Television, Web/Tech, WWdN in Exile

In which wil goes “O_o” but retains his grip on reality

44 Comments

I thought I’d completed this week’s LA Daily column on Friday, but when I opened it up yesterday afternoon to give it one final look, I realized that it didn’t work at all. It’s fine for a blog post (and will likely show up here sooner or later) but it just doesn’t work as a column.

As you can imagine, I panicked, and spent the next five hours trying to come up with something to replace it. (Pro Tip: The hard part isn’t writing the column; the hard part is figuring out what the hell to write about every week.)

Around 10 last night, I stopped banging my head against my desk and took a sanity break online. While I was looking at TotalFark, TwitterFox popped up with the following Tweet:

@wilw we need you to cameo on HEROES. how bout it? Let me know, it’s Greg Grunberg from Heroes. Parkman.

Normally, I’d think this was a prank, but my friend David (who plays Eric Doyle on Heroes) mentioned to me last week that he’d joined Twitter, and that he was following me and Greg Grunberg. So I went O_o and replied:

@greggrunberg How cool and random to hear from you … we have a mutual friend in @dhlawrencexvii! I’d love to be on your show, for serious.

I think I replied appropriately, right? Considering that the alternative was something like OMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMG, and all.

A few minutes later, he replied:

@wilw I’m sure Tim would LOVE to have you. I will talk to him tomorrow and see what he thinks.

I couldn’t put it into 140 characters, but I’m pretty sure I know what Tim’s going to think, and it’s going to rhyme with “No way, that guy sucks.” See, I’ve had two opportunities for good roles on Heroes, and both times I was so excited about the opportunity, I completely tanked the audition. It was like the audition was a cute little bunny, and I was Lenny Small. I mean, I fucked them up badly. It was embarrassing. The room I read in at Universal is still blocked off by the HazMat control team because the stink I left there is so horrible.

I’m not going to pretend that I wouldn’t love it, especially if I got to play a villain, but I’m keeping my squee level really under control at the moment. I’ve done this long enough to know that actually working on Heroes is a real long shot for me. But if it does happen, it would be super awesome on countless levels, not the least of which is the whole thing happened because of Twitter, which pleases my inner geek greatly.

44 thoughts on “In which wil goes “O_o” but retains his grip on reality”

  2. Hope it works out, Wil. Maybe they’ve seen your NUM3ERS and Criminal Minds work and are re-thinking. Besides, a “cameo” doesn’t sound like a part you’d need to audition for, does it? (I really don’t know- not in the field.)

  3. Like I told you on Twit- I was in a chat room with Grunny at the time when it came up and I about peed myself and then told him he had to do it.
    Maybe third time is a charm?
    Also David sent me the nicest note on twitter. That really made my morning(/afternoon I swear I’m never going to get off west coast time if you all keep being so entertaining!).
    You know good people Wil, thanks!

  6. Sigh… I loved the original idea of Heroes. I own the first season… But I was left wanting in Season 2 and stopped watching after 2 episodes of season 3. I think they just made the characters too powerful and the only thing they thought of to reign them in was to make them stupid… I had too many “But if they have this power, why did they do that? What they did was stupid!” moments…
    Anyway, I’d watch another episode or two if you were on :-P
    BTW, this isn’t a dig on the actors. I think they do a wonderful job with what they are given, and I think they are all gifted. They just lost me with the writing and story line.

  9. I am totally addicted to that show and I would love to see you on there. I hear Seth Green is doing a cameo, too. Didn’t you play ping pong with him recently? Maybe he could also put in a good word for you! :D

  11. How awesome? SO AWESOME. I was talking about that a few days ago because Seth Green has just appeared on the show. “Why couldn’t Wil be a character like that? SRSLY!” I hope it works out!

  12. I dunno. You did such a kick-ass job on Criminal Minds that there’s a chance that sort of thing could sink in.
    I’d love to see you on Heroes. That show needs some serious help, and putting you in there with the right character could really perk things up and make it a little more exciting again.

  14. I also got a very nice note from David…which made my geek day!
    I have been lukewarm on Heroes writing this season, too…but following Greg and Brea (and now David) on twitter has kept me hooked. I hope it works for you…maybe the twitter community can help …fan letters? Anybody?

  15. While obviously retaining my grip on reality, I am unable to keep from geeking out at the mere thought. Crossing my fingers for you, Wil! :)
    (Makes it really hard to type with my fingers crossed, BTW.)

