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- or -  VF: You make your movie debut in Metallica: Some Kind of Monster. What did you think of the movie? Was it weird seeing yourself on the big screen? SW: It wasn’t weird – for me, anyway. When I watched the movie, one of the key things that struck me was watching that two-and-a-half year chunk of time condensed into two-and-a-half hours. There’s some creative editing there – obviously there has to be - I understand that they need to do those things for dramatic effect. You gotta make it a watchable film and apply the dramatic arc where and when necessary.
 Steve making his movie debut (From the Metallica: Some Kind of Monster DVD) VF: In 2001, you went on a trip with Lars in a Winnebago in the northwestern United States (as described in So What! 8.3). How cool was that? SW: The main thing I remember was we were on that trip learning all these things about James while he was away in rehab. It was a very dark time. I remember that quote that Lars said in the movie, that "If he walked away from Metallica, I'm not sure that would surprise me." At the time of this trip, no one really knew where James’ head was at, and he wasn't really telling anyone. I don’t think he was even sure where he was at either.
 (from So What! 8.3) VF: Did you do anything fun/exciting on the trip? SW: Read Lars’ article… Sinking the jetski in Flathead Lake and ‘The Money Shot’ come to mind. There’s some great footage of us taking that cover photo in Glacier National Park – the audio is priceless. You have to keep in mind that that was melting glacier water he was standing under!
 (from So What! 8.3) VF: Weren't you the first person to see James post-rehab? SW: Yeah! I was actually probably the first person from the Metallica camp to actually SEE him (after he left rehab). I ran into him at the mall. We almost collided with each other. This was even before he was really ready to talk to anyone. That scene in the Metallica: Some Kind of Monster DVD (deleted scene) where I'm on a computer and helping Lars and Kirk log onto the MetClub chat was the day I saw James.
 Steve helping Lars and Kirk go onto the MetClub chat (From the Metallica: Some Kind of Monster DVD) SW: All those meetings they were having with Phil Towle...I was really respectful of their privacy. I don't believe James had made any contact with them (Lars, Kirk, Bob Rock, etc.) yet. I think he talked with Kirk just to say 'hey', but I remember Bob saying that James was like this mythical Bigfoot creature...like "Have you seen him/it?" Then I walked in, and I didn't know how distant it actually was at the time (between James and Lars/Kirk/Bob). I said "Yeah, I just saw James at the mall." And they were like "WHOA!!!! What did he say?" As soon as that happened, (Joe) Berlinger runs into the room and starts throwing a microphone on me and starts to videotape me. "Start talking! Start talking!," Joe said. But by that time I had already finished telling Lars, Kirk and Bob what had happened. VF: So you just happen to run into James...at the mall??? SW: Yeah. I just ran into James at the local mall. He was getting his glasses fixed or something. One of Steffan's round table interviews in So What! soon after that references this incident. They joked about it.
 Excerpt from Steffan's round table interview with Metallica (from So What! 10.2) SW: It was really, really interesting when I saw him cause you could completely tell that he was a completely different person. When we talked and I could tell from the get-go by the way he spoke that he had changed. You know, he's not the most approachable person to begin with - he's "The Mighty Hetfield"! He's a big guy. He's not exactly the little charmer that Lars is. He's doesn’t say much more than he has to. But, suddenly there was a real gentle side to him. His hair was kind of grown out. It wasn't in any trademark black-on-black Hetfield-look. He was real skinny. He had new glasses - almost unrecognizable. He was real gentle...and that's not a word that anyone would often use to refer to James Hetfield! He was a gentle spirit – almost broken. You could tell he had gone through a major cleansing both spiritally and physically. SW: He kind of reminded me of someone who goes off and finds himself and comes back sort of like the main character in Into the Wild. That aura of him resonated with me. Maybe I was reading too much into it, but there was something new...sort of like being born again...not really in a ‘Christian’ sense but whatever he went through he was starting everything over again from scratch. Starting life over. We had a nice talk...it was the longest we talked in awhile. We actually had a real long conversation about life - all personal stuff. It was nothing about "Hey, when you gonna start rockin again?" It was just like a "How are you/How’s life?" type of conversation.
