Earl John Hindman (October 3, 1942 -- December 29, 2003) was an American film and television actor, best known for his role as the kindly unseen neighbor Wilson W. Wilson Jr. on the television sitcom Home Improvement (1991 -- 99).

Based on this passage, who was the actor who played wilson on home improvement? Let's give stream of consciousness first:
The relevant information to answer the above question is: Earl John Hindman (October 3, 1942 -- December 29, 2003) was an American film and television actor, best known for his role as the kindly unseen neighbor Wilson W. Wilson Jr. on the television sitcom Home Improvement (1991 -- 99).
So, the final answer is Earl John Hindman.