Tommy Wiseau

Filmmaker and actor Tommy Wiseau was one of the most mysterious figures in 21st century film, and his disinclination to reveal details of his personal history only served to stoke the mythology that swirled up around him. He was assumed to be of Polish origin, and to have come to the U.S. as a young man. But most of the facts about Wiseau's early life that emerged were unconfirmed, including the ones mentioned in The Disaster Artist, a 2013 memoir written by Greg Sestero, who co-starred in Wiseau's first film, "The Room" (2003). Originally a Wiseau play that he turned into a novel before adapting it for film, "The Room" became the primary source of Wiseau's renown. A romantic drama revolving around three characters, including those portrayed by Wiseau and Sestero, was a complete flop upon its initial release, but over time it came to be ironically celebrated for its confusingly constructed plotline, massive inconsistencies, and awkward performances. Hailed by aficionados such as writer/director David Wain, "The Room" was hailed as the worst film ever made, and a huge cult audience embraced it. At showings all over the world people attended dressed as the film's characters and shouted out dialogue along with the movie, a la "The Rocky Horror Picture Show" (1975). Wiseau happily stoked the flames of this acceptance, making personal appearances at many of the screenings, even though he eventually suggested that "The Room" was actually intended to be a dark comedy rather than a straight drama. In 2004, Wiseau released his documentary "Homeless in America," which won a New York International Independent Film and Video Festival award for Best Social Documentary. He also appeared as an actor in a handful of independent movies and wrote, directed and starred in the series "The Neighbors" (Hulu 2015) and appeared in an episode of the show "Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job!" (Adult Swim 2007-2010). In 2017, James Franco directed, co-produced and starred in a film version of "The Disaster Artist" (2017), portraying Wiseau in the biopic about the filmmaker's creation of "The Room" and friendship with Sestero, played by his brother Dave Franco.