VF: You made your acting debut in the Sean Penn directed movie, Into the Wild (Note: Into the SW: Into the Wild is based on a true story and the bestselling book by Jon Krakauer. After graduating from college in 1992, top student and athlete Christopher McCandless -- who was raised in Annandale, Virginia -- abandoned his possessions, gave his entire $24,000 savings account to charity and hitchhiked to Alaska to live in the wilderness. Two years later, his decomposed body was found by hunters. I highly recommend everyone to go see the movie and read the book. The role of Christopher McCandless was played by Emile Hirsch (The Girl Next Door,Speed Racer).
 (picture courtesy of Into the Wild) SW: I really connected with Chris' story. I can identify with him on some levels. After high school, I needed to discover some new adventures far away from the midwest and break away from everything I had known up until then. In short, Metallica was my Alaska. SW: Okay...how I got the part: Over the years, Sean Penn and I have become good friends. During the times we hung out, he started to pick up on some of my "impersonations." He pulled me aside one night and asked if I had ever thought about being an actor. This was right about the time he was casting for Into the Wild. He wanted to see what I appeared like on camera so I gave him some footage of me and my wife acting/goofing around as German tourists. Sean liked what he saw and he said he wanted me in the movie. He gave me the script and said to pick a part. I picked the part of the Lee's Ferry Ranger.
 Lee's Ferry Ranger (Steve) and Chris McCandless (Emile Hirsch) (picture courtesy of Into the Wild) SW: My scenes were with Emile Hirsch. Between Emile, Sean and myself, we had lots of fun improvising and collaborating with the script. We stuck with the script, but my dialogue while I was on the phone was improvised. The scenes I was in were shot on location at Lee's Ferry in Page, Arizona (where the Colorado River meets the Grand Canyon). I was also invited to go to a few shooting locations during the filming of the movie, including Alaska. Alaska reminded me a lot of back home in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan with all of the nature, wilderness and the remoteness.
  (Left) Steve and Sean Penn / (Right) Steve at the premier of Into the Wild
  (Left) Emile Hirsch and Steve / (Right) Steve at the Lee's Ferry Ranger
VF: Is acting something you want to do? SW: I would love to keep it up. It’s a great creative outlet for me right now and it gives me a chance to express myself outside of the Metallica arena. In fact I just landed a role in Gus Van Zant’s new movie called “Milk” which is being shot here in San Francisco. I play a wary, straight-laced (if not homophobic) Irish Catholic liquor store owner from the early ‘70s named McConnely. I’m Harvey Milk (played by Sean Penn) and his boyfriend’s (played by James Franco) not-so-warm welcome to the neighborhood.
 (picture courtesy of Steve Wiig)
 "The two that made it all the way!" - Niclas and Steve (picture courtesy of MetOnTour.com) VF: You've led a very interesting life so far; you've been to places all around the world, seen things very few people get to see, met/become friends with a lot of cool people, and experienced things that only a few people can dream of. What's next for Steven Wiig? Where do you see yourself in 10 years? 20 years? SW: Let's see... More Metallica? More movies? More kids? Who knows what the future holds?
 The baton being passed to the future of Metal -- Steve's son, Magnus (picture courtesy of Steve Wiig) SW: I’m very loyal to Lars and Metallica. They’re like family to me. I mean, Lars is my son Magnus’ Godfather. Who knows? Let’s see where it goes. I’m interested to see how this Metalli-train will come to it’s end – if ever! You see all the Zeppelin, Aerosmith, Sabbath stuff still happening still thirty years later – It’ll be interesting. There’s definitely some vitality left in Metallica and for them it’s always been about moving forward. I’m actually looking forward to the ‘reflecting’ stage. Whether or not that’s when they’re ‘done’ or not, I think I’ve got a little chunk of the historical storytelling to contribute to. Not in a ‘tell-all’ sense, but I think Lars and I could actually have a blast writing a pretty entertaining book one day. SW: Trust me.
VF: Thanx for the interview, Steve!!!
To find out more information about Steve and all of his endeavors, be sure to check out these sites:
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