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Ask Wil Wheaton Anything 492

Posted by CmdrTaco from the no-i-do-not-look-like-him dept.
Wil Wheaton [IMDB] is our latest interview victim. Best known here as Wesley Crusher on TNG, Wil has a history doing movies both good (Stand by Me) and, uh, otherwise (see his FAQ). His movie "The Good Things" just won the grand prize at the 27th Festival of American Cinema at Deuville. His currrent project is "Jane White Is Sick & Twisted". Post your questions for him here, one per post, and we'll forward a few of the highest rated ones to Wil.
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Ask Wil Wheaton Anything More

Ask Wil Wheaton Anything

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  • Those Silly Automatic Doors (Score:5, Funny)

    by wikki ( 13091 ) on Monday October 15, 2001 @07:36AM (#2430155)
    When you were on the set of TNG did you ever find yourself running into the automatic doors when there was no one there to open them for you? How about at your house or other places? Was this a problem for any of the other cast members? Did you ever find yourself going to grocery stores and running in and out of the doors just to make you feel better?
    • In the early episodes especially, even the most diehard trek fans got pretty irritated with your character. Did you ever find yourself watching a TNG episode and being annoyed with your own character?

      Do you think Neelix is as annoying, or more annoying, as the young Crusher? (ideally this could even be a /. poll!)

  • Which one? (Score:5, Funny)

    by sandidge ( 150265 ) on Monday October 15, 2001 @07:36AM (#2430156)
    So, uh, Beverly Crusher, Troi or Yar?

  • Funny Wil Wheaton interview on BBSpot (Score:4, Informative)

    by jdh28 ( 19903 ) <jdh28NO@SPAMbigfoot.com> on Monday October 15, 2001 @07:40AM (#2430168) Homepage


    Wil Wheaton recently did a very funny short interview [bbspot.com] over at BBSpot [bbspot.com].


    john

  • Complete nonsense (Score:2, Insightful)

    by Caine ( 784 )
    But I have to say that was the best, most interesting and most funny celebrity site, I've ever seen. :)

  • Python (Score:2, Interesting)

    by Voidhobo ( 219337 )
    Do you thing the Python programming-language is Sixty Feet of Pure Terror [imdb.com], too? (I mean, this is Slashdot, afterall!)

  • What the story fails to mention (Score:4, Funny)

    by Mononoke ( 88668 ) on Monday October 15, 2001 @07:46AM (#2430182) Homepage Journal
    Wil's not that far removed from the rest of us here.

    How many actors have you heard of that took the time to code their own site in php?

    Oh, I'm supposed to ask a question...Hmmm...ok: Wil, vi or emacs?

    ^_^

  • Ashley Judd - Please clarify (Score:4, Interesting)

    by iamsure ( 66666 ) on Monday October 15, 2001 @07:46AM (#2430184) Homepage
    In your FAQ, there is a question about Ashley Judd:

    "Is it true that you were really Ashley Judd's first onscreen kiss, and you ruined her for the rest of her life?"

    To which you reply:

    "Yep. It is 100% true. Ashley Judd played Robin Lefler, in the episode "The Game", and Uncle Willie went to bootytown"

    Now, let's be clear here. You "knew" her in a biblical sense?

    Seeing as how she is one of the most attractive and emotional actresses in Hollywood, what was the experience like back then?

    Just wanted some clarification..
    • He's obviously joking, as he tends to do based on the rest of the responses on his site / BBSpot. Let's not pick questions like this for the interview, or we won't have a lot of interesting responses.

  • Wheres the parties, dude? (Score:5, Interesting)

    by imrdkl ( 302224 ) on Monday October 15, 2001 @07:48AM (#2430187) Homepage Journal
    Seriously, how much time do you spend reading techie sites like slashdot, and keeping up with the issues? I see lots of nice links and banners on your webpage that seem to advocate. How would you "rate your geekness"? Is setting up your own server really fun for you, or just another way to score babes? :-)

    Thanks, I enjoy alot of your work.