  16. i also think you should tell us what roles you went for (and stank). so that collectively, if nothing else we can all say:
    “nah, [actor's name] is OK and all, but you would have, like, totally, been like, y’know, so much better”
    we all need an ego massage from time to time, and we’re all super happy oblige :)

  22. Whoo hoo! I’ll be sending major monkey mojo in your direction. I would rush to get caught up on Heroes just to tune in and see you on it. I dug the first season but never got around to NetFlixing the rest of it.
    Cheers and I’m crossing my fingers for you!

  23. My fingers and toes are crossed for you! Seth Green and Breckin Meyer definitely up the geek factor to +10, but you could add a whole new geek level. Much luck to you!

  24. Hey Wil Good luck with the heroes audition. You aren’t going to screw up this time. We believe in you. I don’t watch Heroes, but then again I don’t watch criminal minds either, so it goes without saying that I will tune in to see you.
    As far as thinking about what to write about; you have a gazillion fans who know a lot about you. Maybe we can suggest topics for columns, or is that a horrible idea? I just thought it sounded like a fun challenge.

  25. Wow, that might actually make me watch that show again. Which means I EXTRA hope you get it because I WANT to like Heroes again, they just need to end the suckage.
    Good luck Wil!

  26. I love Heroes and I’ve actually been thinking that you would be great on it! I hope all goes well for you on this. (my fingers and toes are crossed)

  28. So THAT’s how actors get roles. Twitter.
    Sounds super-cool, Wil. I’ll totally start watching ‘Heroes’ again if you’re on it.

  29. Wow, it didn’t take long for this story to get picked up. I saw the tweets earlier and now there is a story about it on i09.
    I can only hope the superpower you get is the one that makes a show live up to the potential it once had.
    Also, can’t Grunberg push for a guest spot on Lost, too?

  30. Wil, that’s awesome! I hope you get a part. Break a leg, huh?
    Also, I’m not sure if you’re aware of it, but you’re turning into an adventure hero in another webcomic: http://somethingpositive.net/sp11242008.shtml
    It’s funny because I’d been coming up with my own version of the story arc featuring you as the hero, and apparently Milholland is a psychic ’cause now he’s doing it just like I imagined. :D

  34. Your stink cannot compare to the still reeking, festering pile of bad acting I laid down on a recent “Eli Stone” audition. The first scene went well enough, I even got a note about following direction well, and that never happens. Then the second scene came. And went. It was horrible, and I had to keep my head down as I escaped from the pile of poop I just dropped on the casting director’s floor!

  35. Dude, the io9 thing is full of love for one wilw. Don’t stress, true geeks know the difference between Wil and Wesley.
    BTW, your Criminal Minds character was damn freaky. There were a couple of parts in it that were downright scary.
    Good Luck on the Heroes front!

  36. Just thought I’d mention this here, since I don’t see any other mention of it in the comments.. You may or may not read Something Positive, but you got a cameo there today. It’s not exaclty heroes, but it does make you a web comic hero.
    So you’ve got that going for you, which is nice.

  37. Okay, I am so NOT keeping my squee level under control! I’ll squee for the both of us!! XD
    SQUEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!
    *hugs and happydance*
    I hope it works out! I’m waiting for an awesome tweet from you… :)

  38. When I was unemployed, a coach told me that 70% of all jobs are found thru networking. That just leaves 30% for cold calling, sending resumes, etc.
    I think that applies here too. When you twitter, you’re networking with all your fans.
    So all us Hero fans put in the good word with Greg.
    Your fans help you get a gig thru tech. Ain’t it great to be a geek?

  39. I saw those tweets going back and forth when I got home around 11:30EST (8:30PST). It was like watching Fanboy vs. Fanboy. Good stuff.

  40. Oh, and his previous tweets were even better:
    “…Happy to be twittering you. I’m a fan…” and “Thinking how cool it would be for @WILW to have a cameo on Heroes. Will tell Tim and the writers tomorrow. Think he’d do it?”
    Don’t fall over from excitement, Wil.

  42. You’re too hard on yourself. I really appreciated your character on Criminal Minds. I think you might have left the stink behind in the 80′s. Unfortunately that’s the only other acting I’ve seen of yours, besides that weird japanese web show you did, which I also thought was great.

  43. Oh snap! IMDbing you reminded me you were in Stand By Me. You were awesome in that. And when I mentioned my comment to my girlfriend she disagreed about your STTNG acting, she thought you were good and just given a bad character.

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