LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Wil Wheaton, who starred in 'Star Trek' and the movie 'Stand By Me', has said that his parents "stole nearly all of my salary from my entire childhood." The 50-year-old TV personality joined many other actors and artists who went on strike with the Writers Guild of America (WGA) for the first time in more than 60 years.
Wheaton said on Instagram while standing with actress Cheryl Gates McFadden at the SAG-AFTRA picket line in Los Angeles, "In 1960, SAG and WGA struck to force management to adapt to the new technology of television. Without that strike and the agreement it birthed, residual use payments would not exist." The star was one of the most popular child actors in the 1980s and 1990s; he played Wesley Crusher on the tv show 'Star Trek: The Next Generation', Joey Trotta in 'Toy Soldiers', and Bennett Hoenicker in 'Flubber'.
Who are Wil Wheaton's parents?
Debra and Richard Wheaton welcomed Wil into the world on July 29, 1972, in Burbank, California. According to Indie Wire, Richard worked in the medical field and Debra was an actress. They also had a son named Jeremy and a sister named Amy. They are currently estranged and have never publicly discussed the alleged abuse that Wil has accused them of. In a previous interview, Wheaton claimed that despite never wanting to be an actor, he became one because of his 'emotionally abusive' parents. The voice actor for 'The Secret of NIMH' said, "I didn't want to be an actor when I was a kid," in a statement to Yahoo! Movies on the 35th anniversary of the debut of 'Stand By Me' in May 2021. “My parents forced me to do it, my mother made me do it. My mother coached me to go into her agency and tell the children’s agent, 'I want to do what mommy does.' And through a combination of an incredible emotional abuse from my father and a lot of manipulation, using me, from my mother, it really put me in that place."
'My Star Trek residuals were all I had'
Wheaton also recently said that his parents stole his childhood earnings. "My parents stole nearly all of my salary from my entire childhood," he remarked. "My Star Trek residuals were all I had, and they kept me afloat for two decades while I rebuilt my life." The actor went on, "I have healthcare and a pension because of my union. The AMPTP billionaires want to take all that security away so they can give CEOs even more grotesque wealth at the expense of the people who make our industry run."
'I was the lowest paid cast member in 1988'
Wheaton further said, "To give some sense of what is at stake: There are actors who star in massively successful, profitable, critically acclaimed shows that are all on streaming services. You see them all the time. They are famous, A-list celebrities." "Nearly all" of those artists, according to the actor, "don't earn enough to qualify for health insurance." He explained, "The studios forced them to accept a buyout for all their residuals (decade of reuse, at the least) that is less than I earned for one week on TNG. And I was the lowest paid cast member in 1988. They want to do this while studio profits and CEO compensation are at historic highs."
"I mean, if not now, when? And I haven’t even touched on AI and working conditions," Wil continued, claiming stars must "fight for the future of our industry in the face of changing technology." "So today, my Spacemom and I went to the place where it started for us, way back when, to do just that," he added, referring to McFadden.
'Telling the truth'
Wheaton's followers were quick to respond to his claims. A person commented, "I'm sorry your parents stole from you. I support this strike." Another said, "Wheaton speaks from experience." "Telling the truth!" someone else claimed. "Glad your Space Mom and you are hanging together!" wrote another. "Thank you for sharing. I’m so glad those residuals could help you through the hard times and I stand with you and every worker fighting for a fair deal," a user said.
