Long before Michael Fassbender and Ashton Kutcher brought to life Apple co-founder Steve Jobs, Noah Wyle assumed the character in the 1999 feature “Pirates of Silicon Valley.” Directed by Martyn Burke, this made-for-television movie delved into the competition between Jobs and Microsoft CEO Bill Gates, portrayed by Anthony Michael Hall. The cast also included Joey Slotnick as Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak.
While it didn’t garner as much attention as Danny Boyle’s “Steve Jobs” or Ashton Kutcher’s “Jobs,” “Pirates of Silicon Valley” was favorably received by critics. It boasts an 89% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, outpacing both Kutcher’s “Jobs” at 27% and Boyle’s movie at 85%. Furthermore, Noah Wyle had a distinctive experience that neither Fassbender nor Kutcher had—the opportunity to meet Steve Jobs personally.
Wyle recounted to Fortune how he met Jobs over dinner with a group of designers. During the occasion, Jobs revealed an idea that would eventually evolve into the iPad. He illustrated a picture frame where the image was a moving video, sketching the concept out on a napkin. The designers endorsed the idea without alterations. Although Wyle tried to keep the napkin, he was beckoned away by Jobs, missing the opportunity to possess a piece of tech history. Regardless, it remains a memorable anecdote for Wyle.
