Wil Wheaton on being forced into acting during 'Stand By Me'
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- Опубликовано: 1 сен 2022
- Wil Wheaton says he channeled emotional abuse from his parents to play Gordie in the 1996 film "Stand by Me." He tells Yahoo Entertainment's Kevin Polowy, "Important context is that I didn't want to be an actor when I was a kid. My parents forced me to do it. My mother made me do it. My mother coaxed me into going to her agency and tell the children's agent, 'I want to do what mommy does.' And through a combination of incredible emotional abuse from my father and a lot of manipulation, using me for my mother, put me in that place. Which, as it turns out, put me in exactly the right place to play Gordon because Gordy's experience very much reflected my experience."
He added, "When I watch 'Stand By Me' now, I cannot ignore the unbelievable sadness in my eyes and I cannot ignore the reality that it was that sadness, that isolation that I think gave me what Gordon needed to come to life."
This interview originally aired on Yahoo Entertainment on May 23, 2021: yhoo.it/3Rh4ErG
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I have never, ever gotten tired of watching Stand By Me. Every time I see it, it's like the first time. Fabulous film that has stood the test of time.
Rob Reiner’s string of seven directing successes from “This Is Spinal Tap” in 1984 and “Stand by Me,” and through “A Few Good Men” and “Misery” in the early 1990s have all stood that test of time. An underrated filmmaker perhaps because of his political activism?
@@DeeEllEff Who said he's underrated? I certainly didn't.
My God! Is there anyone around that had love, caring, and acceptance as a child? Good for you Will. I'm 73 and am still trying to heal.
I'm sure there are, but now social media is allowing those who would've kept their pain and trauma secret to actually speak their truth. Unfortunately, societies around the world have a lot of toxic views and expectations around parents, children, basically family in general.
This is why we're tough. The great baby boomers
Weaklings today
Waiting for mommy and daddy to leave a life
@@keithsullivan-lt4nk yeah real tough…..swallow your feelings and take it out on someone or something else
I did. My kids do. I'm sorry you suffered.
68... I like the fact that in the film he had some good friends. I can't count the number of houses, cities, and states that I lived in before I even turned twelve.
Jonathan Frakes said that he was stunned when he found out about Will's family. Will never let them know about it and that is just sad. I am glad that the lot was so great that he still declares that those guys are his family. You go Will.
His mother put so much concerted effort into blaming him for everything his dad did to him and gaslighting him about everything related to acting that it took Wil himself a long time to fully grasp things. As he says in the interview, he was 40 before he fully realized that Rob Reiner cast him as Geordie because he *was* Geordie: abused by his father, ignored by his mother, the unfavored younger child with the 'golden boy' older brother: everything in his life echoed Geordie, but young Wil couldn't see that through the brainwashing his mother put him through.
And what a great family TNG must be. They all seem so respectful and supportive of each other.
wil just wanted those SWEET victim bucks
HONOR THY PARENTS
Yes he Worked with Frakes on Star Trek TNG. Wil's first scene was on The Holodeck with Will Riker and Data, Data pulls Wesley outta the Drink.
Having read Wil's blog (way back before he lost it all in a crash), his books and his earliest social media, I don't find him a reliable historian. Even a historian of what he remembers now. I wish him peace and wellness.
Between him and Jennette McCurdy, it makes me think that out of all the child actors we've seen, you could probably count the ones that wanted to be there on less than one hand. 😞
I agree.
You think those are the only child actors out there that got treated like this? You should look up Jay North & learn what happened to him during Dennis the Menace.
@@mischiefmakerstudios9900 they clearly don't think that they're pointing out how common it is....
Why say “less than one hand”? Say “on one hand”, it means five or less and doesn’t conjure images of mutilated hands! 😄
@@mavfan1 😂
Hard to fathom the trauma that made those characters so real. Much respect to the cast and especially to Wil. Thanks for sharing the truth behind the curtain.
as a kid who came from an abusive home...i related to his character the most and always wondered how he could show the pain of kids like us so well,it is sad to find out,but uplifting to hear he came out the other side better
I knew that his sadness was too real,even though I was just a kid too. I knew it was something far beyond acting. But also,because I experienced that sadness in my life too
@@yttrxstein4192 of course your situation was worse than everyone you know……
@@yttrxstein4192 is it a contest?
