Posted in: Paramount+, Star Trek, TV | Tagged: Star Trek: The Next Generation, wil wheaton

Star Trek Star Wil Wheaton Discusses Being Embraced by His TNG Family

Wil Wheaton on embracing his Star Trek: TNG co-stars not only as lifelong friends, but also as a loving family he never had growing up.

Wil Wheaton is content where he's at in Hollywood, which wasn't always the case when he was a child star coming up in the industry. From his debut in the TV Movie A Long Way Home, his breakout role in Stand by Me (1986), to his biggest signature role on Star Trek: The Next Generation, his path was a difficult one. As Wheaton expanded his talents with voiceover roles across animation and audiobooks, hosting, and the occasional live-action role, he will always be embraced by his Star Trek family. The actor, who reprised his role as Wesley Crusher for the TNG sequel series in a season two cameo on Picard and the animated Prodigy, appeared on Inside of You to discuss how his TNG castmates fulfilled the nurturing void, missing from his parents.

Star Trek: The Next Generation Star Wil Wheaton on Parental Moments with LeVar Burton and Jonathan Frakes

Wheaton told host Michael Rosenbaum on his impulse to share his achievements to his parents, despite being estranged, "There were moments where I wanted to call them to tell them about things," he said noting he still wanted to tell them about his 2022 memoir Still Just a Geek and his speculative fiction podcast Storytime With Wil Wheaton. "That is a supernatural impulse. Everyone has parents. Every child has a mom and a dad. And you want to share that with them. And I've just accepted that when I have that impulse, I text my 'Star Trek' family."

The actor revealed prior to Storytime's premiere that he shared the news with all his castmates: Patrick Stewart, Jonathan Frakes, LeVar Burton, Gates McFadden, Michael Dorn, Marina Sirtis, and Brent Spiner. He recalled his interaction with Burton. "Before we announced, I texted LeVar, because this doesn't exist without him," he said of the podcast. "I texted him and I said, 'I just want you to know that we're announcing today, and I'm excited and kind of nervous. But this wouldn't exist without you. This wouldn't exist if you hadn't believed in me, if you hadn't said, 'I want you to do this.' This wouldn't exist if you hadn't said, 'How can I help?'"

Wheaton then said Burton unexpectedly called him to tell him how proud of him he was. "Twice in my life, I have felt what I imagine it is like when your parents love you and approve of you," he said. "Once was when Frakes was on [my Star Trek aftershow] 'Ready Room' and he told me how proud of me he was, and how much he loved the show, and just, I don't know. He was curious about me and about what I did and how I did it. And then last night, I felt that way from LeVar."

The actor reprised his role as Wesley Crusher at the end of the second season of Picard to recruit Kore Soong (Isa Briones), who didn't know what to do with her life after upending her estranged father Adam Soong's (Spiner) cloning operation. Wesley presented an opportunity for her to become a traveler like him, and she accepted. For Prodigy, Wesley helped the young crew of the U.S.S. Protostar, trying to stop a new temporal threat called The Loom, which threatens the entire galaxy and is eating things out of existence. By the end of season two, we see mother and son reunited as McFadden reprised her role as Beverly Crusher. While it was only animated, we discover Wesley meets his younger brother, Jack, an infant in the Dan and Kevin Hageman animated series, and as an adult, played by Ed Speleers in the third and final season of Picard. For more, including Wheaton's Hollywood cautionary tale, you can check out the full interview in the video.

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