Wil Wheaton facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Wil Wheaton
Wheaton at the 2024 GalaxyCon Raleigh
Born	Richard William Wheaton III (1972-07-29) July 29, 1972 (age 52) Burbank, California
Occupation	Actor writer television personality blogger narrator
Years active	1980–present
Spouse(s)	Anne Prince ​ (m. 1999)​
Children	2

Richard William "Wil" Wheaton III (born July 29, 1972) is an American actor and writer. He is well-known for playing Wesley Crusher in the TV series Star Trek: The Next Generation. He also starred as Gordie Lachance in the movie Stand by Me.

Wil Wheaton has lent his voice to many cartoon characters, like Aqualad in Teen Titans. He also played a funny, fictional version of himself on the sitcom The Big Bang Theory. Besides acting, he hosted the popular YouTube board game show TableTop. He has also narrated many audiobooks, including Ready Player One and The Martian.

Early life and family

Wil Wheaton was born on July 29, 1972, in Burbank, California. His mother, Debra Nordean, was an actress, and his father, Richard William Wheaton Jr., was a medical specialist. Wil has a brother, Jeremy, and a sister, Amy. Amy even appeared with Wil in the 1987 movie The Curse.

Acting career highlights

Starting out and Stand by Me

Wil Wheaton began his acting journey in 1981 in the TV movie A Long Way Home. He also voiced the character Martin in the animated film The Secret of NIMH in 1982.

He became widely known for his role in the 1986 movie Stand by Me. In this film, based on a story by Stephen King, Wil played Gordie Lachance. Gordie is a 12-year-old who tells stories and is dealing with the loss of his older brother. Critics praised his performance, saying he made Gordie's feelings very real. Stand by Me was a hit and is now seen as a classic coming-of-age movie.

His time on Star Trek

Wheaton with TNG co-star Gates McFadden (who played his mother on the show) in January 2019

From 1987 to 1994, Wil Wheaton played Wesley Crusher on Star Trek: The Next Generation. Wesley was a smart young "boy genius" who hoped to join Starfleet. Wil was a main character for the first four seasons and appeared in a few more episodes later.

Some Star Trek fans really liked Wesley Crusher, while others did not. Wil has said that the people who were very critical were a small group. He found that many more fans enjoyed his character and his acting. Wil left the show because of a scheduling problem with another movie he wanted to make.

He returned to Star Trek for short appearances in 2002, 2022, and 2024. He played Wesley Crusher again in the movie Star Trek: Nemesis and in the TV show Star Trek: Picard. He also voiced Wesley in the animated show Star Trek: Prodigy.

After Star Trek

Wheaton in 2001

After leaving Star Trek, Wil Wheaton starred in the action movie Toy Soldiers (1991). He also worked in technology for a while, helping to develop a product called the Video Toaster 4000.

He later returned to acting, studying for five years. In the late 1990s and early 2000s, he appeared in independent films. He won an award for Best Actor at the Melbourne Underground Film Festival for his role in Jane White Is Sick & Twisted (2002).

Wil Wheaton also became a regular guest star on The Big Bang Theory. He played a funny, fictional version of himself on the show. In June 2024, he announced that he was no longer acting in on-screen roles.

Voice acting roles

Wheaton at Q&A Panel Galaxy Con Richmond 2020

Wil Wheaton is very well-known for his voice acting. He voiced Martin Brisby in The Secret of NIMH in 1981. He has also voiced characters in video games, like the villain John Juniper in I Expect You to Die 2: The Spy and the Liar.

TV and web shows

Wheaton at W00tstock 2.4 in San Diego, July 2010

Wil Wheaton had a recurring role in 12 episodes of the TV show Eureka. He played Dr. Isaac Parrish, a character who often bothered another character named Fargo. He also voices Earl Harlan in the popular podcast Welcome to Night Vale.

Other professional work

Hosting shows

Wil Wheaton has hosted several shows. From 2006 to 2007, he hosted a video podcast called InDigital. He also hosted a NASA video about the Mars Curiosity rover in 2012.

In 2014, his own show, The Wil Wheaton Project, started on the SyFy network. However, it was canceled after one season. Since 2020, he has hosted The Ready Room, a show where he discusses Star Trek episodes.

Games and gaming

Wheaton at the 2013 Wizard World New York Experience in Manhattan

Wil Wheaton is a big fan of Dungeons & Dragons. He has played the game live in front of audiences at events like PAX. He also starred in the video game There Came an Echo. In the game Dungeons and Dragons Online, he became the dungeon master for some quests.

He voiced Abraham Lincoln in the Nintendo game Code Name: STEAM. He also narrates the companion app for the social game Secret Hitler. Wil Wheaton has spoken out against unfair treatment of women in video game culture.

Writing

Wil Wheaton is an author. He wrote the books Dancing Barefoot (2004) and Just a Geek (2004). He later released a new version of Just a Geek called Still Just a Geek in 2022.

He also has his own blog called Wil Wheaton Dot Net.

Wil Wheaton (left) meets Tim O'Reilly at the 2003 booksigning of Dancing Barefoot at Powell's in Portland, Oregon.

In 2017, he wrote a short story called "Laina" for the Star Wars book From a Certain Point of View. This book had 40 short stories to celebrate 40 years of Star Wars.

Audiobook narrations

Wil Wheaton has narrated many audiobooks, including his own. He has been nominated for the prestigious Audie Award several times and has won an Earphones Award. Some of the books he has narrated include Ready Player One and The Martian.

Personal life

Wil Wheaton married Anne Prince on November 7, 1999. They live in Arcadia, California. Anne has two sons from a previous relationship, and both sons later asked Wil to legally adopt them, which he did.

Wil Wheaton has been open about supporting mental health awareness. In 2022, he competed on Celebrity Jeopardy! and played for the National Women's Law Center. He made it to the finals and won $100,000 for his chosen charity.

Political involvement

Wil Wheaton has shown his support for political candidates. He campaigned for Hillary Clinton in the 2016 election. In September 2024, he joined other actors from Star Trek on a livestream to support Vice President Kamala Harris in the 2024 United States presidential election.

Awards and honors

• Young Artist Awards: 1989 & 1987
• Melbourne Underground Film Festival: Best Actor (2002)
• International Academy of Web Television Awards: Best Host (Pre-Recorded) (2014)
• Saturn Awards: Lifetime Achievement Award – The Cast of Star Trek: The Next Generation (2024)

An asteroid, a small rocky body in space, was named after him: 391257 Wilwheaton.

Filmography

Wil Wheaton has appeared in many films and television shows. Here are some of his notable roles:

Films and television films

TV shows and appearances

Web shows and series

Animation voice roles

Video games voice roles

See also

In Spanish: Wil Wheaton para niños