@@yttrxstein4192 sounds like you’re saying daddy didn’t love you enough?
@@yttrxstein4192 anything else you’d like to share since your suffering is greater than others? Or would that be considered complaining?
Omg, River, still hurts, I grew up watching all four boys over the years. And the one day River died.
honestly i never thought River was a Genius as some say he is but he was a talented actor and it just doesn't feel like he's been dead for 30 years now
He was exactly my age, I was so devastated when he died.
The mother, Arlyn, farmed her kids out to support the family big time.
I just thought damn that kid is a brilliant actor because I could see the pain in his eyes... To know that it was real makes it even more heartbreaking. I remember reading the book then watching the movie and I thought wow, that kid nailed it. I always thought he should have gotten an Oscar for that role.
Wil Wheaton, I saw Jonathan Frakes sing your praises today, deep admiration for you. It was nice to hear that
That scene with River killed me and kills me every time. Too close to home for me.
I really related to that. When I was 8 years old my best friend became popular and turned into one of my bullies. We were children and I don't blame him for it now, but I still have a hard time trusting people.
I am so glad Will made it to the other side. Some of us never escape our families and their abuse. Poor River. What happened to him still makes me sick.😢😢😢
Corey Feldman, too. Those kids went through so much. :(
River is my all-time fav actor. I was so sad when he died.
It is so sad to hear what Wil went through. Thank heavens that he landed on Star Trek where the cast wrapped him in love and acceptance.
Its sad, but no unique.
my parent's never forced me or my brother to do anything they supported us either way I've seen TV interviews were parent's who are actors or Actresses and some say that is not who I want my kid to be but to force your kid into something they don't want and tell them too bad your becoming an actor sounds very NARSASISTIC
Best acting Wil has done, he was very natural in the movie. The Star Trek stuff was good, but he really stands out in this movie.
Wil Wheaton is a national treasure. His outspokenness about his abuse at the hands of his family and his advocacy on behalf of similarly situated people is an inspiration to all us. Wil is a thoroughly decent human being.
Except there are other actors he hasn't been exactly decent towards.
@@GjpgrD:???
Child actors aren’t the only children who suffer abuses from their parents.
@@One21JiggawattsYes, that’s true.
Here’s the thing though, he says he never wanted to be an actor, and he was forced into it. He’s now pushing 50 and has he had another career, did he go to uni and retrain in something he loved or did he coast by on his C-list celebrity status?
IT’s afforded him an above average lifestyle where he doesn’t have to bust his arse in a job he hates like most people in the world, so maybe he should be grateful on some level.
I know the feeling of being the scapegoat child very well. And yes for every scapegoat child there is always a golden child.
As a "golden child" I have to say that's also rough. To see my siblings abused and ridiculed was heartbreaking. Some sibs constantly chose poorly and became abusive themselves (one took it out on me, sexually) and others just hunkered down and endured. Very complex dysfunction in my 5-child family.
Anyway, I just wanted to say that it's ALL abuse; it's just different flavors.
Sometimes, an only child is forced into every role, except the golden child. As awful as it sounds, I have frequently wished I had never met either of my parents. We should test for narcissism early, and cull them from the population.
He surely doesn't sugarcoat it. I feel for him. we don't always know someone's past.
Sadly River Phoenix didn't have a friend like Chris Chambers when he needed one.
Yet his performance also gave me strength when I first saw "Stand By Me".
When I read all these stories about how you understand his life it makes me so sad. Also makes me more aware of how lucky I was in my childhood. My parents got divorced but they made peace enough for all of us. I hope all of you can heal.
I loved the movie and Wil’s performance in Stand By Me, primarily because it so echoed my growing up in that wandering the hills environment as a younger brother in the California Gold Country, complete with tourist steam trains that we used to hop on the sides to take us to a swimming hole. And also a film I bonded with my now partner of 37 years as a first visit to my haunts in Chico Ca as a college student. Brilliant performances and I’m glad that Wil has come to terms with his challenging upbringing.