  • The TNN TNG Marathon (Score:2, Interesting)

    by Salis ( 52373 )
    Wil,
    I loved the TNG Marathon played on TNN..the first time I ever watched the network for more than 15 seconds. The character segments in between were great too, but why on Earth did they make all of you run on that stupid treadmill? It was so distracting...and watching Michael Dorn get out of breathe wasn't exactly funny.
    • I can almost guarantee they had no treadmill. From the way Marina Sirtis was flailing her arms, I'm betting they were running in place.

      Johnathan Frakes made it look the best, though. It actually looked like he was running. :)

  • He can't be all bad: (Score:3, Insightful)

    by Xzzy ( 111297 ) <`gro.h7urt' `ta' `rehtes'> on Monday October 15, 2001 @07:50AM (#2430192) Homepage
    His website uses php instead of asp. That's worth at least ten additional cool points, and considering the reputation the poor guy has, that's really something.

  • Final Frontier - thoughts on your career (Score:4, Interesting)

    by iamsure ( 66666 ) on Monday October 15, 2001 @07:53AM (#2430198) Homepage
    As one of the ultra-rare individuals who actually really enjoyed your character, I have had some questions over the years.

    Questions like:

    Did you ever get to see Marina Sirtis (Deanna Troy) nude?

    Was there any behind the scenes booty-calls between cast members that you are comfortable releasing?

    How difficult is it for a new actor to get a recurring role on a Star Trek series 'generally'?

    More importantly to me..

    Would you ever do a movie with Bruce Campbell? If so, have you let him and his people know?

    And finally,

    I know you were happy to leave the show, and I am glad you retained your integrity and ability to do what you wanted. However, I have often wondered, did you like the WAY you were written off the show?

  • Star Trek, of coure (Score:4, Interesting)

    by steveo777 ( 183629 ) on Monday October 15, 2001 @07:55AM (#2430207) Homepage Journal
    We all can look up your various roles on the web [imdb.com]. What kind of roles people attempt to cast you for? Are there any movies that you especially would like to have been in, or possibly in the future?

  • Wesley Crusher jokes (Score:5, Interesting)

    by DarkDust ( 239124 ) <marc@darkdust.net> on Monday October 15, 2001 @07:58AM (#2430215) Homepage
    As you mentioned on your FAQ page, the Wesley Crusher character from TNG was target of some not very complementary jokes. But are there any Wesley Crusher jokes that you liked ?

  • Google Whoring (Score:3, Informative)

    by Anonymous Coward on Monday October 15, 2001 @08:00AM (#2430223)
    Here is the cache of Wil's FAQ:

    http://www.google.com/search?q=cache:fW2sjIXa3m4:w ww.wilwheaton.net/faq.htm+wil+wheaton+faq&hl=en&st art=1 [google.com]

    Its karma-whorific.

  • Enterprise (Score:5, Interesting)

    by abde ( 136025 ) <apoonawa-blog@QUOTEyahoo.com minus punct> on Monday October 15, 2001 @08:00AM (#2430224) Homepage

    I liked your brief appearance in the Sprite commercial :) My question is, have you thought about sticking with the Star Trek franchise? With Enterprise, the franchise is taking a new direction, in which the characters are more human and not ultra-competent Utopians. Have you considered trying for a part, recurring or otherwise?

  • Are you worried about being typecast? (Score:5, Informative)

    by wrinkledshirt ( 228541 ) on Monday October 15, 2001 @08:03AM (#2430230) Homepage
    Jason Alexander once said in an interview that every single episode he did as George on Seinfeld made it harder and harder for him to be marketable in showbiz as any other sort of character. Given that most people know you as Welsey Crusher, do you ever worry about it? If that's a problem, how does an actor break out of it?

  • wilwheaton.net (Score:2, Interesting)

    by dafoomie ( 521507 )
    How does it feel to have wilwheaton.net slashdotted? But seriously, would you ever, ever, ever do a Star Trek anything again, even if its just 10 seconds to get shot to make sure you'll never appear again? Not sure how you'd get written back in though.

