Introduction
Wilder Brooks Hudson is the eldest son of actor Oliver Hudson and actress Erinn Bartlett, but he now has his own professional acting credit. After an earlier voice performance in the educational animated short Brain Buddies, Wilder made his feature-film acting debut in Netflix’s 2025 holiday romantic comedy A Merry Little Ex-Mas, playing Gabriel, the on-screen son of his real-life father’s character.
His entry into acting attracted particular attention because of the Hudson family’s long connection to Hollywood. Rather than presenting Wilder as just another celebrity child, the more useful story is how his first significant screen opportunity developed: he took an acting class, auditioned repeatedly for the role, and then spent weeks working on location alongside his father. Oliver Hudson has openly acknowledged that family connections can create opportunities, while arguing that performers still have to prove they can do the job.
Quick Bio
| Field | Information |
|---|
| Full Name | Wilder Brooks Hudson |
| Known For | Son of Oliver Hudson and his emerging acting work |
| Profession | Actor |
| Date of Birth | August 23, 2007 |
| Parents | Oliver Hudson and Erinn Bartlett |
| Feature-Film Debut | A Merry Little Ex-Mas (2025) |
| Film Role | Gabriel Holden |
| Earlier Screen Work | Voice performance in Brain Buddies |
| Public Profile | Emerging member of the Hudson entertainment family |
A representative for his parents confirmed Wilder’s birth on August 23, 2007, when PEOPLE reported his arrival. As of August 16, 2026, he is 18.
Who Is Wilder Brooks Hudson?
Wilder Brooks Hudson was initially known publicly through his family connection to Oliver Hudson, the actor associated with series including Rules of Engagement, Nashville, and Scream Queens. His mother, Erinn Bartlett, also worked as an actress. Wilder is the couple’s first child, and much of the public coverage of him during his childhood remained tied to family appearances rather than an independent entertainment career.
That distinction became more important in 2025. Reliable coverage from PEOPLE and Netflix confirms that Wilder began shifting from being described primarily as Oliver Hudson’s son to receiving acting credits under the shorter professional name Wilder Hudson. Netflix currently lists him among the cast of A Merry Little Ex-Mas.
His Work on Brain Buddies Came Before His Netflix Film
One detail that can easily become confused in short online biographies is the meaning of Wilder’s “acting debut.” His Netflix movie was his feature-film debut, but it was not his first recorded performance.
Earlier in 2025, Wilder provided a voice for Brain Buddies, an educational animated short created through Goldie Hawn’s MindUP initiative. His siblings also participated in the project. Hawn told PEOPLE that Wilder received particular praise for his voice work during production.
This creates a clearer early-career timeline: voice work on Brain Buddies came first, followed by his first major feature-film role in A Merry Little Ex-Mas. PEOPLE’s March 2026 profile of Goldie Hawn and Kurt Russell’s grandchildren also distinguishes the two projects, describing the Netflix movie as Wilder’s first feature-film acting job while noting the earlier animated work.
How Wilder Hudson Landed A Merry Little Ex-Mas
Wilder’s casting became a talking point partly because his real-life father was already starring in the movie. In A Merry Little Ex-Mas, Oliver Hudson plays Everett, while Wilder portrays his character’s son, Gabriel. Netflix’s official material identifies Wilder in the role, confirming that the father-and-son connection was incorporated directly into the film’s casting.
The role was not described publicly as an automatic family appointment. Oliver told PEOPLE that Wilder had recently completed an acting class outside school and went through five auditions before securing the part. The elder Hudson also addressed the obvious question of nepotism, acknowledging that industry connections can help someone gain access to opportunities while emphasizing that performers still need to prove themselves once an opportunity arrives.
That context matters because it avoids two extremes: pretending Wilder had no advantages from his family background, or assuming he got the role without an audition process. Based on the strongest available reporting, both family access and a multi-stage audition process played a role.
Playing Gabriel Alongside His Real-Life Father
A Merry Little Ex-Mas is a Netflix Christmas romantic comedy about Kate and Everett, a separated couple trying to navigate one final family holiday as their lives move in different directions. Wilder’s Gabriel is one of their children within the story. Netflix lists the movie as a 2025 release and includes Wilder among a cast led by Alicia Silverstone and Oliver Hudson.
