Former Wings star Steven Weber the king of all social media?

He had a huge following on Wings and now he’s all over the Internet with almost 50,000 followers on Twitter. We had a chat with Huffington Post contributor Steven Weber about a whole lot of stuff, including his role in Hallmark Channel’s Duke, in which he plays a war vet suffering from post traumatic stress disorder, It premieres Saturday night:

You are popping up everywhere lately & have a huge following on Twitter. Do you think of yourself as a kind of king of social media as well as Renaissance man?

Twitter. Oy. I was/am addicted to it. It’s the equivalent of shouting obscene things from a moving car. And I’ve met a bunch of cool people on it. It’s the accessibility which is exciting but it’s also the thing that can ruin the experience. I’ve gotten into quite a few “flame wars” with people who my tweets have offended (I tend toward the vulgar) and sometimes that accessibility allows people to be cruel, behaving in ways they never would if they were to confront me in person. I’m not sure what it will all lead to in the end, though. All the social media out there is great but it removes the crucial element of time, which is to say, being able to ponder things, filter material and information in a way that reintroduces measured analysis into the conversation, something that has been lost in our instant-gratification culture. And as for the last question, I’m probably closer to a dilettante than a Renaissance Man.

What made you want to get involved in this movie, Duke?

The story and script were exceptional, and not just “for a Hallmark movie”. It stood out as an opportunity for me to play a deeper more interesting character than I’ve been playing recently as well as learn about the plight of returning war veterans with PTSD, something I realized my own father had after his tours in WW2 and Korea.

Do you watch war movies in general?

I think it would be hard to be a “fan” of war movies per se. I think anything that glorifies battle is a mistake, as much of the video game world tends to do. It creates an unrealistic expectation about the realities of war’s toll on the people who fight, who sacrifice. But I do confess to having pride in a film I did called “Hamburger Hill” which many vets have told me was the most realistic depiction of battle they’d seen on film.

What was your favorite part about doing this role? Least?

The best part was living in this character. Not to sound all “methody” but I’ve learned to enjoy the sometimes difficult emotional journey required to play a such a character, to see things from his point of view, to feel things I myself am not accustomed to feeling. It’s very therapeutic.

How did you prepare for the part?

In the case of Terry, much of my time was spent learning about PTSD and the light of our returning veterans (not to mention their families). There is a lot of material online, some footage from as far back as WW—“shell shock”–to WW2 and Vietnam and Iraq and Afghanistan—“battle fatigue”. Then I tried to take in as much of it as I could and sort of transpose it onto myself, like stepping into a pair of shoes, breaking them in and finally being able to walk comfortably in them. Working with Zeek (who played “Duke”) was also important to create a realistic bond. And then you just hope it all hangs together!

What do you do in your down time?

I am a father to two rambunctious boys aged 9 and 11, so much of my down time is spent screaming and yelling. Not really. But living in LA requires kids to be driven everywhere and add to that my list of “honey-dos” there simply ain’t a lot of down time! But I wouldn’t want it any other way.

What other news do you have? Any other films we should look out for?

I recently guest starred on this hilarious show on FX called “Wilfred” starring Eljah Wood. It’s very depraved and completely insane. In other words, a blast. I’m also in the finale of CBS’s series “Two Broke Girls” as Beth Behrs’ imprisoned father. And there’s a smattering of other cool projects that will be popping up all over the place soon.

Who is your dream director/costar?

That’s a tough one as there are so many, many of whom are no longer alive! I would have loved to do sketch comedy with Sid Caesar and Imogene Coca. Or just be onstage with Gielgud or Maggie Smith. Dream directors would be Paul Thomas Anderson (who I know and who I hope reads this!!!!), Wes Andersen, Mike Leigh. There are so many more.

This story was originally published April 27, 2012 at 5:04 AM with the headline "Former Wings star Steven Weber the king of all social media?."