  • Hated? (Score:2, Interesting)

    by Kaypro ( 35263 )
    It always fascinates me, the hatred male trekkies have towards Wil Wheatons character. Now I think I understand why: I watched TNG during my early teens and I always envied his character, I would have killed to be in his characters situation! And I think thats where all this hatred comes from. Instead of looking like a dweeb, they express distaste for him. Also he basically portrayed most of our lives: An above average male teenager who was never appreciated for his abilites by his role models (Especially Picard). This kind of reminds me a bit of the whole Jar Jar thing...

    If you're not man enough to admit your envy, then please don't try to satisfy your ego by expressing hate.

    To Wes: Great job on TNG....wish you the best of luck in your future endeavors.

    Kaypro...

  • Slashdot effect (Score:4, Funny)

    by Tet ( 2721 ) <slashdot@nOsPam.astradyne.co.uk> on Monday October 15, 2001 @08:06AM (#2430240) Homepage Journal
    Simple question: were you expecting your site to get slashdotted when details of this interview were posted?
  • Did the nick name Wuss-ley hurt you personally? If not, can you maybe recommend one that would?

  • NewTek and the Video Toaster (Score:5, Interesting)

    by suso ( 153703 ) on Monday October 15, 2001 @08:11AM (#2430249) Journal
    On your homepage you mention that you once worked for NewTek during their development or initial release of the Video Toaster. I've always been curious to know how you got the job there and what you exactly did for them? Did you ever own an Amiga prior to working at NewTek?

  • So you read Slashdot, eh? (Score:5, Interesting)

    by Stavr0 ( 35032 ) on Monday October 15, 2001 @08:12AM (#2430252) Homepage Journal
    • Do you have an account here ?
    • Have you ever posted here ?
    • Have you ever submitted ?
    • Have you ever got a submission accepted ?
    • This [slashdot.org] is probably him, going by the slashdot user name "CleverNickName."
    • Do you have an account here ?

      Yeah, I've had it for quite some time. I never put my name to it because I was afraid I'd automatically get modded down.

      Have you ever posted here ?

      Yeah. But not too often. My motto is "if you don't have something to say that's worth at least +1, don't say anything at all".

      Have you ever submitted ?

      Yeah.

      Have you ever got a submission accepted ?

      Are you kidding me? If I had a submission posted, that would make me cool, and that would begin the slow unraveling of the very fabric of space-time.

      If this post isn't the poster-child for karma whoring, I don't know what is.
  • I've seen your interview in it's product demo videotape.

    Do you still use the Newtek Video Toaster for your video productions?

  • The Trekkie Circuit (Score:5, Interesting)

    by Chris Pimlott ( 16212 ) on Monday October 15, 2001 @08:15AM (#2430268)
    I'm curious about the Star Trek fan circuit - convention appearances and all. Do you actually make some decent money on them or is it more of a favor to the fans? Does Paramount ever pressure the actors to attend events to promote the franchise? And is there a camaraderie between actors from different series, people who otherwise haven't worked with each other?

  • Usenet (Score:5, Interesting)

    by Herbmaster ( 1486 ) on Monday October 15, 2001 @08:16AM (#2430271)

    When did you first hear of the classic usenet group, alt.ensign.wesley.crusher.die.die.die, and what was your reaction?

  • Wil's job at NewTek's Lightwave (Score:5, Interesting)

    by peter303 ( 12292 ) on Monday October 15, 2001 @08:17AM (#2430277)
    You worked at the animation software shop NewTek
    for a while. What did you do there? Do you thing you'll get back into tech again someday?

