Why did Wil Weaton leave the show?

Discussion in 'Star Trek: The Next Generation' started by ToddKent, Mar 29, 2009.

  1. ToddKent

    ToddKent Captain Captain

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    Sorry if this has been covered before but I was wondering about this the other day.

    Did the actor just decide to move on or did the producers decide to write the character out of the show? Anybody know?
     
  2. Eddie Roth

    Eddie Roth Commodore Commodore

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    If memory serves, he wanted to leave because he could not free up enough time to make movies while feeling that he was underutilized on the show. A good decision, IMO. The writers had really toned down Wesley's prominence starting in Season 3, probably because he had proven unpopular. With a reduced cast of seven, I felt the remaining characters got more attention later on... and Wesley's appearances after his departure were altogether his best (The First Duty, Parallels, Journey's End).
     
  3. miraclefan

    miraclefan Commodore Commodore

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    ^I always thought (no joke) He left ''because'' he had too much screen time!
     
  4. Eddie Roth

    Eddie Roth Commodore Commodore

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    I have never heard of an actor leaving a show because he had too MUCH to do.
     
  5. MrPointy

    MrPointy Captain Captain

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    Hwil Hwheaton left because no one wanted to write for him.
     
  6. SomniumRabidum

    SomniumRabidum Lieutenant Commander Red Shirt

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    Why are you saying it like that?!

    Say Wheat.....

    Now say Wil Wheaton.....



    Seriously though, his character annoyed the crap out of me... the less Wesley Crusher the better imo. Apparently Wheaton couldn't stand Crusher either.
     
  7. Tomalak

    Tomalak Vice Admiral Admiral

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    It must have been terrible for him banking all those cheques. My heart bleeds for him!
     
  8. ToddKent

    ToddKent Captain Captain

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    I think a few actors said they left the show ER because of something like this. But I kind of agree with Tomalak...it just seems like a bad idea to leave a hit show, especially when you are featured prominently. But who knows?
     
  9. Ro_Laren

    Ro_Laren Commodore Commodore

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    I always thought that Hwil Hwheaton left because of the quality of his lines and not the quantity...
     
  10. Trekker4747

    Trekker4747 Boldly going... Premium Member

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    From Wheaton's blog:

    LINK

    So it boils down to: He left because Berman was -surprise, surprise- a dick head.
     
  11. miraclefan

    miraclefan Commodore Commodore

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    ^Well then that's understandable, Berman was & still is a DICK-HEAD! :D
     
  12. Yoda

    Yoda Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

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    Wheat.
    Hwil Hwheaton....

    And that's the story of how Wil Wheaton became a huge movie star.

    Oh wait.
     
  13. Cyke101

    Cyke101 Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

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    He may not have become a star, but it seems to be consistent with a few things we've heard behind the scenes in regards to Roddenberry. The main cast were still allowed to take part in other productions, some could take episodes off to focus on other projects when Roddenberry ran things, but Wheaton isn't the first to say that Berman restricted them from working on non-Trek gigs.
     
  14. Yoda

    Yoda Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

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    Oh, I agree, and I'm sure Rick Berman was a complete cock. I think Wheaton is just a little delusional on where his career was going to go though, and probably would've been better served cashing those Trek paychecks till the bitter end.

    I actually like Wil Wheaton, he's smart and seems genuinely nice. If he wants more acting jobs he should wait till Shia LeBouf needs someone to play him 20 years in the future :)
     
  15. Cyke101

    Cyke101 Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

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    Ick, the only thing worse than Wesley Crusher is Shia LeBouf as Wesley Crusher :)

    But let's say Wheaton did decide to stay and didn't leave on his own accord. How viable and believable would it have been for Starfleet Academy to keep rejecting his application (despite his wunderkind genius status) or for the Enterprise to keep missing the transport rendez-vous, all as an attempt to keep him on board? For that matter, even if Wesley decided not to enroll/enlist and stay on the Enterprise, how much more further could his character go? Wesley probably would've been written out of the show eventually with the occasional recurring character gig.
     
  16. M'rk son of Mogh

    M'rk son of Mogh Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

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    Didn't Colm Meaney say the opposite of Berman? That every year he was able to take time out of his schedule on DS9 to work on films with almost no problems at all?
     
  17. Lateralus

    Lateralus Commander Red Shirt

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    Colm Meaney is different. He was a back-burner character in TNG if ever there was such a thing.
     
  18. Aquehonga

    Aquehonga Fleet Captain

    Wes could've turned up on DS9, V'GER, even Beckett's NX-01, due to The Traveler.

    But, who knows why Will Wheaton left:confused:

    I haven't seen Cirroc Lofton in anything recently either.

    My prior reply on this vanished into fat air:wtf::brickwall:
     
  19. J47

    J47 Commander Red Shirt

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    I do recall him saying that, although I don't remember it being attributed to Berman. DS9 was a different beast though. Firstly, the day-to-day runnings of the show were handled by Ira Steven Behr, not RB; secondly, as Colm was already established in the Trek arena, it's possible he may have been able to swing a contract that allowed him to do so.
     
  20. Cyke101

    Cyke101 Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

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    Scroll up.