- Born
- Birth nameStephen Wilson Bethel
- Nickname
- Willy
- Height6′ (1.83 m)
- Stephen Wilson Bethel born February 24, 1984, professionally known as Wilson Bethel, is an American actor. He is known for his roles as Wade Kinsella on Hart of Dixie and as Ryder Callahan on the CBS daytime soap opera The Young and the Restless. He is also the star and creator of the web series Stupid Hype on the The CW's new online platform CWD. Bethel was born in Hillsborough, New Hampshire, the son of Stephen Bethel and author Joyce Maynard. Before becoming a regular on The Young and the Restless, Bethel had been seen on television in various one-time roles on shows such as JAG, Cold Case, and NCIS.
- IMDb mini biography by: scaryofmonsters
- SpouseLiesl Martinez(? - present)
- ParentsSteve Bethel
- RelativesAudrey Bethel(Sibling)Charlie Bethel(Sibling)Taj Estey-Bethel(Half Sibling)
- He and his Hart of Dixie (2011) co-star Scott Porter tried out for Steve Rogers/Captain America in Captain America: The First Avenger (2011) which went to Chris Evans.
- During a significant portion of the 1980s, Wilson Bethel's mother, Joyce Maynard, had a very popular nationally syndicated column called "Domestic Affairs," in which she often wrote about aspects of her husband's and children's lives. This meant that hundreds of thousands of Maynard's readers around the US were familiar with Bethel and his siblings as "characters" in her columns long before he was appearing on television as an actor.
- In the 1982 novel, Shoeless Joe (by W. P. Kinsella), which became the inspiration for the iconic film Field of Dreams (1989), the (fictional) main character, "Ray Kinsella", goes on a road trip to find J.D. Salinger, author of Catcher in the Rye, because Salinger had a real-life habit of using the surname "Kinsella" for his characters, and Ray wants to find out why. Not coincidentally, in Hart of Dixie (2011), the character of "Wade Kinsella" is played by Bethel, whose real-life mother, writer Joyce Maynard, had a well-publicized relationship with J.D. Salinger.
- Son of Steve Bethel, an artist, and Joyce Maynard, a columnist and novelist (To Die For, The Good Daughters, The Usual Rules). Wilson was the narrator for the audiobook edition of his mother's novel, Labor Day.
- Bethel has eight siblings, half-siblings, and step-siblings. His biological siblings are sister Audrey (born 1978), and brother Charlie (born 1982). Has a half-brother, Taj Estey-Bethel, by his father's second marriage. Step-siblings include Ray Mansfield, Kris Mansfield, and Kari Kasilowski Mansfield.
- I've been having these dinner parties at my house in L.A. for years that turn into charades parties. I'm so good at breaking stuff down into syllables and sounds. If I were to be doing anything else besides being an actor, I would be a professional charades player. I'm not sure if it exists, but if it didn't, I'll create it.
- Who didn't cry at The Notebook (2004)? If you didn't cry at The Notebook (2004), something is probably wrong with you.
- It's almost a joke how good I am at charades. Not to pat my own back, but I'm literally - I'm kind of unstoppable.
- I do like all different kinds of sports and stuff. I've taken up gymnastics and slacklining - you know, tightroping, basically.
- I collect records pretty assiduously, so I've got, like, a massive record collection. I still DJ.
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