Day Three

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I learned something today: having no lines can be just as exhausting as talking until your throat is sore in every scene.
It’s surprisingly hard to just sit there for hours, trying to focus on the other actors, react to what they are doing, and not get bored.
Oh man, is it easy to get bored…because of the lights, it’s close to 85 degrees on the set, and the air is very still. We spend a lot of time on each scene, so we get to hear the same lines over and over again, and it’s easy for the mind to wander and the eyelids to fall down.
Now I understand why Levar fell asleep on the bridge behind his VISOR so many times in the early years of TNG.
I didn’t expect to feel wiped out when I got home, you know? I expected it to be a really easy day…but I am beat right now. To be honest, it feels really good.
The lack of dialogue did give me some free time during the day…I watched some Simpsons on DVD on the iBook, and played a few games on MacMAME.
My day started at 5AM, and we shot nearly nine pages, which is really, really, really a lot in films. When I was on Trek, we’d average about 6.5 pages per day, and when I was working on Mr. Stitch, I once managed something like 15 pages in one day.
So now that you know more about page count than you ever wanted, I can give up some details:

  • This project is a Movie Of The Week for the PAX network, and it will air at the end of January in 2003. When my friend Keith found out that it was on PAX, he teased me that I was in one of those stupid “Left Behind” piles of crap…but I assured him, and I can assure you, that it’s actually a pretty cool story. =]
  • Included in the cast is an actor you may have heard of…”Chef” himself, Isaac Hayes! He plays a mysterious guy who give me this mysterious, ancient, powerful book. The story is about how I deal with it.
  • Also in the cast is my friend Richard Grieco. We’ve done three movies together before this one, and it’s the first time he’s not kicking my ass. I really like Richard. He’s one of the sweetest guys who ever lived, he’s very generous and funny…and it bugs me that he has this image as a real cheeze*wiz.
  • The actor who is playing my best friend in the movie is Maureen Flannigan. Mo and I have been friends since forever, and I absolutely adore her. I think that our personal history will cascade into our performances, and make the film that much deeper and richer. The cool thing is, the producers didn’t know that we knew each other when they cast us.

Tomorrow I talk and talk and talk, so it will be the polar opposite of today. Should be interesting to contrast the two.
I’m having a really good time. It feels good to be on a set where people know what they’re doing, and there aren’t any incompetent a-holes with huge egos farking things up. I didn’t realize how much I’d missed that.
Time to learn lines.

86 thoughts on “Day Three”

  5. Kinda hard to memorize lines when you’re playing swell games like Aztec, Conan, Swashbuckler and Ultima IV on that new Apple //c you’ve got there, eh Sparky?

  6. Wil, you’ve done something for me that no one else has done so far! Given me a reason to watch PAX that is. But heck, I’m looking forward to seeing you in a movie, no matter what channel they show it on!

  7. I really like you and am happy for you, but you offend me with the “stupid “Left Behind” piles of crap” quote. I guess those of us who believe in it are really stupid to you, huh Wil? Ignorant jerks that we are. Maybe I don’t like you so much after all.

  9. Howcould you??? I thought you preached tolerance towards other religions other than your own. VERY disapointed. :-(

  11. Can’t wait to see that one!
    Today, at my rehearsals, I got berrated cuz I couldn’t get this thing right and it pisses me off to have to keep doing it over and over again. How do you (in general) keep from getting so frustrated that you wanna swear and kick things (esp. at the director)? Any tips?
    But anywho, good for you Wil.

  13. another canuck!…i was just going to ask the same question….how do we get to see this thing?..
    maybe one of our cable channels will pick it up…
    and honestly angelwwolf…
    i don’t think he meant anything seriously bad by what he said….
    i’m pretty sure he wasn’t out to dis you or what you believe…
    i think he just meant to say that ‘left behind’ was (and lets all be honest here) pretty freakin bad…
    it’s not exactly going to go down in history as a great quality flick, is it?
    it’s not like it was Ben Hur..or the Ten Commandments…
    it was Kirk Cameron for cryin out loud ;)
    anyhow….
    way to go Wil!
    break a leg…

  14. *perk* Wil has an iBook? And here I thought he was just chock full of Linuxy-goodness…I had no idea there was a OS X (BSD Unix) glaze, too!

