Wil Wheaton in 2026 is Wiser and Healthier Than in 2017. And He Doesn’t Talk to His Parents

Actor, podcaster, and all-around nerd superhero Wil Wheaton has achieved something he never could reach throughout his storied career: peace and understanding. He has a grip on complex post-traumatic stress disorder, understands the effects of abuse he had received from his parents as a child star, and has cut them out of his life. That wasn’t the case when he first joined our show in 2017 and we hear that interview as well. He talks about loving acting but hating the professional experience of being an actor at a very early age, especially because it robbed him of a childhood. He was also miserable from the constant rejection of the industry. Today, in 2026, we make some connections between the pain he was in back then and the better life he has today. We explore how he looked to Hollywood for the comfort and support he never received and how, aside from a Star Trek cast full of truly wonderful friends, the industry couldn’t provide it. Wil has cut off contact from his mom and dad. And that’s worked out really well.