Dark Matter

If you don’t follow me on Twitter (good idea, by the way), you don’t know that the show I’m working on this week is Dark Matter, which is coming to the network formerly-known as Sci-Fi next month.

Here’s the trailer:

The basic premise of the show is: some people wake up from stasis on a space ship, and they have no memories of who they are or why they are there. As they uncover the truth about themselves … it gets complicated (and they have lots of secrets). It’s based on a comic book that I absolutely loved, and though I can’t get into specifics about the character I’m playing (SPOILERS!) … but the creator can!

Wil will be playing the part of Alexander Rook, President and CEO of Dwarf Star Technologies and…well, I can’t say more.  Suffice it to say, you’ll love him in the role because Wil is positively tearing it up, delivering a performance that is cool, controlled, compassionate, canny, confident, with a touch of creepiness and a dash of Angostura bitters.  I was truly heartened by the fact that he clearly gave it a lot of thought prior to his arrival, crafting a charmingly nuanced character in preparation for his scenes and then positively wowing us with his take.

I have had an absolutely wonderful time bringing Alexander Rook to life. In fact, yesterday was the most satisfying dramatic, on-camera acting work I’ve done in years. I mean, I’ve been very lucky to do a lot of comedic work recently, and over sixty episodes of Tabletop is nothing to sneeze at (do people actually sneeze at things to, like, disdain them? Is that a thing? I’ve never seen a person sneeze in derision at something, come to think of it) … but for the last year or so, I’ve honestly wondered if I would ever get a chance to do serious on-camera, dramatic acting again.

Well, it turns out that I can do some tremendously satisfying work, making complex (yet simple in execution) choices, when I get to work with great writing, fantastic actors, and a wonderful director.

Maybe I’m not finished being an on-camera actor, after all.

Maybe …

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41 thoughts on “Dark Matter”

  4. Congratulations Wil! 🙂 That’s wonderful. I am await its debue. I like the premise too. Very _intriguing..
    Have fun shooting these.

  6. Oh cool! As if I didn’t have enough reasons to watch Dark Matter already! I’ve been a fan of Joseph Mazzoli’s work since Stargate SG1.

    Congratulations! I look forward to seeing what you came up with for this character!

  8. Any chance the episodes will be available to those who don’t subscribe to cable?

    I know you have no control over any of that, and if you did, you’d do it right, but I just had to be the first one to put it out there…

  9. More about “to sneeze at”, people at one time did in fact sneeze at things to indicate derision! http://www.todayifoundout.com/index.php/2014/03/word-sneeze-came/

    “A pinch of snuff sniffed into the nostrils could produce a sneeze on call and developed into something people did in the middle of a conversation as a sign of disrespect to the speaker or what was being said. Sneezing could also be used as something of a status symbol, showing you were perhaps above the person and anything they had to say. So if someone said something that you disapproved of or found beneath you or boring, you could show your pretentious disregard by getting out your snuff box and sneezing.”

    1. I didn’t know that. Thank you for enlightening me. Very interesting origins of that idiom.
      1700s-1800s era origins perhaps?

      As for sbeezing AT someone, that is most rude and a but disgusting.: -p snorting powdered whatever it is up a nose. Yuck also gross. I gather they don’t practice politely excusing oneself and walk away.

  10. Any chance you know (and can tell us) whether reading the comics will spoil the TV series? Are they different enough that I can pick up the comics now and still be surprised when the series airs? I somehow missed this comic, but it sounds like exactly the sort of thing that I love!

    1. According to Joe Mallozzi the comics cover the first two episodes of the TV series. So I reckon it’s pretty safe to read the comic.

  12. I always thought that “nothing to sneeze at” was referring to the notion that dust makes you sneeze, and dust is tiny and insignificant, so the thing you are not sneezing at is not tiny nor insignificant. I could be making stuff up, though.

    Excited about the new show! Will it be available on any platforms other than cable for those of us who cut the cord?

  13. How cool is this?! I mean, SRSLY, HOW COOL?!?!?!?!

    Do you feel a little rejuvenated? Do you find it easier to “dip your toe in” instead of jumping in cannonball style for roles (movie, TV or otherwise)? How would you feel if a movie role (that you were really interested in) opportunity came up? Would you feel ready or do you think it would be overwhelming?