  • Hollywood Activism (Score:5, Interesting)

    by Dunkirk ( 238653 ) <{david} {at} {davidkrider.com}> on Monday October 15, 2001 @08:23AM (#2430293) Homepage
    Wil,

    You have made comments to the effect of poo-poo'ing celebrity opinions about issues in general. Yet in your blogs, you spend a lot of time discussing politics, and you make no bones about which side of the isle you favor. As someone in the public spotlight - and especially as someone in the geek spotlight (being a celeb that has your own self-coded web site) - do you consider it a duty of sorts to be an activist? Does being a celeb bring any more responsibility over the common, first-amendment-empowered citizen in voicing your opinion? Also, do you feel that you have qualities above and beyond other Hollywood celebrities that makes it important that you share your feelings?

    Thanks,
    dk

  • Comment removed (Score:3, Interesting)

    by account_deleted ( 4530225 ) on Monday October 15, 2001 @08:42AM (#2430355)
    Comment removed based on user account deletion

  • Radio Free Burrito (Score:5, Interesting)

    by webword ( 82711 ) on Monday October 15, 2001 @08:42AM (#2430357) Homepage
    You seem to know a lot about music. How big is your collection? What are your favorite bands? What is Radio Free Burrito and what do you think of broadcasting live?

  • Who got a worse deal from fans... (Score:4, Interesting)

    by ChaoticCoyote ( 195677 ) on Monday October 15, 2001 @08:44AM (#2430369) Homepage

    ...you, or Jar Jar Binks? ;)

    You've played one of the most despised characters in the history of science fiction; do you have any advice for Jar Jar as to how he should handle the rancor of obnoxious fans?

    BTW, congrats on moving beyond Wesley and having what looks like an interesting career. In the end, you've done better than some other cast members of ST:TNG! At least you're not narrating alien autopsy videos... ;)

  • What is your platform of choice (yes I see your site uses PHP, good job!)? Are you religious about that like the rest of us?

    • Mac
    • 'Doze
    • *nix
    • BSD
    • Something else
    • I remember hearing how back in the day he had a Mac Plus which had blown its analog board, so he couldn't get online. (As if there was much time for that while doing the weekly TV series grind.) Ah, the good old Mac analog board.

      It wasn't the power supply that blew, like most people said, it was actually part of the video circuitry. And usually it was a 25 volt non-polarized electrolytic capacitor that went, in a spew of orange smoke. When it happened to mine, I took it to the local Mac fixit guy, and he replaced it with a 35 or 50 or so volt Mylar non-electrolytic capacitor. I guess Apple didn't learn its lesson, because AirPort base stations have had a problem with marginally rated capacitors, too.

  • Your Career Choice (Score:4, Interesting)

    by (void*) ( 113680 ) on Monday October 15, 2001 @08:48AM (#2430397)
    You seem to be a pretty talented person. What made you choose acting as a career? Ever had any regrets?
  • ... about the SSSCA, and the DMCA, how do you, as a producer, view these ideas of 'media industry law' as we have come to call it?

    What are your opinions, agreements, and disagreements with these bills that are passed?

  • Wesley vs. Adric (Score:5, Interesting)

    by wowbagger ( 69688 ) on Monday October 15, 2001 @08:51AM (#2430416) Homepage Journal
    Many people have compared Wesley Crusher to Adric on the Dr. Who. In both cases, the character was reviled because of the way the writers handled him. What are your thoughts on this? How would you recommend an actor handle this sort of situation in the future?

  • Geekess or Valley Girl? (Score:5, Funny)

    by Dyrandia ( 253125 ) on Monday October 15, 2001 @08:54AM (#2430437) Journal
    As a lifelong geekess whose first crush was on Wesley Crusher, here's a question I'd love answered by Wil Wheaton, as well as the general male slashdot population. Which would Wesley Crusher, in character, prefer? An attractive, yet slightly braindead, clothes/hair/nails oriented girl, or her equally attractive, intelligent geekess identical twin sister? Someone who can't carry on a conversation unless it involves who was seen where, with whom, and what each was wearing, or somone who can argue the pros and cons of which programming language suits a certain task best? What about you as a person?
    • Now that I'm older and wiser and past my sexual peak, I'd just go for anybody that can setup their own network connection.
    • Geekess any day. Narrowing the field down to the two of them I'd pick Ms. Geek even if she was less attractive though I can't see how a girl that knows perl could be anything next to sexy. :)

    • Re:Geekess or Valley Girl? (Score:2, Insightful)

      by mjh ( 57755 )
      As someone who's married, I'm answering becuase I thought you might appreciate the perspective of someone who is not married to a geek.

