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Revision as of 22:02, 10 May 2012

Roy ram
Roy Kleinberg
Biographical information
Aliases Popcorn Co-Worker (original designation)
ZackAttack (pseudonym)
Ram (nickname)
Status Alive
Physical description
Gender Male
Hair Color Brown
Eye Color Blue
Other information
Functions ENCOM Lead Programmer (1977-1990)
Programs Ram
Allies Alan Bradley
Kevin Flynn
Out of universe information
Actor Dan Shor
Appearances TRON (as "Popcorn Co-worker")
TRON: The Next Day
Popcorn coworker


Roy "Ram" Kleinberg (aka ZackAttack) is a former ENCOM computer programmer who co-founded the Flynn Lives movement. He also wrote the actuarial program, Ram. Kleinberg is a minor character, initially billed as "Popcorn Co-Worker" in TRON, and was portrayed by Dan Shor, who also portrayed Ram.

History

In 1982, Kleinberg worked for ENCOM in a cubicle adjacent to that of Alan Bradley. When Bradley went to Ed Dillinger to complain about being blocked from Group 7 access, Kleinberg asked for some of his popcorn, annoying Bradley further.

Kleinberg was made redundant from ENCOM in 1990 after problems hit the company from Kevin Flynn's disappearance the year before. Embittered by the change in direction that the company had taken, and wishing to see Flynn restored to leadership, he adopted the pseudonym of "ZackAttack" and secretly founded the Flynn Lives campaign. He had hoped that Flynn Lives could gather enough data, and spread enough of the legend of Kevin Flynn, that he could make the world a better place, or even uncover the whereabouts of the absent ENCOM CEO.

Despite enormous efforts of the clandestine organization, Kevin Flynn was never found and Roy soon became despondent. Flynn Lives itself largely became silent. Then in 2009, Sam, the orphaned son of Flynn, made an appearance that would reboot all that Flynn Lives stood for and Kleinberg resumed his campaign with as much vigor as he ever had. Over the course of the following year Flynn Lives proved to be a thorn in the side of ENCOM, right up until the fateful day when Sam Flynn gained access to ENCOM Tower on the eve of the release of ENCOM's latest operating system release.

When the liberated software was uploaded online for the world to download for free, ENCOM's scrutiny quickly turned to the breach in security and the group that had plagued their business empire for so long. Then the shock news of Sam Flynn's sudden move to claim leadership over the corporation only served to make the situation even more worrying for Kleinberg, and fearing exposure, he hastily began to dismantle and abandon his campaign. He was about to destroy years of corporate espionage when he was interrupted by the arrival of Alan Bradley.

Alan coaxed Kleinberg out of wiping a data-packed hard drive and then proceeded to reassure his friend that everything was okay. With Sam moving to take control of ENCOM, and Bradley's presence being requested as the new chairman, there would be a significant amount of restructuring to follow. Alan then challenged Roy to take up an offer with ENCOM, asking him to think of himself as "ENCOM's moral compass". Kleinberg accepted.

Trivia

  • Ram said that he "worked in a big insurance company". This may seem like a continuity error, as Kleinberg was working at ENCOM at the time, but it's likely that Ram was dispatched to the insurance company after being written at ENCOM, while Kleinberg remained behind.
  • In TRON 2.0, another ENCOM co-worker asks about having some of Alan's popcorn; a reference to the character.
  • In TRON: The Next Day viral, Alan is seen to grab a handful of Roy's popcorn, in an inside joke and nod to the original Popcorn Co-Worker scene.
  • The Popcorn Co-Worker was reportedly named in the script as "Walter Dinsey" in reference to Walt Disney. The name of Roy Kleinberg was revealed in the TRON: The Next Day viral video, released to coincide with the Blu-ray and DVD release of TRON: Legacy.

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