I was just the age of those boys in 1958-59. Kids today know nothing about wandering out in the woods by themselves. Even carrying a gun, now-a-day never happen. Us boys used to go hunting by ourselves and sleep out like those boys did. Grab anything to eat, pork and beans, chips, whatever. Used to talk to the bums down by the river and railroad, tracks, not worried, some told good stories. Times were slow then, no internet, no cell phones, and most boys could have survived on their own, figured out something. Stand By Me is how it used to be back in the day, truly a classic.
'Nother Trumptard. I watched this in '87, same age as kids. My friend was a hunter and we had woods we played in.
That’s such a shame. My kid performed in school plays, and community theater, and everyone told me to get him an agent. I’d never put my kid, or me, through that.
Thank you, Will, for your emotional sacrifice 🙏🏻 ❤
This film is simply perfect. PERFECT! But it is the story that grabs the audience and keeps them glued to their seats.
I read the story The Body by Stephen King before seeing the film. Rarely does a film live up to the original book, but this one did.
it's said that Stephen King when he was first shown the film cried while watching it and he said the same thing
I agree! And the only other time I have felt the same way was with Silence of the Lambs!!
Also, The Shawshank Redemption which was another story from the same book as The Body. In the book Chris has the gun at the end of the story but in the movie it is Gordie. When Stephen King watched the movie he told Rob Reiner that was the perfect choice and he wished he had thought of it when writing the story. Two of my all time favorite movies.
One of my favorite movies of all time. Always a good rewatch.
Stand by me came out in 1986, I was 24, and felt so connected to this film. Whil Wheaton, I hope you heal from all fhe sadness and your life is peaceful and joy filled.
My grandmother passed away in the late 80s, but she loved this movie.
Grandma had excellent excellent taste💋
I just watched the film last night, and every time I do I am moved by the film. So very relatable and made remember my very own gang back in the day. The adventures they shared are parallel to mine as a child, 12 years of age. We parted ways when we went to highschool and never heard from them since then. It is true, you will never ever find friends similar to what you had when you were that age. Memories are cherished, always.
A lot of our parents didn't have any childhood because times were tough. I guess they did the best they could. I had it good and had it bad at the same time. Loved and taken care of but dysfunctional, my parents used verbal abuse as a control method. I still envy kids who had and still have a normal family life, happy, supportive, encouraging.
A normal family life is the exact (and **extreme**) opposite of happy, supportive and encouraging.
Totally changes that scene with River Phoenix
I was there when you guys were filming. We had to wait on the road when you were filming and some of the crew would talk to us and give us coffee while we were waiting. It was great
WoW! That's flippin awesome
Parents living through their kids without thinking of the toll on the children or their wishes
Wil was one of the cutest kids on television. I know a lot of people found his character on STTNG annoying but I thought he pulled off the awkwardness of the pressures placed on Wesley pretty well.
I recently discovered Eureka and loved to hate his character in that show too. I mean this man has talent. In spite of all this soul has endured he, brings his best to the game. Good on him.
What a lot of Wesley haters don't realize is that the character was _supposed_ to be annoying! If viewers hated Wesley for being annoying, that meant that the actor was doing a fine job! It's like Larry Hagman who played the despicable J.R. Ewing on "Dallas". My mom hated the man! I told her once, "Think back to when he was on "I Dream of Jeanie", we all loved him in that! You only hate him cause he's a good actor!" She smiled and said, "I don't care, I hate him anyway!" These things are not always rational. ;-]
Just remember that Westley was the character not Wheaton that actors. Some tend to lose perspective of that separation.
One issue, in your description you describe "Stand by Me" as the 1996 film. . . it's 1986.
Glad Wil spoke about this; parents need to realize there is a line between support and exploitation, this is not a "fine line". . . especially when you're telling someone "You will do this"
Right, but there is a very THICK like between wealth and poverty. Many people can never cross it; a few others - like Wheaton - never need to. He has no clue what "sacrifice" is. NONE!
@John Armenta uh dude. . . There's more struggles than economic. I am not well off, my folks were working class, but I never had to go to work to appease them.
You're acting like you think their acts are excusable. They are not. This isn't a story from the 19th century.
Your argument is actions and/or abuse is acceptable so long as the person having such thing inflicted on them makes money from such. Ew.
