The Big Bang Theory: Wil Wheaton's Secret To Playing An 'Evil' Version Of Himself

"The Big Bang Theory" features quite a few entertaining celebrity appearances all throughout its run, but few can match how the series handles "Star Trek: The Next Generation" star Wil Wheaton's role on the series. Rather than portraying a fictional character, Wheaton portrays a sensationalized and decidedly more nefarious version of his real-life self. And, as it happens, Wheaton actually utilized an interesting strategy to get himself prepared to play his "evil" on-screen counterpart.

In an interview with TV Insider, Wheaton spoke about how he centered his portrayal of himself on "The Big Bang Theory" around one key difference from his real-world self. "The first choice that I made as an actor was that the version of Wil Wheaton, who appears in 'TBBT' universe, isn't married, which immediately took me out of my head and my comfort zone to where I could think [of me] as a different character," the actor explained. "He is who I would be if I'd never met my wife."

While Wil Wheaton was instrumental in shaping his own characterization on "The Big Bang Theory," it wasn't his choice alone to lean into his villainous side. In an interview with Larry King, Wheaton explained how series co-creator Bill Prady approached him with the idea of not only having him appear on the show but having him serve as a long-standing nemesis to Jim Parsons' Sheldon Cooper. Wheaton was immediately sold on the idea, saying, "It's always more fun to be the villain."

Despite the initial characterization of Wheaton as an antagonist to the gang, his fictional counterpart grows a lot over the course of "The Big Bang Theory." In the later seasons, he squashes his beef with Sheldon and even becomes close friends with his former adversaries. "When we started to transition from that Wil Wheaton from being a villain to ally and part of the 'friend' group, he started to become more like who I am," he told TV Insider. "That was an adjustment. First, I had to adjust to being a villain to, basically, being myself. It took me about ten years, but I could finally make that separation and be comfortable about being a heightened version of myself."

In the end, Wheaton's fictional backstory goes full circle. He notably attends Sheldon and Amy's wedding in the Season 11 finale, bringing a date portrayed by none other than his real-life wife, Anne Wheaton. It seems Wheaton's marriage may have had a role in changing his devious on-screen counterpart for the better as well.