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His role in Heroes makes him one of many, but in Star Trek Zachary Quinto is one of two men to play Mr Spock and he couldn’t be more pleased, as FOCUS finds out.
The unintended consequences of the showbiz interview can be both good and bad, which makes it all the more important for the interviewee to weigh their words carefully. For although Zachary Quinto - beloved by Heroes fans for his role as Sylar - has won rave reviews filling Leonard Nimoy’s boots in JJ Abrams’ hit Star Trek feature, the role was secured by a chance remark.
"I was doing press for Heroes when I found out JJ was about to make the movie," Quinto recalls, "and a journalist from my home town newspaper asked me if there was any other project I'd be interested in.
"I mentioned how much I would enjoy playing Spock in this new iteration of the franchise. Then the article got syndicated and subsequently other journalists who were interviewing me about Heroes were asking about Star Trek. So, it was something that happened very unintentionally but also sort of organically."
If Quinto was on the receiving end of a piece of great good fortune in being cast as Spock, it's his talent that is responsible for the good notices he has received so far in this origin story of the Starship Enterprise crew.
Of course Spock was always an eye catching role, the half-human, half-Vulcan sidekick to the all too human, waywardly priapic Captain Kirk. And Spock was always closely identified with the actor who created the role, Leonard Nimoy, who moved behind the camera and became a director for hire when more diverse roles did not come his way.
Yet any fears Zachary Quinto might have had of being typecast as this otherworldly character were, he explains, swiftly dismissed.
"I think we exist now in a different time than the one in which the original series was created," he says thoughtfully. "I think that there's less of a stigma attached to science fiction now than there was 40 years ago. I also think people's attention span has diminished greatly in that amount of time.
"So, the notion of an actor being inextricably associated with a character that they play seems to be a little bit less of a phenomenon than maybe when Leonard and Mr Shatner took these roles and created them. I also feel like it's incumbent upon me to make sure that I have the kind of career that I want.
"And that kind of career is one of longevity and diversity, so this is hopefully a platform to let me do that. The Heroes nature of science fiction, and then Star Trek is kind of an organic progression for me as well. I'm just glad to be a part of something that I’m genuinely excited about."
Another reason Quinto enjoyed the experience so much is the opportunity he got – uniquely amongst the young cast playing the Enterprise crew - to work closely with the actor who originated his character, Leonard Nimoy.
"From the very beginning he was so available to me," Quinto nods, "he was supportive and welcoming. He gave me such creative freedom. I didn’t feel any sense of expectation or pressure from him and that was enormously helpful, as a resource.
"He was very reassuring, and it actually removed any sense of pressure or anxiety that I might have had otherwise to have him available and involved. It was a very profound experience for me because I don't think Leonard ever expected to play this character again.
"It'd been 19 years since he'd donned the ears last time, and I think this was a real opportunity not only for him to play the character again, but to be involved in the passing of the mantle. That was an incredible honour for me, certainly one that I will cherish for years to come."
ANWAR BRETT
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