  15. Umm.. Angelwolf? Bashing Left Behind is not bashing religion. I’m a Christian, and I think Left Behind is totally lame and stupid. Left Behind is not the Bible. I think it’s rediculous the way Christians try and treat it as such. “What, you don’t like Left Behind? GASP..”
    Excuse me for liking quality books that are theologically sound as well. And the movie sucked donkeys, I’m sorry. But don’t call Wil intolerant simply for disliking Left Behind. That is rediculous.

  16. — Tea with lemon –before the scenes–
    —Tea with Honey after them—
    Helps to ease the throat after a long day of singing or doing lines.
    Stay away from tea w/ mints of anykind i.e.(spearmint) they can cause too much phlem.
    Have fun and try not to Snore………

  18. You have an iBook? Very cool. I like you even more now.
    I hope that the rest of the shoot goes as well as it has started out.
    Oh yeah… Sign my guestbook you bastard.
    -Jeffery

  19. Well I happen to like PAX, and Left Behind. I took no personal insult in what Wil’s friend said. And I’m totally excited about seeing this!:)
    BTW: A lot of people might say, it had Wil Wheaton in it for cryin’ out loud! Kirk Cameron isn’t all that bad!

  20. I think its great that its on PAX, that means I will actually get to see it! Unlike Good things and Jane White which I still havent seen.
    AngelWolf, I have to agree with Wil and everyone else. I have heard that the books are great but I dont think the movie did them justice. I was not impressed. I did not see him saying that it was crap because it was based on tenets of the christian faith. For the record, I am not a christian but I am tolerant of their beliefs if they are tolerant of mine and I would hope that everyone can remember that it doesnt matter what you have faith in, just that you have faith.
    Wil, You rock. I can’t wait for the movie and I’m just *vibrating* with joyousness about the book!

  21. The Left Behind series is not Christianity. It is the dreams and fantasies of Christian conservatives who believe that come the revelation all the good little Christian conservatives will dissappear and go to heaven while us poor liberals, atheists, agnostics, non-protestants, gays, and non-Christians suffer here on earth at the hands of satan and his minions. Meanwhile they laugh at us from heaven with “I told you so” smirks on their faces.
    I don’t have a problem with fantasies of this kind. But I do have a problem when people try and treat this kind of fiction as pure Christian doctrine.

  22. Man, Richard Grieco kicks ass… why in the world did UPN cancel “Marker”? Gates looked mighty fine in that show…
    Anywa, way to go Wil… this may actually make me switch on PAX for more than 6 seconds…

  23. Left Behind isn’t the bible.
    Sheesh I’m an atheist, and even I know that.
    Wil,
    I’m glad to hear that you’re in a movie again. I read the other day that Berman said you’ll been seen in Nemisis, and not heard. What kind of bull shit is that?

  24. Wil,
    Sounds like your having a great time. How about some information for us “Film Geeks”? Is it shot on Hi Def video, 16mm…35mm…Super 8. Yes there are films for TV done on Super 8. I almost fell of my chair when I found out the first two seasons of “Buffy The Vampire Slayer” were shot on 16mm. Not even SUPER16. Let us know.
    OK stop laughing and pick yourself up off the floor. Conservatives can like Buffy too ya know.
    Take care
    Bart

  25. Ah, I love reading your entries. After some of the days and times I’ve had lately, it’s nice to just get out of my world and into a bit of yours for a change and not think about, however long it takes to read, things. Continue forth. :)

  27. Wil, What can I say but that I’m proud of you and very happy for you. This isn’t just a break for you. It’s a break for all of us who appreciate who you are and what you do. Best, Rob

  28. OK. As a UK spod still living in 600BC (Before Cable) I had absolutly no idea what PAX and Left behind were.
    But that not important right now. (Surely you can’t be serious! etc etc)
    Whats important is that its my home boy Wils first movie in ages and I don’t get to see it!
    Someone start bootlegging the film as soon as it airs!

  29. Before Cable… HARHARHARHARHARHAR!!! :D i’ve got tears running down my face!!! X-D TOO FUNNY!!!
    ehehe…ehehe…he… stomach hurts… hehe…
    anyway…
    Wil that is so cool that you got friends there!!! :) i hope tomorrow goes well!!!
    i hope some channel here airs it so i can see it too… will it be released on video and/or dvd?? that’d be cool.

