As long as I can remember, I've been acting, even though I started when I was 7.
Isn't that weird? I have hardly any memories from before, and the ones that I do have are not good ones.
Until recently, when I wasn't working as an actor, I felt like a complete loser. I felt like a failure, and would easily become depressed, and defeatist. Always coming in second place in a winner takes all poker game sucks, you know?
The thing about is, I had all this success as a child, and I've always felt like I needed to get out of the shadow of my childhood success, you know? If I could just create my own light, now, it would make the shadow fall the other way, and I could be happy. Since I hadn't equaled, or exceeded the success of Stand By Me (mostly) or TNG (not as much), I felt like my life was wasted, and I was only 27.
I figured out, when I was 28, I guess, that this was not the way to live. I couldn't let myself be defined by past successes or current (perceived) failures. I needed to find something about myself that I do well, that makes me happy and fulfills me.
So I started taking improv training, which led to sketch comedy training, which led to me feeling confident enough in making people laugh, which led me to writing more and more stuff, which led to me making a stupid website, which led me here.
One of the hidden benefits of the comedy training, was meeting a guy who has become one of my best friends, Travis. Travis and I are really kindred spirits. We were both child stars, we both have experienced the insane highs and horrible lows of celebrity, and we're both total computer gaming geeks.
Back in November, things looked really bleak for me and my family. I hadn't worked in any real capacity for quite some time, and our money was running out. My pride prevented me from switching careers from actor to professional autograph show guy, so we were looking at selling our house, along with just about everything that we didn't really need.
Then Travis told me about this company, G4. It was a new TV network, all about video and computer games; the people who make them, and the people who play them.
One of the shows was looking for a host/writer, and it seemed right up my alley. So I asked him to get me an interview, which he did.
Fast forward a few months, and I am very happily employed as a writer/host at G4, paying off all my bills, and loving the people I'm working with. I've been told that the feeling at G4 is like the feeling they had in the early days of MTV (before it was eMpTyVee, I guess).
That's a ton of history, which gets me to the purpose of this post: Tonight, I stayed late at work, to play Day of Defeat on the LAN with the guys who are on my show. There were about 8 of us, and we played 4 on 4 games for 2 hours.
It was awesome. The fun we had, talking trash, working as a team, and just hanging out...it was very different from working on a movie. When you work on a movie, you're so fucking burned out at the end of the day, you just want to go home. The idea of sticking around someplace to hang out is laughable.
The last couple of years have been really hard for me and my wife. Work hasn't been what we'd like it to be, and we've had lots of stress from her ex-husband, who seems to delight in making our lives a living hell, but things are getting much, much better, and sitting at my computer tonight, chasing Shamu though the apartments of this DoD map, to even up the score, and cheering along my producer when we finally won a game, gave me pause to stop for a second, and think about how good things have gotten, and how they're only going to get better.
This is a far, far cry from the crippling depression I felt about 3 years ago. Yes, that type of depression.
It's weird to me...if I hadn't been so down 2 years ago, I wouldn't have gone to ComicCon, and I wouldn't have met Ben...and I wouldn't have gone back, and seen Ben and Loren and Angele...and none of this would ever have happened.
Really makes me think about that saying, "Things happen for a reason."
neilbert said at 3:59 AM 03-19-2002: Well, Wil, look on the bright side. You got to kiss Ashley Judd (her first onscreen kiss, I think). You got to be in one of the most successful (and popular) t.v. shows of all time, and you got to be in a Steven King movie (a good Steven King movie at that), among other things. However, when the mortgage company is calling and you need to feed your family, it's hard to dig up any good memories to pay the bills with. You ain't got it that bad. Just look at Lou Ferigno. When I saw him a Comic-Con, he was playing the part of a circus monkey for a comic-book dealer, whilst trying to pawn off his autographs for $20 bucks a pop. A buddy of mine ran into Lou Ferigno in an elevator once, and asked for an autograph. Lou Ferigno told my buddy that it would cost $10 bucks. Needless to say, my buddy told the incredible hulk to go to hell, which was probably better than any autograph he could have gotten.
caleb said at 8:10 AM 03-19-2002: having a job that you actually enjoy, and working w/people you actually enjoy being w/in your down time is truly hard to find. it's also great when you can. as stressful as my job is at times, i'm thankful that i've gotten to see some of the coolest stuff and meet some of the coolest people around.
glad to hear everything's on the up-swing. hope it continues...
