Zachary Quinto Keeps It Honest

Zachary Quinto may play the role of an alien from beyond the stars, but his feet are firmly on the ground here on Earth.

Speaking with the Los Angeles Times, Zachary Quinto explained how the writer's strike has drawn the creative people of the city closer. "The strike is an incredibly unifying force in terms of the people that are creating stuff here," he said. "It's a really challenging time. I think the energy of the city, the psyche of the city, reflects that. It's bringing people together who might not be together against a larger force. From that emerges a sense of pride and confidence about what people are creating here." Quinto, a Pittsburgh native, has resided in Los Angeles for the past eight years.

He went on to explain the direct impact of the strike on his work on Heroes. "As it became clearer and clearer that that was going to devolve and there was going to be a strike, the tone of things on set just sort of shifted. There was no formal conversation. We have screenings every Friday on our lunch break of the episode about to air. By that time the strike had already happened. All of a sudden the writers weren't there. An unexpected, unwanted vacation for everybody." Quinto expressed sympathy for the crew of the show. "The unfortunate need for the sacrifice of individuals to benefit for the group is uncomfortable and painful. The crew doesn't benefit from the outcome of the negotiations. That's a difficult thing for me."

With a raised profile comes more attention. Quinto has had to deal with the increased scrutiny from both the public and the press. "The insidiousness of public interest in celebrity is at a fever pitch," he said. "It's indicative of our larger societal problems. It's very frustrating to be involved in an industry that perpetuates a detachment from what's really going on." While he deplored the seeming lack of interest in serious things as opposed to the obsession with the trivial, Quinto enjoys public interaction. "I love to meet people, and I love to go out," he said.

Quinto makes sure to keep his role in life in proper perspective. "It doesn't matter who you are and what you do for a living in the countryside of Germany," he said, after a recent backpacking trip there while waiting to hear the results of his Star Trek audition. "It was about reminding myself of the place that I'm in in the world, not just in this town in this industry, in a much larger spectrum.

For more of the interview, head to the article located here.

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