The production also became an unusually personal experience for Oliver Hudson. PEOPLE reported that father and son lived together for approximately six weeks while filming in Toronto. Oliver recalled becoming emotional while watching Wilder perform a significant monologue, saying the scene made him especially proud to see his son enter the profession.
In the same interview, Wilder told his father afterward that he wanted to pursue acting. That statement offers a stronger indication of professional interest than simply assuming that one movie appearance automatically means a long-term career has already been established.
Is Wilder Brooks Hudson Really an Actor?
Yes. Primary, reputable entertainment sources now support calling Wilder Brooks Hudson an actor, rather than relying on association with his father.
Netflix lists Wilder Hudson in the cast of A Merry Little Ex-Mas, while his current IMDb profile credits him as an actor known for the movie.
The key point is that his professional résumé is still in its early stages. Reliable sources confirm his Brain Buddies voice work and his feature-film debut, but they do not support portraying him as an extensively established actor with a long filmography.
The Hudson Family Connection
His family inevitably amplifies interest in Wilder. His father, Oliver Hudson, has worked in film and television for decades, while his grandmother Goldie Hawn is one of the best-known figures in American entertainment. PEOPLE’s 2026 overview of the family describes Wilder as Oliver and Erinn Hudson’s eldest child and highlights his move into acting.
That family background gives Wilder unusual visibility for someone at the beginning of a career. At the same time, reliable reporting does not yet justify claims commonly attached to celebrity relatives online, such as a personal net worth, major independent business interests, extensive awards or a large catalogue of future productions. Those details should not be guessed to make a biography appear more complete.
What Is Wilder Hudson Doing Now?
As of August 2026, the clearest verified professional milestone remains his work in A Merry Little Ex-Mas. Netflix continues to list Wilder in the film’s cast, and IMDb currently identifies that production as the acting credit for which he is known.
No sufficiently authoritative source located during this research confirmed another major upcoming feature or television project. It is therefore safer to describe Wilder as an emerging actor following his first feature-film role, rather than claiming that a larger acting slate has already been announced.
Why People Are Searching for Wilder Brooks Hudson
Search interest around Wilder Brooks Hudson now has two closely connected purposes. Some readers want to know who Oliver Hudson’s son is. In contrast, others encountered Wilder through A Merry Little Ex-Mas and want to know whether the actor playing Gabriel is actually related to Oliver.
The answer to both questions is straightforward: Wilder Brooks Hudson is Oliver Hudson and Erinn Bartlett’s eldest son, and he played the son of Oliver’s character in his first feature film. His growing interest in acting gives him a public identity that extends beyond being part of a famous Hollywood family.
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(FAQs)
How old is Wilder Brooks Hudson now?
Wilder Brooks Hudson was born on August 23, 2007, making him 18 years old as of August 16, 2026. PEOPLE reported his birth date based on confirmation from his parents’ representative.
Is Wilder Brooks Hudson an actor?
Yes. Netflix officially lists Wilder Hudson among the cast of A Merry Little Ex-Mas, where he plays Gabriel, and IMDb identifies him professionally as an actor.
Who are Wilder Brooks Hudson’s parents?
His parents are Oliver Hudson and Erinn Bartlett. Wilder was their first child, born in August 2007.
What movie is Wilder Hudson in?
Wilder appears in the Netflix romantic comedy A Merry Little Ex-Mas, playing Gabriel, the son of Oliver Hudson’s character Everett.
Was A Merry Little Ex-Mas Wilder’s first role?
It was his first feature-film acting role, but he had previously contributed voice work to Goldie Hawn’s educational animated project Brain Buddies in 2025.
Final Paragraph
Wilder Brooks Hudson’s public profile changed significantly in 2025. Previously known mainly through his relationship to Oliver Hudson and the wider Hudson-Hawn entertainment family, he gained his own acting credits through Brain Buddies and, more prominently, A Merry Little Ex-Mas. His father’s comments make clear that the family connection opened an unusual window into Hollywood, but Wilder still went through multiple auditions before receiving his Netflix role. With only an early résumé currently verified, the most accurate description is that he is an emerging actor at the beginning of his professional journey, not an already established Hollywood star.