      My wife is fantastic and I wouldn't trade her for any other human being in the world. But to say that she's not a geek is an understatement. I look, with fond admiration at two friends of mine who are married to geeks. They have that in common, and they both can get excited about wiring their houses, or the new software that they've written or installed. Or the bug that they just squished.

      My wife just doesn't get it. She doesn't get why I spend so much time in front of the computer. She doesn't get how working with computer software really gets me pumped up, and gives me feelings of accomplishment. She just doesn't get it, and it causes stress in our marriage. Fortunately, we're able to work it out.

      Geek girls are starting to turn up more and more... however they're still exceedingly rare. The ability to share goals together and get excited over the same things will be much more important over the long run than the physical attractiveness of your spouse, which will inevitably decline. If you are a geek girl, you're sitting on a real gold mine. You'll be able to share the same sort of desires and get excited about the same thing as a *HUGE* number of men in the world. It's rare.

      Good luck.

    • Oh man (Score:2)

      by RelliK ( 4466 )
      (no offence to our Geekess but here it goes):

      There are two types of girls: pretty and smart.

    • ...and you need to keep what work the other person can do in mind as you select them.

      Intelligence and sophistication are not as important as motivation in a romantic relationship; always choose substance over form.

      Select someone with abilities vastly below your own only when you know what you are doing...

      ...at which point, you will discover that you don't.

  • Linda Park (Score:4, Interesting)

    by GrouchoMarx ( 153170 ) on Monday October 15, 2001 @08:55AM (#2430443) Homepage
    Does it bother you that Linda Park (Hoshi Sato on the new series "Enterprise") says that she grew up on TNG and had a crush on you/Wesley? Or does it feel good after reading certain Usenet groups?

    PS: I happen to like the Wesley character (aside from his final episode, which was lame), so there!

  • since your site is slashdotted to hell.. ( dear god.. pray for those webpages ) .. what do you have to say about it ? just say something..

    something..

  • Advise for "Enterprise" counterpart (Score:4, Funny)

    by speleo ( 61031 ) on Monday October 15, 2001 @09:05AM (#2430506) Homepage
    Any advise for what is essentially the same role as your TNG character in the new "Enterprise" series? You know, the begal puppy.

    Should he apply to starfleet academy?
    Should he accept a field commision as an ensign?
    Should he take a postion on the bridge?
    Or perhaps he should just be careful playing with alien puppys on planets with unknown laws?

  • Very Original, CmdrTaco. (Score:5, Informative)

    by Kozz ( 7764 ) on Monday October 15, 2001 @09:08AM (#2430528)
    This very funny interview [bbspot.com] with Wil Wheaton was submitted last week, but was promptly rejected. And suddenly you've got your very own idea to interview him. I'm so very impressed by your originality.

    So for the uninformed, CmdrTaco is a dick. And the above interview is inclined to be far more informative and funny than anything that will appear here. Go read it.

  • Hey Wil... (Score:4, Interesting)

    by Calle Ballz ( 238584 ) on Monday October 15, 2001 @09:20AM (#2430611) Homepage
    I noticed a post of yours a few weeks ago on one of the star trek: enterprise stories and was sorta surprised. I'd never thought I'd see a post by a celebrity on slashdot, or at least a celebrity that identified themself. I didn't think it was real, until I went to your webpage and saw that you were a fellow geek. I read quite a bit of your site and found a lot of it interesting. I'd have to say, you have great taste in music.

    My question to you is:

    How often have you gotten first post?

    Are you the gloating first poster, or just the simple "first post, 'nuff said" kinda first poster?