I am the same age as Wil, and I have watched this movie dozens of times (was one of a few VHS tapes we had). I identified with all for main characters in Stand by me in one way or another. They were like little bits of me in a movie. Been a fan of him ever since. And while I find it horrible that parents force kids into roles and careers, I am glad he is speaking about it. Putting a face and emotions to issues that effect people broaden the discussion and give people outlets to express the damages they endured.
There's a word for that. Its called tiger parenting and its usually affiliated with Asian families who want their kids to excel in school no matter what as well as study and choose the career path that their parents want. Not many Asian parents want their kids to become actors but they do want them to become doctors, lawyers, teachers, etc. Wil's story is an example of how tiger parenting is not limited only to Asian families.
Wil Wheaton -- what an actor! I raised cane until his movie, "Fish Don't Blink" got released on DVD. It is still difficult to get, but worth it. Get it and see him team up with a great cast including Leah Thompson in a fun movie we have watched over and over. But, more than anything, I wish I was Will Wheaton because he got to hug Gates McFadden... 😂
I hope all this opening up will be cathartic for him. He seems like an awesome fella!. Godspeed Will.
Wil you were also a critical member of Big Bang. You and Sheldon were a team. Wished you were on more episodes.
I think the closing scene of Stand By Me still stands out
Really interesting video, but it's so sad to hear that so many child actors we're taken advantage of and abused though
In Brazil this movie is such a hit!!! I love it!
Growing up with a dysfunctional family, divorce, alcoholism, and abuse, Stand by Me it me hard. I cry every time because I can relate to every character with the their sufferings and challengers.
I didnt really come from an abusive home,but my parents ignored me and my dad loved his step kids more...Thats how i related to Gordy...
All the best to you Wil. xx
Many children are abused by those who are supposed to love them & take care of them. I had one of those nightmare childhoods, it took a long time to be able to understand it, to have peace in my heart.
I left my parents home at a younger age than my 5 siblings. My siblings would leave then go back over & over. I left, never went back. As soon as I was able, I got my younger sister out.
I will be always grateful to the counselor who stuck with me for a year to get myself straightened out as much as possible. What she did was above & beyond.
Mon, Wed, Fri, 3 hours each of those 3 days for a year.
I didn't want to use medications as it seemed like Band-Aids on gaping wounds. I went the long, difficult pain filled route that has lasted longer than the effects of medication.
It's sad to hear about what Wil Wheaton went through. I was crushing on him for a long time! Although his pain is a very sad thing, at least he got paid $$$$ & a career out of it.
Most people just get the trauma & pain then they are cut loose, expected to just deal with it.
Awesome movie.
It rang all my bells .
Just wow. Brings tears. Its so amazing to see young talent, and yet we have to always wonder whats going on BTS. I'm so glad Wheaton survived and is helping others by being honest about his journey.
Did anyone realized that during Big Bang Theory, Wil was to afficiate the wedding while Jerry O'Connell played Sheldon's brother.
Which is funny because since Wil Wheaton exists in TBBT it also suggests that Jerry O'Connell exists as well. And since the person Sheldon is marrying is played by Mayim Bialik who also exists in that universe, Sheldon is like the nexus of alternate realities.
@@joncarroll2040 and in the Star Trek universe Picard and Shatner were in the Nexus!
He rose above those horrid parents of his. They missed out on knowing a fine, well respected, talented man.
I am guessing the relationship has never been repaired, don't know about any siblings
Will is a treasure. His parents are utterly foolish, petty, and broken.
I love this man, always did. Tabletop was my favorite thing he's done.
I LOVED, LOVED, LOVED this movie!! I think I am 3 years older than Wheaton. Just a few MONTHS older than Phoenix. I've also been reading about what seemed like the horrible parents Wil had and how great his TNG (Star Trek) family was to him. Yep. I've seen "Stand By Me" so many damn times I can quote long scenes of it from memory! I remember being so shocked and crushed when I heard that River Phoenix had died ("Kid brother of 'Eyeball' Chambers). I remember it like it was yesterday. That's how I am though. I had a horrific car accident that affected my short-term memory many years ago but my long-term memory has ALWAYS been very good. I was working at a video store at the time. I hadn't been there that long. I started working there On 10/3/93 so it wasn't long before River's death. I came into work. I think it was a Sunday. It was Halloween. I don't remember who told me he had died but that is when I heard he had died. Of course it was several months later we heard that he had OD'ed. They called it a "speedball" or something like that. Was that what it was called? I am also going totally from memory on that part of it too and not looking it up.....