Rob [ url ] said at 8:58 AM 03-19-2002: I don't really consider myself superstitious or whatnot, but I am in total agreement with this. I went down a long twisted path to get where I am now. I don't particularly think I'm in a perfect place, but I do definately think that this is how things are "supposed to be" for me.
Another philosophy that has come out of my experiences is that some things are meant to happen, and some aren't. I mean, you've probably seen how when you are working toward some particular goal, either everything goes right or everything goes wrong. Now if I see everything going wrong, I just quit. This has probably led to me giving up too soon in some cases, but its damn well better than seeing what disaster is waiting at the end.
josh [email] said at 9:07 AM 03-19-2002: I'm glad things are picking up for you, Wil. The G4 thing sounds pretty perfect for you, really. Sorta nerdy, lots of fun... Sounds pretty awesome.
Woody said at 12:34 PM 03-19-2002: Wil, have you ever considered a porn career? There are lots of appropriate TNG FanScripts out there... Set phasers on Shag!
Andy said at 1:41 PM 03-19-2002: I think you should be on that fox celebrity boxing show. I'm not sure who I would like to see you fight. Maybe the evil Wil Weaton.
Courtney [ url ] said at 3:09 PM 03-19-2002: More power to you, Wil. You've accomplished a lot and have a lot ahead of you.
I've dabbled in improv, and I love it. Although my position has never been on stage/in front of the camera, it was required for me to experience it all in film school. I loved it, and can imagine just how satisfying it can be for someone who's done the work you've done. And now you are professional geek. What more could you ask for? You're doing things you love.
You also have a rockin' family. I, too, have stepkids (well, close enough, we've all lived together for close to 5 years now), and I do sympathize with the whole ex thing. MAN, do I ever. It's the toughest job any of us will ever have... being a parent.
angele said at 3:43 PM 03-19-2002: Wil, I'm so glad that we got to meet you last summer in San Diego. I have truly adored standing by and watching what has happened since then. It's clear from what I've read that you've got an ideal perspective on life. You are humble enough to apreciate what you've got, insightful enough to see through difficult times, and silly enough to have fun and enjoy yourself. Ben said to me last night when I was half asleep, "You know what's weird about Wil Wheaton? He's a good guy." I have to agree you big weirdo.
emily [email] said at 6:08 PM 03-19-2002: Just when you think you have it bad, you should watch the IT factor on Bravo...Now those saps have some problems.
angele [email] said at 9:10 PM 03-19-2002: My friend, Rini, is out there doing the actor thing in LA. The stories she tells me about auditions and managers and agents are all insanity. Her self-esteem gets plundered on a daily basis by these people who say things like, "Your acne problem shows that you're not serious about acting."
xmx said at 9:27 PM 03-19-2002: rini was in bring it on, which makes her one of the absolutely coolest people ever. and she was in ghost world. and now i am a stalker.
zack [email] said at 9:29 PM 03-19-2002: Bring It On and Ghost World were both totally radical for different reasons. Who was she? Did she have lines in either?
angele [email] said at 9:46 PM 03-19-2002: In Bring it On she played Casey of the Toro squad. She was the awkward, dorky one who popped zits and had weak ankles. She's easier to point out. If you go to www.bringitonmovie.com, she's the one behind Kirsten Dunst to the right. In Ghost World, she played the paraplegic graduation speaker who Enid and Rebecca make fun of.
angele [email] said at 9:51 PM 03-19-2002: I'm happy that I have created a tiny fan base for my best friend through you, Meredith. Just don't go reading Catcher in the Rye and get any lunatic ideas.
xmx said at 10:47 PM 03-19-2002: i was addicted to bring it on well before we met, little miss angele. golly, i remember it came up that first night at tryst, and you said "my best friend is in that movie!" and i thought, now, this is a cool girl. and a cute girl, who i must bed. you later proved yourself to be cool for a multitude of other reasons, but don't think you can resist my advances forever...
Courtney [ url ] said at 2:35 PM 03-20-2002: It seems like most movies aren't as good as the book. Do you speak of the movie book, or the entire series?
zack [email] said at 3:30 PM 03-21-2002: Although there are elements of the rest of Eightball that made it into the Ghost World movie (like the guy in the wheelchair that gets the free coffee), I was thinking more of the actual Ghost World book as a stand alone graphic novel in relation to the movie adaptation. I didn't expect it to be as good as the book, but I wasn't disappointed with the movie, either. Imagine a proper "Eightball" movie! It would be longer and more bizarre than a russian sci fi movie!