  • Was this worth it? (Score:2, Funny)

    by Anonymous Coward
    Given the almost complete focus on your typecast role you seem desperate to escape from, and the ridiculous, disturbing fanboy tone of many of the questions, do you regret having given this interview?

    In other words, do you think this kind of publicity is worthwhile?

  • Dear Wil (Score:5, Interesting)

    by sllort ( 442574 ) on Monday October 15, 2001 @09:27AM (#2430666) Homepage Journal
    Wil,
    You mention in this LA Times [latimes.com] article that you dumped Linux for Windows because

    "While I'm a champion of open source, I don't think Linux is there yet"

    Was there a specific bug in Linux that prompted you to dump it, or was it just the entire operating system?

    Thanks!

  • Patrick Stewart's bald head (Score:5, Funny)

    by Genie1 ( 224205 ) on Monday October 15, 2001 @09:40AM (#2430750) Homepage
    Have you (or any of the TNG cast) ever rubbed it for good luck?

  • Fan Fixated Moment? (Score:5, Interesting)

    by broody ( 171983 ) on Monday October 15, 2001 @09:41AM (#2430754)
    While this may seem way off the wall, please give me a moment.

    Kirk Russell, on the commentary to the Big Trouble in Little Chinia DVD, talks about how his trip down the elevator on the way to confront "the ultimate evil spirit" has generated more comments then any other. Fans are always quoting back lines from that scene, particularly in elevators.

    Here is the question. Are there particlar lines from one of your roles that fans repeat back to you? Which role do people most often identify you with when they see you in the real world? If you could change this defining moment to an alternate scene or line, what would it be and why?

  • RPGs (Score:2, Interesting)

    by broody ( 171983 )
    Stolen from the ain't it cool interview:
    I like things that are traditionally nerdy, like role playing games.

    So what do you play? How often? Ever try Over the Edge? If so, what did you think of OTE?

  • Rainbow Jumpsuit (Score:5, Interesting)

    by Lethyos ( 408045 ) on Monday October 15, 2001 @09:52AM (#2430802) Journal
    Really, did you have any dignity while you were wearing that thing? I mean, come on. A rainbow strip across the front of your Fedaration jumpsuit. Did you at least complain?

  • Geek code? (Score:4, Informative)

    by merlin_jim ( 302773 ) <James@McCracken.stratapult@com> on Monday October 15, 2001 @10:02AM (#2430871)
    Hi Whil,

    First I'd like to say that I really liked your character and I was upset when he was written out of the show.

    A lot of questions have focused on either your level of geekiness or how many of your Trek co-actors you got to see nude. I have a bit more concrete question, which I think might tell us a lot more about you:

    What's your geek code [geekcode.com]?

  • I Am Not Spock (Score:2, Insightful)

    by workly ( 522253 )
    What's the most gloriously awful way you've been offered to cash in on your Wesleyness?

  • I took my copy of Titus Andronicus (Anthony Hopkins) to a friend's house this weekend, and we all remarked at how this story of the consequences of unthinking violence has tremendous bearing on recent world events.

    I also remember hearing Joseph Campbell in one of his many lectures state that the artist has a responsibility to set the moral tone for the culture.

    I have seen you in a number of your roles (the last being The Invisible Man if I am not mistaken), and while your parts have great entertainment value, they do not IMHO have much to say about fundamental aspects of the human condition.

    Is this an avenue that you might want to explore in your career, even at the cost of financial liquidity?

  • From his FAQ:

    I want to be an actor. Do you have any advice?

    Yes, I do. Eventually, this site will have a whole section devoted to aspiring actors. My immediate advice is: study, study, study. Read the classic plays and see the great movies. And for the love of Bob, study!And read Backstage. Get yourself into some sort of acting program or workshop. Just avoid anything that tells you they'll give you a free book by L.Ron Hubbard. It's a scheme to recruit you into Scientology [xenu.net].

    And a mention of Bob? As in Dobbs, perhaps?