My favorite movie of all time!
It was an amazing preformens. Rewatched it a few days ago and seeing this kind of makes it sad. The movie changed my whole look on friendship.
wow.. the casting is amazing..
This was a sweet movie. Remember when it came out and went to the movie theatre.
God this is sad. He is so great on screen, film and TV.
Weird how his old blogs from the 2000s say pretty much the opposite.
I love Wil! So do the thousands of "family members" he has at Gen Con.
This video was posted 6 months ago, but the re-release of Stand By Me was last May. That sucks!!
I love that we know Wil, and I hate how. I'm so glad he had the grown cast members of TNG for those four years and now he has the ultimate family of choice, Anne and his adopted sons Ryan and Nolan (even if I suspect that their names, whether from Anne or their birth father, are like me naming hypothetical children Jack and Ryan). How many people hear from their stepsons when they turn 18 "You know, I'd rather YOU be my dad, would you please adopt me"? And most of all I'm glad that Wil and Jerry are still friends, and they can even bust each other's balls over whose part in Star Trek is better (we all know the real winner is Jerry...'s wife).
I have great respect for Will Wheaton, I didn't know WOW.
Gordy grown up doesn't look like Richard Dreyfuss at all.
LOL :)
Wil May Have Been Forced to Act in "Stand By Me"...But By Doing That Film, He's Acquired So Many "80's Kid" "Fans" that Will "Stand By Wil" For TheRest of Their Lives!
Hearing that anecdote about River coming up with that motivation gives me the shivers, because when he was a kid, his parents were in the Children of God cult. So I'm pretty sure I know what kind of memory he came up with. 😪
will was a great actor.. I wish he would look for roles now cause i would love to see him act again, and he is doing a great job with star trek interviews after the episodes.
one of my fave underrated actors Dean Stockwell ( quantum leap, Married to the mob ) had similar story of not really having a choice in acting it was either go " hungry " or be an actor at 6 yrs old .
This is exactly why I did not push my beautiful, precocious daughter into acting as a child. Everyone was saying she would be a natural, but I just kept hearing horror stories about abuse and looking at the treatment of such actors as Judy Garland, Shirley Temple, Drew Barrymore the “Two Coreys” the little girl in Poltergeist and even that poor kid who played Buffy in Family Affair( who both committed suicide), I just loved my child too much to put her at such risk!
I sure do miss River. Funny that Corey was a Pita even back then.
These people who use and exploit children for their own fame, glory and money will pay a severe price.
Really unfortunate. I always thought he was a great kid actor. Sad that he didnt even want to be there.
There is so much pain in the lives of boys, but all we do is focus on girls and how bad they have it. Hurt boys grow up to be angry men who hurt others.
5:18...
I'd Like to Have One of Those MoviePosters!
I'm so sorry you were forced to do that! That was not right at all. I'm sorry to say I didn't see the movie. I didn't see a lot of movies in the 80s as I was going through my own stuff. I hope you were able to make peace with your feelings about this. I did watch Star Trek, though, and you were great in that. I also saw you in Big Bang. It was great you got to play yourself! That must have been interesting! Take care.
Will is awesome ❤
Wil's mom is going off in the comments
Jesus he has a good memory
most of us that survived intense abuse in childhood have not only that kind of memory, but have an unnaturally good level of attention or awareness.
The axe forgets, the tree remembers.
@michaelmacdonell4834 So true! This is something I know. Some experience hypervigilance to the point of paranoia. Mine's not that bad, but many people have commented on my ability to recall details and to recount events.
when I was a kid, the part where they find the body scared the absolute piss out of me and I had nightmares for a week.
Most movies don't get released even if they're finished?
The large number of victim-blaming comments on this video shows that many people hold tight to their denial and/or ignorance about narcissistic families and the abuse patterns within them. Abuse is enabled and normalized when we fail to hold abusers accountable, and instead, blame those who speak out about being abused for being "whiners." I hope one day more people will come out of their denial about abuse and the complex trauma it causes.
