Last summer, at the Creation Grand Slam convention in Pasadena, there was a tribute to Gene Roddenberry. I was asked to speak at the tribute, and I eagerly agreed. However, the tribute was going to conflict with a show that I was in at the ACME, so I couldn’t be at the tribute.
By the way, can I please say “tribute” again?
Tribute. Tribute. Tribute.
Well, I was very torn. I really wanted to be there to honor him, but I couldn’t back out of the sketch show at the last minute. So, I asked my friend Richard, who was putting together the event (notice I didn’t say “Tribute?”) if I could write something down, and have it read on my behalf. He agreed, and I was able to be in two places at once. Sort of.
Earlier today, Anne and I were cleaning and organizing stuff in our house, and I found what I’d written, dropped behind a dresser, on a folded up sheet of yellow legal paper.
I’d like to share it with you all today.
“Gene Roddenberry’s office door was always open to me, regardless of who was already there.
He always made me feel important, like he was proud of the work I was doing, and that he was glad to have me as part of his great creation.
When we were shooting TNG, I had no idea that he had named Wesley after himself. I’m glad, because at the time, the sense of responsibility would have paralyzed me.
However, knowing that now, the sense of honor and pride is overwhelming, and hope that, somewhere, Gene is still proud of all of us.
Gene was an anachronism in Hollywood. He was a warm, caring, profoundly creative man who never compromised his vision.
I am proud to be part of his legacy, and it is an honor to remember him tonight.”
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Thank you for sharing that, Wil.
Tribute!
*sniff*
That’s awesome Wil.
You rock.
Rest in peace, Gene.
I didn’t know Wesley was named after Gene. How cool.
Those are very sweet words.
Beautiful.
Ok, that is just going to make me cry.
I still remember the ST:TNG episode that aired shortly after Gene’s passing. There was a short “In Memory of Gene Roddenberry” screen silently displayed before the episode started. I cried.
Wil, your tribute was quite fitting…both to yourself and to a great man we all knew as The Great Bird. Thank you so much for sharing your words with us.
-Gil
I really wish I could have met him. Thanks for sharing.
And I’m just too curious to not ask: Would that Richard you mentioned happen to be Richard Arnold?
Not one mention of “Pretty Maids All In A Row”. Shame on you.
Tribute.
A vision that will never die!
That was a really nice..err Tribute. 🙂
Very cool tribute.
He sounds like he was a good fella, and deserving of such a tribute.
Tribute.
Okay, the joke’s dead.
Joe
Clearly Gene knew all too well that no actor could have portrayed his remarkable young character any finer than the one he chose.
Genius loves company.
Very touching. I’ve always heard that he was a special person.
Tribu…
ahh, forget it.
You must wonder if these kind words were ever spoken and what kind of resulting reaction it displayed.
That was great. A very nice tribute.
Wil,
What a touching tribute. Gene would have been very proud. I was sad when Gene died but I am glad Star Trek did not pass with him. I am sure he is looking down from heaven with approval on all of yours and everyones work in continuing a legacy that has brought me and so many others joy, and happiness in the sad world we live in. Thanks for the post and until next time GO BODLY….
Matt.
So I guess it was a tribute?
Gene is pretty awesome with Star Trek.
Can’t really say that about his other shows that were mostly like.. What the heck is this? (Earth final Conflict) or (Adromeda can we say boring?)
I bet if he was still alive these shows would have been awesome though.
word wil you know who your daddy is
*clap* Very nice… tribute! 😀
Bravo Wil…I salute him.
Brilliant Wil. Well spoken, well, more like well written. Gene was a great man with a great vision. A vision that today still speaks volumes to me and my siblings.
Bravo.
Don’t you love it when you find stuff you’ve kept or just never threw away, like that???
your baggage, some good…some bad…but yours.
tribute.
I knew it was Roddenberry’s name because of that bit Wil did (on the TNN marathon) talking about how he was complaining about the name and his mom pointing out that it was Roddenberry’s and maybe he’d better shut up.
I was highly amused, and that was before I started reading wwdn.
That was:
-a stirring salutation
-a euphonius eulogy
-a praiseful panegyric, and
-an enthusiastic encomium.
I have this friend who’s a big Gene Rodenberry fan! While I am a pretty strong ST fan and have ALWAYS associated ANYTHING trek with GR, I must confess that I’ve just been lately learnign new thing about this mysterious man who gifted MANY of us with a great.. well, gift! And to have worked with such a visionary, wow!
I think I’ll learn more about the man.
BTW – I had to look up “anachronism” on dictionary.com… I’ll mail you a quarter for this word. Good one!
Oh, and…
tribute.
-rhinohead
I really believe that Gene Roddenberry had a special fondness for Wesley Crusher and I think it’s sad how after he died that, at least in my opinion, the Star Trek Universe started to drift from the vision that Gene had for it. I am still a hard-core Trekkie and I have very high hopes for the upcoming tenth installment in the movie series.
It brings back fond memories of a time now gone by, that being my youth, every time I log on to WWDN. You and I are close to the same age Wil and I practically feel like I grew up with you as a neighbor.
Thanks for all the memories Gene Roddenberry. You are missed.
The Great Bird of the Galaxy gave us a glimpse into a very different world.
