Wil Wheaton played Wesley Crusher — son of chief medical officer Beverly Crusher, on “Star Trek: The Next Generation” — in the late 1980s and early 1990s. While he is largely known for his role in the sci-fi series, he also appeared in films such as “Stand By Me,” “Toy Soldiers,” and “The Last Starfighter” and has become a cult hero. However, he had no interest in acting when he was a child and blames his parents for forcing him into show business. In fact, he told Yahoo! during a 2021 interview that he had no decision-making power when it came to starring on the big screen.
He explained, “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.'” His mother was an actress, and his father worked in the medical field. Both of his parents manipulated him to act, according to the star, who told Yahoo!: “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.” When he watches the film “Stand by Me,” his first starring role, Wheaton recognizes the “unbelievable sadness in my eyes” that he feels was caused by feeling isolated and invisible in his home.
If you or someone you know is dealing with domestic abuse, you can call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1−800−799−7233. You can also find more information, resources, and support at their website.