Think about the millions upon millions of us who didn't become actors or make movies or become celebrities, and we're out here still in our 60s and our '70s, still hurting. Thanks so much to "Whill" Wheaton for bringing the baby boomer abuse, neglect and abandonment issues to the forefront.
Will is Gen X, abused by Boomers. The tale takes place during a Boomers childhood, but all the actors are the sons of that gen.
*For someone forced to act he sure has a lot of credits on IMDB!!*
I think at some point he decided to do it for himself, and or it was just easier to do it instead of fight his parents. Kinda if I ruin my career how much worse will they treat me if I'm their golden goose and they emotionally and mentally and financially rape me now.
I’m sure it’s complicated.
He has given some interviews about it. He was basically supporting his family. His parents spent 85% of the money he earned and gave him only the 15% they were required by law to save. His mom was a failed actress/model who apparently was determined to make Wil famous and dragged him to auditions several days each week. She would continually guilt him into working by telling him he was letting his family down. In a recent interview, he stated that he has not had any contact with his parents in several years.
You also see this in the Sports "Prodigies", who's parents have been pressuring them since they were 2-3 years old.... They have hundreds of trophies; it doesn't mean coercion wasn't present.
@@jfess1911 to bad hes an admitted homophobe , how bout that, a woke bigot
Wil Wheaton and River Phoenix gave some amazing performances in this film.
thank you . ( 2023 / July / 24 )
Why is he still acting he can quit any time.
He's not. He makes his living now as a podcaster and voice actor, being the reader of choice for John Scalzi's audiobooks.
Great movie. Still love Will's line in TBBT at the Star Wars premiere episode, "live long and suck it!".
TBBT?
@@TheGamersGrotto
The Big Bang Theory. My daughter and I always call him “the evil Wil Wheaton” because he’s so mean on TBBT.
2:35 - what was bleeped? I have my suspicions, but I don't know what Will is referring to. What happened to River?
I only know him from SNG ( and his hilarious reprise in the big bang theory)
I wonder if they are thinking about maybe making a series based on the adventures of Lesley Crusher in the multiverse it would be like a more realistic DR WHO.
The character Wil plays on STNG is Wesley Crusher not Lesley.
88 minutes of perfection
I would have loved to hear Will's take on 'The Body' and Stephen King's writing in general.
I read the book of short stories that contained what became Stand By Me when King wrote it. I thought the movie was perfect. Although it was supposed to be the 1960's and everything about it was 1950's. I was in high school in the 1950's. Anyone who hasn't seen it, should take this
opportunity to do so. The casting was perfect. And you have a chance to see River who was exeptional.
Just for perspective; I just watched a homeless veteran on disability, with a laundry list of chronic ailments along with a stage 3 melanoma, on $230 a month. Have we really got problems?
Stand By Me was 1986, not 1996 like the description says
it was filmed in 1986
So, the irony is that his mother forced him to do something he ended up loving.
Emotionally functional families are rare in America because of the social priority on material wealth=happiness. We've been & r being programmed this way.
I love Will Wheaton
Did autocorrect cause you to get his name wrong then?
The oxymoron here is:
Without his child acting in Stand By Me and Star Trek, Wheaton wouldn't even be doing this interview, to let us know that River and Jerry were amazing child actors.
Nah. He's always had the chops.
@@tracylf5409 no, no he hasnt, see his horrible acting in picard season 2 episode 8 or 9, plus hes gone so woke that his mind virus has screwed him with acting, he cant do a single scene without a huge grin on his face
@@mainsource8030 To each, their own. There are these things known as writers & directors that have a bit to do with outcomes....🙄
@tracylf5409 you develop "Chops".
@@mainsource8030Without looking anything up - completely off the top of your head - define the word "woke" & explain its origins. If you can't do that properly, you shouldn't be using the word.
love this movie...because it is my life. each 1 of the caricters had a part of my childhood. abusive alcoholic parents. 1 of 7 children, the cowponds, traintracks, camping. life in the trailer park
How are you doing nowadays?
@@migalorsdarwin1930 most excellent. This is America
You can have what ever YOU want and willingness to WORK for