Oliver Hudson’s son Wilder plans to take his second semester off at the University of Colorado Boulder and move back home. The 19-year-old is finishing his current semester before taking the break, his father said.
Hudson, 50, explained the decision on the November 6 episode of Sibling Revelry, the podcast he cohosts with his sister, Kate Hudson. Speaking alone from his kitchen, he described a college start repeatedly interrupted by trips home for dental treatment.
Wilder had moved into his dorm in August and was rooming with his best friend. When he returned home to have his wisdom teeth removed, complications prevented the procedure from going ahead. He stayed for nearly three weeks before heading back to Colorado.
About a week and a half later, he came home again for the extraction and another three weeks of recovery. Wilder grew accustomed to being in his own bedroom, Hudson said, and returning to campus became difficult. He told his father he no longer felt he belonged there.
Wilder Asked His Father to Stay After Parents’ Weekend
Hudson and his wife, actress Erinn Bartlett, visited Boulder for Parents’ Weekend. When Wilder asked his father to stay longer, Hudson extended the trip by two days. They went to lunch, played golf and worked out together.
Hudson booked a hotel room that they shared, giving them time to talk privately about what Wilder was experiencing and what he wanted to do next. “He was just carrying so much stress,” the actor recalled.
Wilder wanted to experience adult life outside college. Hudson said he wanted to give his son room to make that choice, rather than insist that he remain unhappy simply to finish what he had started. He and Bartlett still questioned whether a break was the right decision, but ultimately concluded it suited their son.
Moving Home Means a Job, Auditions and Screenwriting Classes
“You’re not on summer break,” Hudson told Wilder. He ruled out sleeping until noon, spending the day at a computer and ordering food while doing little else. His son would need to get up at a reasonable time, exercise and make a plan for each day.
The first requirement is finding a job. Wilder also intends to work on auditions, take a screenwriting class at Santa Monica College and write a short film. Hudson wants him to use the time to develop the skills he will need in the entertainment business.
The family’s agreement includes a return to Boulder for sophomore year unless Wilder lands an acting job that changes those plans. Hudson said having a defined path brought his son immediate relief. Once they had worked out the details, Wilder became excited about what he could do.
Wilder Auditioned Five Times Before Landing His Film Debut
Wilder made his feature-film debut alongside his father in the 2025 holiday comedy A Merry Little Ex-Mas. He played Gabriel, the son of Hudson’s Everett and Alicia Silverstone’s Kate. The Netflix film also stars Jameela Jamil, Pierson Fodé and Melissa Joan Hart.
In an October 2025 interview with PEOPLE, Hudson said he initially encouraged Wilder to audition for the experience. His son had recently completed an acting class, but had never worked on a film. Five auditions followed before he secured the role. Hudson acknowledged that family connections could create opportunities, while arguing that performers still had to demonstrate their ability.
Father and son spent six weeks together in Toronto during production. Hudson rented a larger house, imagining evenings spent practicing lines, eating dinner and watching movies. Wilder initially preferred going upstairs to his bedroom, bringing some familiar family habits along on the trip.
One scene near the end of the film required Wilder to deliver an emotional monologue. In a separate interview published that October, Hudson recalled his son being nervous about the substantial speech. After the first take, Hudson began crying, overwhelmed by watching Wilder perform in the profession where he had spent more than two decades. When filming ended, Hudson said, Wilder had a clear response to his first experience on a movie set: “Dad, this is it.”