  • weblog changing your life (Score:5, Interesting)

    by perdida ( 251676 ) <{thethreatproject} {at} {yahoo.com}> on Monday October 15, 2001 @10:31AM (#2431032) Homepage Journal
    Your weblog is neither a celebrity weblog nor a purely geek weblog, but is rahter a postmodern meta-commentary on many phenomena, including celebrity and technology.

    How has having this weblog changed 1) your daily life, 2) your views of technology, and 3) your views of celebrity?

  • Benefits of being a Star Trek actor (Score:4, Interesting)

    by maggard ( 5579 ) <michael@michaelmaggard.com> on Monday October 15, 2001 @10:36AM (#2431067) Homepage Journal
    What kind of benefits do you find resulting from having been a Star Trek actor?

    I assume you've learned to handle the celebrity-side of "Ohhh - he was on Star Trek" by now but how does it affect you in your day-to-day life, particularly when you've been involved in the high-tech industry?

    Does it ever get to be annoying when folks get fixated on your former role? Do you ever take advantage of it and get invited to events you wouldn't be otherwise? How about bring it up when dealing with phone-support ("If I can fix a dilithium interociter & phase through space I can be trusted with the ntp server address!".) How about vendors, try and get new gear out of shops: "But I'm Wil Wheaton, y'know, Wesley from Star Trek - it'd be great PR for you if I said I bought my Whizbang2000 at your store so howzabout it half-off and with that sweet wireless card thown in?"

    Or is it you just make headlines when you slap a Beverly Hills cop ("Nooo mooore Beverly!...")

  • Industry insider? (Score:5, Interesting)

    by Stavr0 ( 35032 ) on Monday October 15, 2001 @10:47AM (#2431136) Homepage Journal
    Since you're part of Hollywood and somewhat of a geek (if you really are 'CleverNickName') here's the thing:

    Would you be interested in becoming a (scifi/hollywoood/?) contributor to Slashdot (a la Jon Katz)? I'm sure you could get lots of exclusives from Paramount, actor friends etc ...

    .. assuming of course you're prepared to be a lightning rod for all the Katz-haters cum Wesley-haters ;-)
    • Would you be interested in becoming a (scifi/hollywoood/?) contributor to Slashdot (a la Jon Katz)?
      I believe you're confusing Jon Katz with Wesley Crusher. Unlike Crusher (who is a figment of Hollywood's imagination), believe it or not Katz really exists. No, I'm serious.

  • How did you feel about being Slashdotted? (Score:5, Funny)

    by waffle zero ( 322430 ) on Monday October 15, 2001 @10:51AM (#2431172) Journal
    How did you feel about being Slashdotted? And did you expect this to happen?
  • Since returning from the depths of space, do find Earth life to be unsatisifing? Would you say that this is the primary cause of your drug habit?

  • To Wil Wheaton (Score:2, Interesting)

    by johnnnyboy ( 15145 )
    You were great in The Curse and Stand By Me.
    I also did like your character on Star Trek TNG.

    I have to admit that after a while, like most, got really cheesed at your character but it's not your fault you were playing a boy genius.

    You represented the next generation of star trek actors. How come you are not casted in the star trek movies? Are we going to ever see you back on board the enterprise?
  • Were there any regular cast members you got along with particularly well?

    Were there any who you constantly butted heads with?

    What characteristics of Wesley are completely unlike you, and vice versa?

  • Typecasting? (Score:2, Interesting)

    by Mr. Slurpee ( 97260 )
    Well, ok, I knew that there would be a bunch of ST:TNG-related questions on here because, well, we're a bunch of geeks. So here's something kind of related to Trek, but more along the lines of show biz...

    What sort of problems have you had, if any, with typecasting, and what did you do to break those? I would imagine you could get pidgeonholed into the "brainy adolescent" or "anything sci-fi" parts and productions, especially with the mythical proportions that Trek can get to within the industry (positive and negative).

    (And BTW, your little spot on TNN is funny.)