    1. Do you feel a little rejuvenated?

      I really do.

      Would you feel ready or do you think it would be overwhelming?

      Well, here’s the thing: I never stopped feeling ready. The reality that I’ve been struggling to accept for the last two years is that the industry as a whole just doesn’t seem to be that into me. I had a long meeting with my agents and my manager last week, and I asked them to be honest with me: am I finished being an on-camera actor, beyond the occasional guest role once or twice a year?

      The unanimous response was “no, but the industry as a whole has changed so much in the last few years, it’s incredibly difficult to work with a casting director to get anyone into a room.”

      So it’s not that the industry is finished with me, as much as the industry is finished with working to put people like me into roles where we can do our best work.

      It’s reality shows, casting out of movies, casting celebrities who aren’t necessarily right for the project, but will bring in audience, and other Catch-22 situations where you can’t get work unless you’re getting work.

      So it’s difficult for me to work on-camera right now, but it isn’t because I’ve somehow lost my ability to do the work, or failed to keep my acting skills in shape.

      It’s a very long-winded way of saying that I’d love to work in something that is awesome, challenging, meaningful, and well-written. It may be a long time for me to get there, but in the meantime I have a great voice and indie acting career, as well as all the writing and producing I’ve been doing, to keep me busy.

      1. Odd huh? That catch 22. 🙁 I see actors that are flat and down right terrible with work out the wazzoo, and ones who are good.I mean really good and sincere can’t find work. I believe you’re among the sincere,really good and having fun group. .
        How can US fans help guys and gals like you out? Is there anything we can do to get more work your way?
        (Besides go view the Movies /TV shows?),

      2. Are you concerned that being so well known as “yourself” makes it harder for viewers to accept you fully as another character? You did excellent work in Eureka, but at times it was still hard to just see “Dr. Parrish” and not “Wil Wheaton as Dr. Parrish.” How do you work around that?

  17. Sounds interesting. A little disappointed at the “Asian character as ninja-esque swordfighter” cliche, but that’s on the comic, not the TV show.

    1. Hi Elayne,

      Joseph Mallozzi here, the creator of the show. Just wanted to respond to this point regarding the character of FOUR. I’ve been very up front about the inspirations for Dark Matter: comics, SF literature, film, television, and anime. The latter, Japanese cartoons for those not in the know, was a particularly big influence on the show’s development, specifically, a show called CowBoy Bebop that offered a wonderful mix of humor and scifi in it’s all too brief 26 episode run.

      The sword-wielding character of FOUR is a tip of the hat to SF-themed anime, from classics like Gundam to more contemporary titles like Code Geass. Fans of the genre will no doubt recognize many familiar elements.

      In creating the character, and his storyline, I consulted with many of my friends in Japan (I visit every year, am a student of Japanese culture and history, and speak Japanese – albeit like a four year old boy) and girlfriend (who also happens to be Japanese) who were absolutely thrilled at the prospect of a North American scifi series with recognizable anime trappings.

      So, all this to say, the creation of this character actually came from a place of respect.

      Joe

  20. I really liked the comic, and wished there were more than just 4 issues. It took a couple of years, but it looks like it’ll be well worth the wait just to see them come to life. Congratulations on being part of it.

  21. These days, people faux-sneeze or faux-cough, not even trying to hide the fake-ness of it all, often expelling a word as part of the act.

    I’m sure that by now, you’ve had someone close to you supply an example, and after that I’ll bet it was even familiar:

    “ah .. ah .. AH .. AH .. [bullshit!]”

  22. I loved watching the Wil Wheaton Show on Sci Fi, but I think I am going to like this better. What a treat to get to see you act again. You do a fine job of making a role come to life. Am happy for you. (and me)

  23. This was a pleasant surprise to my evening! I’m looking forward to it. Always super psyched for well-developed, dramatic Sci-Fi. Hopefully I’ll have caught up with your youthful dramatic work before I dive into this piece. Watching the whole TNG for the first time in its entirety. You’re awesome, btw.

  26. I think that last “maybe” means Wil is confirmed to play Capt. Wesley Crusher in the next Star Trek TV show. You heard it here first!

  33. Glad to hear that Wil. I saw the trailer in Blighty, and it looks totally amazeballs!!

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