(On the other side of life, I'm also looking forward to the Spider-Man movie by Sam Rami. It looks awesome..)
Bendependent [email] said at 6:30 PM 03-20-2002: Ghost World was bad. Rini's part made me fall out of my chair laughing though. It was an odd thing to watch Bring It On with Rini sitting right next to me. I was hoping someone would recognize her once we were in the lobby, but noone made it obvious if they did. I feel bad for actors in Hollywood. It seems like such a pain in the ass. I guess it's worth it in the end, but I don't think I could take having an agent challenge my professionalism over things like gaining or losing a few pounds or forgetting to eat my garlic pills. If I had to compare it to something that I've ever been through, I'd compare it to Angele's debut into traditional New Orleans Society as a debutante. I'm guessing that wasn't much different. Everyone was supposed to act and dress a certain way. Only certain things seemed acceptable as fitting conversation, and really it seemed like it was just an expensive meat market to hook up rich families. It was very odd, but I'm kind of glad I got to do some it. A lot of it was pretty neat, but for the most part it seemed really excessive. Angele can tell you her version of it. I really do like the whole tradition and history of Mardi Gras and I understand importance of prominent New Orleans families in it, but it was just so scripted and pretentious. I'd like to read a book about the original Mardi Gras parties and debutante balls if I can find one.
Anyway though, that's about how I picture an acting career to be, and that scares the hell out of me. I'm sure that Hollywood has a lot of good people like you, Wil, too though. I'm happy to see you back in the game and I hope you keep it up. I'll help you out however I can if you need me. Hopefully we'll work on a project together one day.
ComicCon is almost always an eye opening experience. The first year I went was the summer of '98 with Brad. That was the summer I quit school and left town with the student loan and moved to Santa Cruz with Brad, Joanna, and Cricket. We have snuck in to ComicCon with "press passes" for the last 3 years. I feel like I've come a long way since then. I'm just starting to slowly figure out where I'd like to go from here though. After the first year, I promised myself that I would try to come back to it every year no matter where I was. It helps to have a constant event scheduled in your year (one that is not a holiday or birthday) that is a checkpoint in how far you've come in your own work in one year. ComicCon is a perfect one for me because even if I feel like I've been pushing myself to the limit all year (which I can't really say I have), just about everyone there makes me feel like the laziest most useless person in the world. It's amazing what a lot of those guys accomplish in a year. It's usually an ass kicker for the next 3 weeks or so afterward and I kick into overdrive. It's also neat because there are so many premieres of things that eventually become hot shit to everyone else during the year. I don't know. It's just a really neat thing. I need to start getting a table at it. I think Zack is splitting one with someone this summer. I need to get in on a deal like that. It seems like the people that have the most people behind their tables are always the ones having the most fun (like the Fantagraphics table and the Giant Robot table). It seems a lot different from the kind of table that Wil had cos in his case people juse come up to him constantly and ask him the same questions over and over, or even worse, get all mad at him for they're inability to distinguish the difference between an actor and a character. Can you imagine? It seems like you'd end up having to just smile your face off and nod a whole lot all weekend long. I can't imagine getting asked the same questions over and over for YEARS. It would drive me mad. I don't really like talking to people that much. It's fun when the crew is there though like we had at the Baltimore ComicCon. I'm planning on going again this summer. Hopefully I'll have some new stuff to pass around. I felt horrible last year no having anything new to give to people. It's not like I was lazy all year either. It's just that I didn't have anything made into concrete objects.
Anyway, enough about that. I would also like to say though that I like posts like this one a lot. Killoggs is fun for all the shit talking and for keeping current on whatnots, but posts like this one are definitely what I like the best about killoggs. We're going on 2 years soon. Isn't that weird? When is killoggs birthday again? It's kind of funny to think that I was teaching myself Flash in my mom's basement two years ago when we started doing this site. It doesn't seem like that long ago. I also think it's funny that 2 years later me and Josh live together in a house in DC of all places and we both currently work jobs that are almost identical to work we do on killoggs, only instead of making features work for this site Josh is making features work for a college's site and instead of drawing heads I'm drawing little heart people. The only difference is that we're gettiing paid for it now. That freaks me out. Who would have guessed it? There's no telling what I'll be doing 2 years from now, but I'll know that this will be here in case I want to check up on myself. There's something really neat about that. That's one of the biggest things that I think sets our generation apart from previous generations. It's so much easier to keep things in perspective. I think that's just about the most important thing you can do if you want to accomplish the things you dream of. Other than that though, I prefer to just do things at the naturally happen.
