Results based thinking IMO. If we accept this was 1989/1990 when it occurred, he had been in Stand by Me and had a number of other roles. It wasn't impossible for him to see himself carving out a Brat Pack type film career (think Anthony Michael Hall) as he entered his mid-late teens. You could certainly argue his time on Star Trek typecast him and turned the viewing public against him enough that it sabotaged any chances of that.

Yeah, I think you have to see this from Wheaton's PoV. He was a teenager probably having smoke blown up his ass by his agent and fanmail delivered by the sack load.

I doubt anyone at that age is really self-aware enough to make an objective call on his own ability, and even if he was (and he realised he was neither great or popular) then the right call was probably to leave TNG and cash in on movie roles before they dried up.

Stewart and Frakes aside, I doubt any of the original TNG cast have fared that much better than Wheaton financially, and certainly not artistically.

Worf
Colm Meaney

for sure.

And arguably the entire cast fared better financially than Wheaton. Second half of season 4 then seasons 5-7 plus four movies? That has to be better than lol Wheaton.

And if Wheaton stuck it out he could easily have been a regular on DS9 or Voyager! Coming out of the academy as a freshly minted real Ensign. Oops!

I mean how many times has an actor leaving a hit TV show to pursue his career in movies worked out? Once. It has worked out one time.

I think I've said it before, I'm always bemused by the Wil Wheaton hate in this thread. Seems incredibly out of proportion.

I don't actually mind the character Wesley, particularly in season 3 and 4. I just think it's hilarious he left a hit show where he could have made a million bucks a year then at least as much in movies.

Bruce Willis
Michael J Fox

I was about to mention him and Tom Hanks, but they didn't leave their shows, the shows just ended.

Rob Reiner qualifies though that was as a director.

Bruce Willis didn't leave Moonlighting, it was cancelled. Michael Fox didn't leave Family Ties.

Also, Clooney's contract was up and he elected not to renew it. Very different from breaking a contract like Wesley. I'm sure that throws up red flags for studios.

Johnny Depp

oh yeah, good point

Michael Douglas

You've left out quite a few SNL cast members who left voluntarily to pursue movie careers and were quite successful. Among them would be Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Chevy Chase, Eddie Murphy, Will Ferrell, Billy Crystal, Mike Myers, and more. I'd include Adam Sandler and Robert Downey, Jr., but I believe that they were fired, although I'm not 100% sure about that.

Ron Howard would be another one in that category.

I have nothing against Wil Wheaton. It's that Wesley guy I cannot stand!

SNL is very different. I mean it's essentially a permanent sketch comedy show, obviously no one is going to stick around for the entire run of the show.

Clint Eastwood

I had written Clint Eastwood in my post as well, but then I double-checked and found that he was in Rawhide until the series ended. Interesting that we both thought he quit the show to do movies.

Shutup Wesley!

How many Star Trek fans here watched the X-Files.

Most of us I'd imagine. There is an X-Files thread in this subforum.

edit: Here it is. It got resurrected during the new 6-episode season and then died again.

http://forumserver.twoplustwo.com/63...hread-1513041/

Thanks

erm, I run an X-Files podcast called The X-Files X-Philes if anyone wants to hear about or talk about the X-Files

As an OG Wesley hater, I appreciate this episode quite a bit.

In all seriousness, this is a respectable, dignified sendoff for a recurring character, especially in comparison with the way Tasha Yar and Dr. Pulaski were sent off. Mostly this is carried by Picard going full Lawrence of Arabia and having some quality moments with Wesley.

Observant viewers will notice that the phasers used in this episode are antiquated TOS-era phasers, in keeping with the tugboat captain's rag-and-bone style.

The groundskeeper Picard mentions (great scene!) will make an appearance in a future TNG episode and, curiously enough, in two Voyager episodes.

No opinion on Wil Wheaton's career choice. He seems to have carved out a niche for himself, hindsight is always 20/20, who knows where life would have taken him if he'd stayed on the show.

Literally all of them. Every single one.