  32. Geez, “that’s it, I quit acting!” and they offer you the starring role in a movie…
    …on a wholesome, patriotic and Christian-type network, no less.
    And you being Evil and all…
    You must have insulted a genie with a twisted sense of humor.
    “In an infinite universe, anything can happen” – Douglas Adams
    Congrats, Wil, I’m looking forward to seeing it.

  33. haha..I thought I was the only one to use the term “Cheese*wiz” ..
    congrats again on the gig. Sounds like you’re having lots of fun..

  34. When did Wil get an iBook? Dammit, I was all set to get an IBM A21 and now Wil has an iBook. This always triggers my envy chip…..
    Hmmmm… Mac OS X

  35. WTF is PAX???
    Must be some fancy-schmancy digtial cable or US only station. Anyways, hopefully one of the limited Canadian stations I have will carry it…or maybe if PAX is on digital cable/satellite, I can convince a member of my family on the other side of the country to record it and send it up to me. Any chance you could work a deal with the director to distribute copies of the movie through your site? (i doubt you could get DVD unless it was being released to the general movie stores)
    Loyal Monkey #24601

  36. I don’t know if it’s just me, the way he writes it or what but reading that made me shiver with excitement. (I almost said ‘Jiggle with excitement’ but that isn’t what I meant, it was just too funny to leave out though)
    Wow, who woulda thought that I wished I still had PAX.
    ::Does a happy waiting-for-the-new-Wil-movie dance::

  37. I saw one of the movies that you and Richard Grieco were in (heehee)I am glad he isnt kicking your butt in this new movie.I will be sure to look for it.Yay for you!

  38. Oh, so that’s why Levar looked so spaced out sometimes! I always wondered…
    I’m looking forward to the movie. And hey, I happen to like PAX. Where else can you watch so much Diagnosis: Murder?

  39. Wil -
    Next time you see Issac, ask him if he’s ever considered doing a takeoff of “Shaft” called…
    drumroll please…
    “Chef”.
    That is, if someone else hasn’t already done it.
    Methinks something like that could be hilarious:
    “Who’s the black school cook
    Whose got that hot sex machine look?
    CHEF!
    Ya damn right!”
    Just curious.

  40. Just have to ask…
    Is the “mysterious, ancient, powerful book” titled “Dianetics”? ;-)
    And now that you’ve mentioned that Richard Grieco is in it, my wife will definitely sit through the movie with me.

  41. PAX?
    Well, a job is a job.
    I work two jobs, and my part time job is with Borders. I tell you, those Left Behind books fly off the shelves. Yeah, there are people who enjoy the series for the adventure (like my sister, who likes them because they are here in the Chicago area. And while she’s religious, she is not a nutso Right Wing Conservative like my sister-in-law is) but there are too many out there who think these books are the Word. For those of the weaked mind -ones who need others to their thinking for them -are easily manipulated by these titles. I’m not saying they should never be published, but what I ask is take these books with a grain of salt.

  43. About that falling asleep bit…I totally sympathize. This past year, I was in a play called “Whose Wife Is It Anyway”. For the first act, I had to play a dead body (my character is actually passed out, but the other characters don’t find out until act two)…whom they do “Weekend At Bernie’s” type stuff to, posing me and stuff…
    I’m normally a very kinetic individual, talkative, etc. I took it on as a big challenge. Normally, the majority of acting is reacting. In this case, it was NOT reacting.

  44. WooHoo!! Chef and The hottie known as Richard Greico!! How freaking cool, Wil!!
    I hope you got some rest after your long day of Face acting. *wink*
    I can’t wait to see this movie. Just think Sweet Uncle Willie will be some emotional wreck on the tube. Very interesting. :O
    *Happy Nekkid Otter Butt Dance*

  45. I am so happy for you that you are getting to work with people that are your friends! FRIENDS
    THATS what makes the world go around..(and not those way over paid ones..etc..)Lots of love!!!

  47. I get really agitated when people comment to the effect that acting isn’t working. Precision driving coupled with five hours on an EMT back-board certainly SEEMED like agonising work to me.
    Glad to hear it is going so well for you. You deserve and earned this opportunity. I see more doors opening for you after this. Good luck.
    Kevin

  50. Maureen Flannigan rocks…I’m sure the flick will be great, and if I can find a tv and figure out what channel PAX is on, I’ll check it out.

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