Go him, dude.
wil: when i was a kid watching star trek reruns i always thought there should be kid in the regular cast on star trek…naturally i thought i’d be perfect for the role…but alas no one ever heard me volunteer…think about all the kids portrayed on the old trek…they were all kind of screwed up…well let me just say that when i saw the pilot of star trek the next generation years later i got kind of misty…not only was there a kid…but a good kid…and it took me back to when i was a kid…dreaming of the world gene roddenberry created…thanks to the “great bird”, my friends and i had something better to do than play “cowboys and indians” gene roddenberry’s creation also stimulated in me and interest in science, reading…and yes…logic!…i always thought it would be great to meet gene roddenbrry and tell him how his dream helped me to learn the things this a.d.d. kid couldn’t in school…and in the end, learn a whole lot more…i never got the chance to do that…but thanks to you wil, i can thank him now…thanks gene…d. burr
That was a wonderful tribute to a wonderful man. I met him once in a moment of blind luck on my part.
It was a moment that passed as quickly as it came, yet I will forever remember him and how nice he was. An absolutely wonderful person!
And such a creative genius that everyone involved in his projects owes him something of themselves.
Aw shucks Wil, will you please stop making us all
cry…
Gene was a giant among men. He will ALWAYS be
missed.
TRIBUTE.
What is with all the death?
Wil,
Well written.
F.G.
That was really touching… I liked it alot. I can’t quite find the words to say how I understand the feeling, but I do. Thank you for sharing that memory.
Touching and eloquent.
Wil, the day is coming when Mr. Roddenbery will
get his reward and truly, see and “go where no man has gone before”. The things he invisioned
that are yet to be invented.. the cell phones &
floppy disks.. we all use, most every day..
I think of him, his wife and the crew of the Enterprise(s) each time I see any of his shows.. have you seen his web site?
“live long and prosper” Mr. Wheaton & family
My father got me hooked on Star Trek as a young lad and ironically passed away not long after The Great Bird was felled. Every time I watch anything Trek, my mind drifts back to that old, lumpy couch in the living room sitting at dad’s side and listening to him talk about how he was gonna take the whole family Where No Man Has Gone Before someday. He was not an astronaut, but I believed he would. Thank you Mr. Roddenberry for hitching me and him to your “Wagon Train to the stars.”
Oh, and uh, let me say it for you Wil: TRIBUTE.
His nickname was really the Great Bird? (I had to look it up on Google to be sure).
During the span of his life, this guy commanded an army of writers and THAT’S the best they could come up with?
Darryl Dawkins was “Chocolate Thunder.” George “The Iceman” Gervin and Allen “The Answer” Iverson. “Never Nervous” Pervis Ellison. Earl “The Pearl” Monroe was also known as “Black Jesus.”
But Roddenberry gets…
“The Great Bird?”
That SUCKS!
Spudnuts, that’s not his whole nickname.
If you’re gonna lament the guy’s situation, at least know his full title was “Great Bird of the Galaxy”.
Yeah, it still kinda sucks, but Sulu referenced him at one point.
…ohh, it’s really beautyful!!
Tribute!
I think that it is always a wonderful thing when we take a moment to remember those in our lives who have gone before us, but who will never really be gone. Gene lives on in every episode of Star Trek (old and new) and in the hearts and minds of the millions of people his visions have touched. If only the entire world could see, especially in this crutial stage of history, the vision of the world Gene had, perhaps we could be a little closer to that dream .
Thank, Gene, for reminding us that we could be so much more. And thanks, Wil, for helping us remember Gene with your touching tribute.
Yeeha for dictonairies! By the way I never concidered Gene to be such a great bird. More of bit of an old fart. A genius one, but still.
Tribute
Recognition
Homage
Memorial
Eulogy praise
Appreciation
Reverence
Tribute
That’s an extremely touching … well, tribute.
I’ve always found it a little bit sad that the most famous Mary Sue (see: fanfic, inserting oneself into it) was also one of the most disliked characters for a long time, particularly when it was a Mary Sue of the creator of all things Trek himself.
In any case, I think you did Wesley, and therefore Gene, justice.
peculur
You know, it’s funny–to look at me, no one would ever suspect that I even watch Trek. I’ve been watching it since grade school, and now, every evening when I get home, I sit down to a re-run of old Trek, then a re-run of Twilight Zone–the only 2 show I ever watch anymore.
Rod Serling and Gene Roddenberry are two of the greatest things that ever happened to TV.
And of course, Wil Wheaton follows a close third, right? ;D –am I right guys?
Aww, c’mon! I used almost a 1/2 box of tissues on what you said to Anne the other night. And now I’m totally out after reading your tribute. It was beautiful.
I was there when that was read, and the people in the audience were truly moved. Very nice sentiment.
CHERISH,
Yes! Especially when its money! 😀
Jess
Nice speech Wil. It seems that you have played with a few “Tribute” speeches (or best man speeches) before… and oops I said tribute… anyway, love the site man
That was lovely, Wil. I’ve heard that Gene was a really nice guy. He sure was a great artist. Someone who would be a great role model, for sure.
Too bad he’s not here to be a role model to your kids.
Tribute!!
And da Birthday Week Celebration for yours trully STARTS TONIGHT at midnight EST!!
Drink a bourbon kids.. or two.. or floor.
heh.
-MKF
Do you know where your 4 ft Half Spider Clone is?
I remember when I was young, when famous people passed away that my parents knew of, I found it difficult to understand what they were feeling. Now that time has arrived where it has begun to happen to me I find it hard to put into words what someone, whom I never knew, meant to my life. It’s hard to explain to someone “famous” what they meant to you without sounding like some sort of freak.
George Harrison, Tim Findley…to name a few recent ones, have moved me through their work, more than a lot of people that I know. It’s hard to put those feelings into words….
While I never met Gene, never knew him, except through his work, and since a lot of “him” was in his work, it was hard to think about his passing.
Thank you Gene, for moments you created that touched our lives.