charming and charismatic, but also deeply troubled due to his tumultuous relationship with his wife Zelda. He serves as both a mentor and cautionary tale for Gil, who begins to see parallels between his own life and Fitzgerald’s.

Gertrude Stein

Gil also meets Gertrude Stein (Kathy Bates), an American writer and art collector who was a central figure in the Parisian art scene of the 1920s. Stein is portrayed as a maternal figure who takes an interest in Gil’s writing and offers him words of encouragement. She is also shown to be a bit of a gatekeeper, determining which artists and writers are worthy of her attention.

  • Conclusion:

In “Midnight in Paris,” Owen Wilson’s character Gil Pender encounters a number of famous writers and artists from the 1920s Parisian art scene. These characters serve not only as historical figures, but also as symbols of creativity, genius, and disillusionment. Through his interactions with them, Gil learns about himself and his own artistic aspirations, ultimately coming to a greater understanding of what it means to be an artist.