    (And I think /. just ate wilwheaton.net)
  • Ginger Or MaryAnn?

  • Do scripts ever get proofread? / Trek careers (Score:4, Interesting)

    by Hanno ( 11981 ) on Monday October 15, 2001 @03:20PM (#2432881) Homepage
    Most popcorn movies these days have big holes in their script, be it plot-wise or technology-wise.

    While it sometimes works to abandon logic or science (Armageddon comes to mind), this trend seems to backfire more and more often (Godzilla comes to mind, a movie that even Roger Ebert dissed for its science goofs).

    How come that the way technology or science is depicted on screen (computers, technology, sci-fi) hardly ever gets proofread in Hollywood scripts? You seem to be a tech-nerd - do you ever correct something in a script? (If you know a script-writer who needs a proofreader, give him my e-mail address :-)

    2nd question: Do you think that having been a member of the Trek franchise was good or bad for your career? I'm a big trek fan, yet it often amuses me how Trek actors can consider themselves superstars in the Trek world, but nobodies outside.

    I often feel sorry for the dead-end careers that it meant for Nichelle Nichols or DeForest Kelley. I often wonder when I will finally see the TNG actors in bigger roles. (Don't tell me that Brent Spiner's recent work was a stellar career. Why doesn't he get better roles? Or Marina Sirtis? Or almost any other Trek actor?)
  • You're a well-known, established actor; but I guess you won't take this as an insult if I don't call you a superstar. So you're not yet in the position to choose all your projects and be granted every wish you have about a script.

    So, I always wondered how actors choose their scripts - what is your job like when you're not acting?

    What kind of scripts do you get offered? What silly (or not silly) scripts did you turn down? Can you talk about roles or projects that you were chosen for and then it didn't work out?
  • While waiting through the slashdotting, I noticed Free Dmitry and and anti-DMCA links on your google-cached web site.

    I don't think we're going to get a better chance to find out what happens to both than by asking a guy who not only time travelled regularly, but near the end of TNG was able to manipulate time itself.

    So, my questions -- is Dmitry finally free for real in the future, and if so, how did it happen? And don't say "holodeck" or "transporter" because that's cheap.

    Next -- is legislation in the future as bad as it is now? I mean, if you circumvent a Klingon holo-copy control mechanism, would you be thrown in a detention cell on Kronos and be force fed Gahk (or whatever the hell those worm things are called) without starbail or startrial for a few staryears?

    What gives? Enquiring minds with no sense of reality want to know.

    J
  • Are you really user 129189 [slashdot.org]?

  • 2 Qs (Score:2)

    by Merk ( 25521 )

    As an amateur geek, does being interviewed by a rabid geek site like Slashdot -- a site that normally interviews people who rewrite kernel modules in brainf*ck [catseye.mb.ca] for fun -- scare you? Or is being a gen-u-wine celebrity and the actor formerly known as "the boy" insulation against such terror?

    And (sorry if this is in your FAQ but since your server is melting so I can't check) are there actors in Hollywood that are as geeky / more geeky than you that one would never suspect? Or are there actors who portray geeks that are confused by the number of switches on a hair-drier? In other words who do you talk code with and who do you poke fun at?

  • Relationship to gay issues (Score:5, Interesting)

    by tgeller ( 10260 ) on Monday October 15, 2001 @08:41PM (#2434282) Homepage
    Wil,

    Years ago, I heard some stories that said you were outspokenly antigay. The story went that you held gays in contempt for religious reasons, resented speculation about your own sexual interests, and endured friction with two allegedly gay actors on the ST:TNG set -- Brent Edwards and Michael Dorn. Note: I never saw substantiation for rumors about your attitude, religion, or the sexual orientation of any cast member. (I'm frankly not enough of a Trek fan to care. :) )

    Yet I see here [rumpus.org] that you said the following regarding homosexuals: "I'm sorry that I don't play ball with your team...but I always cheer for you when I'm in the stands."

    Could you clarify your feelings about homosexuality, past and present? Many thanks,

    --

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