Slashdot Mirror
Ask Wil Wheaton Anything (Part Deux)
A little over three years ago Slashdot interviewed Wil Wheaton, at the time best known for his role as Wesley Crusher on ST:TNG. Since then his blog WWDN has allowed him a creative outlet that has made the world sit up and take notice. Wil is now a regular participant in ACME Comedy Theatre, has published two books ( Dancing Barefoot and Just a Geek ), has done voicework for video games such as GTA: San Andreas, cartoons such as Teen Titans, and speaks regularly at conventions such as Gnomedex and Linucon. Wil enjoyed the first Slash interview so much it appeared in Just a Geek, and we're glad to have him back for a second go-round. Feel free to fire away, one question per comment please. We'll post his responses once we get them back.
Sorry for the Star Trek question, but it is something that I have wondered for quite a while. With your character in ST:TNG, he(/you) left the ship with 'the traveler' to do great and wondrous things. I always wondered when you were going to come back and save the ship from some otherwise horrible fate, it of course, never happened. At the time, did you see that exit for your character as an easy way to write you out of the script for good, or as a combination of plot advancement for your character, while still allowing you to work on other projects?
paul reinheimer
That said, if you do still follow Trek I'd be curious to hear your thoughts on the progress of "Enterprise" given your status as someone framiliar with the entertainment industry (esp. as it relates to this particular line of shows).
I have been so impressed by the last two seasons (except the Nazi arc at the start of this season) that I'd go so far as to group them with some of the best episodes of season 3 TNG. The characters are finally starting to fill out, the plots have gotten away from the standard "it's the Borg again!" horseshit and they've even had relatively decent dialog.
I get the impression, however, that it's not going to be enough to save the series based on the timeslot it's been relegated to. While my TiVO stays in Fridays even though I don't, I can't believe that even Trek fans regularly stay home Friday nights in sufficiant numbers to save the show, not to mention all the people who stopped watching in season 1 or 2 and won't end up flipping past sometime to give it a second chance now.
Is "Enterprise" as doomed as I think it is?
Every year during my review, I just pray the words "slashdot.org" aren't mentioned.
In "Just a Geek" you pretty much ended the book by saying that acting (tv/movie, not ACME) is no longer a priority. Are you still looking for a Big Part or have you given up on that altogether?
Do you use pepper spray, tear gas, or mace on people you meet on the street who call you Wesley Crusher?
I Am My Own Worst Enemy
Are you disappointed that you did not turn out to be that hunk that Q turned you into as an adult, then changed you back by your request?
I never had any of the disdain that seems to paint your detractors, Wil, yet I also never found myself admiring you until I began to read your blog.
What has your newfound share of fans and admirers taught you? Was it always your intention to, via the internet, change people's minds about who you are and what you've been trying to accomplish?
Looking back from where you are today, Mr. Wheaton, what would you consider your greatest achievement that you take the most pride in? Your work as an actor? Your widely-acclaimed blog? Or maybe your published memoirs?
And, on a related note, are you anywhere close to where you expected you'd be by now?
Wil,
You talk alot on your blog about your experiences, not only in your personal life, but also your professional life.
Now with two books under your belt, has anyone ever pitched the idea of writing a 'Acting in Hollywood for Dummies'?
Basically what to expect in the process of agenting, casting calls, marketing yourself, how to deal with rejection, overcoming fears, etc.
I think with your writing style, this would be a fun book to read, and accessible to non-actors who would be interested in what the 'real' Hollywood life was about.
Support FSF: Stop thinking with your wallet, and think with your imagination. (cc/non-commercial)
In your response to a comment titled "Usenet," from the previous interview, you make it quite clear that people hating you for being Wesley pisses you off. Do you have anything in particular to say to the people who like you for being Wesley?
tasks(723) drafts(105) languages(484) examples(29106)
Would you let your own children enter the tv/film industry? Why or why not?
"It takes considerable knowledge just to realize the extent of your own ignorance." - Thomas Sowell
Will you ever put a leech on your nuts in another movie?
It's a serious question. What keeps the roof over your head?
A lot of my favorite actors (you're included in there) will work for a little bit and then disappear for a great length of time.
A good example is Bruce Campbell. You see him in a small film like Bubba Ho-Tep or a quickie walk-on like in Spider Man, and then he disappears from the face of the earth. And I always wonder, what pays the grocery bill meanwhile?
How do you manage it? And please feel free to ignore this if it's too personal.
Weaselmancer
rediculous.
Do you think you'd get modded +5 nearly as much if you weren't Wil Wheaton?
Never confuse volume with power.
I'm a longtime reader of WWDN and I know you're big into poker. ;)
Is there any chance of you making an appearance on Celebrity Poker on Bravo?
It'd kick ass to see you on there in action
You claim to be a geek/nerd, but yet you have a 6 digit slashdot userid (129189). How do you explain this discrepency?
See my Home Theater
Do you find it interesting/annoying/strange/etc. participating in the geek culture (i.e. being a geek), while at the same time being such a recognisible influence or member of that same culture? For example, say you go to a ST convention. What does it feel like to sort of admire or follow such a phenomenon, but at the same time you are thinking "Yea, I remember when Pat Stewart and I did that scene." I guess it just seems that you might have a different experience than most of us /.ers, in that we are more observers than contributors.
/. community!
Hope that makes sense. Cheers for responding to the
You won't hate yourself in the morning if you don't get up before noon.
