MovieChat Forums > The Room (2003) Discussion > I feel sorry for Tommy Wiseau and Greg S...

I feel sorry for Tommy Wiseau and Greg Sestero


I enjoy laughing at The Room as much as anyone, but I can't help feeling a little sorry for them.

The Room was Tommy's pride and joy. He thought it was a beautiful, moving, inspiring, heartbreaking masterpiece like Schindler's List. Now it's the laughing stock of cinema. He pretends to be totally cool with it, but he's clearly crushed.

And Greg Sestero dreamed of being a famous actor since he was a kid. He almost made it, but Tommy screwed it all up. He never really wanted to act in The Room, but Tommy pretty much bribed him into doing it, and that destroyed his career before it even started. I don't even know what he does for work now, but he will never be able to act again in anything other than a Tommy Wiseau movie.

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Greg Sestero was recently in 5 Second Film's kickstarter film, Dudebro Party Massacre III. While I'm sure having The Room on his profile is a big factor why he doesn't get many roles, but the truth is he wasn't really that great of an actor to begin with. His book does deal with the resentment of the Mark character and the world Tommy created, but he's still had the option like Dan (Chris-R) or Juliette (Lisa) to show something resembling decent acting. Maybe one day he'll get an oppourtunity to really showcase his talent, but we may never know.

Tommy, on the other hand is an interesting case. He still has pride in The Room and if he's acting happy about its success, it's convincing, and it's superior acting to anything he did in The Room. It could simply be he's so vain he takes pride in all forms of attention, even bad press.

I...drink...your...MILKSHAKE!

I DRINK IT UP!!!

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He can't be that heartbroken showing up to televised interviews with Tommy shopping his book, I think he did pretty good for himself. Sestro may never be Deniro but he made is mark in a pretty unconventional way. Which if you think about it, is pretty flipping cool and unique.

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'...made his mark.."

Pun intended?

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I used to feel sorry for him until I saw what all the fuss was about. This is so bad that no one could purposely try to do worse.

1. BVS 2. TWS 3. Avengers

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This is so bad that no one could purposely try to do worse.
Neil Breen.

I...drink...your...MILKSHAKE!

I DRINK IT UP!!!

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Is he intentionally bad though? I haven't seen any of his stuff, but I read up on some of his work and it seems he's genuinely trying to be cool and good.

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Both Neil and Tommy have that in common, they were both trying to make a serious film.

I...drink...your...MILKSHAKE!

I DRINK IT UP!!!

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I thought so. But I think the person above was saying 'you couldn't do worse if you did it on purpose.'

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OK after reading The FAQ I nonloger feel sorry for Tommy he seems like a dick who mistreated everyone working on this movie including Greg.

1. BVS 2. TWS 3. Avengers

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There's nothing to feel bad about.

Would you go buy professional video cameras and spend money on actors and sets to film a script you wrote without any legitimate reinforcement that what you wrote was worth filming?

No, it's something a person with the mentality of a child does.

I mean I suppose if you want to feel bad for him for that reason, then sure.

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While Tommy has felt bad for his movie being regarded as a joke, he now seems to enjoy the infamy that it has brought him.

Greg understood the film really wasn't going to take him where he wanted as an actor, but after listening to interviews of him, he is grateful for what the movie has done for his career as a cult actor. From what he's said it seems that he was given a percent of the profits when Tommy brought him on, but he never thought he would get anything from it, but it has now made him money hand over foot and allowed him to travel all over the world to showcase it to people who do midnight showings. Also his book about this whole ordeal is utterly amazing and kind of scary at times with how his relationship with Tommy developed leading up to the making of the movie.

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They still make a living out this movie, and in a way they are "famous" or at least part of the pop culture : they sell action figures of Tommy Wiseau !

I don't think they regret making this movie at all: better to be famous for something, anything than being a nobody IMO

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