I think the whole world wants to know..... any Oedipus action with Gates McFadden? (C'mon Will, surely you at least thought about it.)
Wil,
We in the non-Hollywood scene see a fair number of outspoken individuals on one side of the political spectrum, a few on the other, and it *always* gets press anytime anyone on either side speaks out about any political issue.
Having seen it from the inside, how pervasive is politics in the workplace in the projects you've been involved in? Is it something that comes up every once in a while, like the rest of us, during office discussions... or is it something more "tangible", where you basically know where everyone around you stands - and you'd better hope you either stand the same way or don't say much?
Have you ever felt pressure from someone with regard to politics? Have you ever felt that your political viewpoint would affect your chances of working on a project?
Thanks!
When you were compiling your geek code, did you get a kick out of the fact that you could put a $ after "t"?
"You're older than you've ever been, and now you're even older."
When I read Just a Geek, I was struck by the similarity between the reaction to your 25 August 2001 WWdN post (A Look Inside My Mind) and the reaction to the Slashdot and Fark stories about my TRON costume. The 26 August 2001 post (My Velouria) was something I could have written, at least in tone if not in details, if I were half the writer you are.
What would you tell the anonymous, average geek who has Internet fame suddenly dropped on him? How would you help him get through the flood of negativity and get to the point where he can ignore the naysayers and just have fun?
Disinfect the GNU General Public Virus!
Can US foriegn policy be reconciled with the prime directive?
Do you get drunk white trash from stand by me? Cause thats scarier than a treckie any day.. or what about latin american freedom fighters stalking you? Toy soldiers was my favoritte movie growing up? Honestly, I'm guessing that you probably have a huge number of people on the street come up and ask if you were Wesley Crusher, but do people come up and recognize you from other movies?
What are we going to do tonight Brain?
In the book I reverently refer to now as JAG, you speak of getting off your "Hey, I'm an actor! Get me a scone!" high-horse and being... JAG. Now that your books have hit a noteable success, have you had any close encounters with turning into Mr. "Hey, I'm an author! Get me a crumpet!"?
Are your friends, fans, and family helping you keep a level head?
Wil, I suppose my question for you is: although I recognize that most all of us are prone to it, why does self-doubt seem to still be an especially strong theme in your psyche, at least as I perceive it through your writing?
You seem to doubt yourself a lot, yet you have (at least IMO) strong talents in writing, acting, and comedy, and, most importantly, an extremely loving wife and an amazing relationship with your stepchildren.
As depicted in Dancing Barefoot and Just a Geek, you seem to have already come far in your battle against your inner doubt, yet it seems (again, just through my perception of your writing) that very often minor defeats set you back a considerable ways.
I suppose to those of us who go through life without some of the incredible good fortune you've had (and I speak not of your acting past, but of your loving family and your recognized writing and comedic talents), it is hard to understand why your inner demons appear to still be so strong.
Let's say that you come into posession of a large ( $100,000,000) stack of money and you have a burning desire to make a movie that you know your fellow geeks would enjoy; what would it be?
What is missing in most movies today, if anything? Is it possible to make a geeky movie that has a chance of commercial success? Are we stuck importing Japanese anime?
Why do I have this? I don't smoke.
Ok I've been itching to ask this to a real actor who also happens to be a geek.
You know MPAA's been suing left and right claiming downloading movies are damaging to the industry as a whole. As an actor in probably the most popular science fiction series ever, how does piracy or file sharing affect you and your bottom line?
Does what the studios say about piracy is total bull? Or is it the truth?
Do you find your celebrity here on Slashdot creepy at all? What are your thoughts on cults of personality in general in the geek world?
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Bleah! Heh heh heh... BLEAH BLEAH!!! Ha ha ha ha...
One of the things that fascinated me about Star Trek: The Next Generation was the attention to detail in set design. I'm aware that Michael Okuda was responsible for a lot of the design work, like the LCARS interfaces for example (also referred to as "Okudagrams"). There was just an underlying subtle feel of logic and innovation behind it all that appealed to the computer nerd in me.
The touch screen interface standard was one; touch screens are an ideal graphical user interface because you don't need an indirect input device to manipulate the interface. I've actually read somewhere that NASA considers it to be a useful idea for manned space missions because it allows a user to access a whole range of controls with a simple touch screen, saving on space and weight when compared to the equivalent in physical controls. The PADDs were also a novel concept, resembling current PDAs and tablet computers. The LCARS interfaces also had recurring elements, like a round one I've read was nicknamed the "spinner", that looked like a control for 2D or 3D manipulation, kind of like arrow keys on a keyboard.
I also noticed that everything - devices, bulkheads, panels, containers, etc - all had the same kind of labels on them. They seemed like a standardised system for doing things like handling inventory, like barcodes. And there was a consistency across the board, the way they were also used as signs on doors and also appeared as LCARS interface elements. I've noticed that they've used them in the Star Trek: Enterprise series as well. (I've also read that they sometimes had jokes on them visible only to the cast during filming.)
Since you were working on the set, you must have had a lot of exposure to what went on behind the scenes with regards to the design process. And as a self-confessed geek, you must have had some interest in that part of the production. Was there an actual working concept behind LCARS as a real graphical user interface? What can you say about the fictional LCARS that would be applicable to real operating systems and graphical user interfaces? And what about those labels- were they based on a realistic system of organisation and management? What kind of concepts were the set designs based on, and how much detail did they get into regarding those concepts? I was just wondering how much of it all was just aesthetic and how much of it was based on real logic.