Quinto: Remembering Nimoy
2 min read
Zachary Quinto shared his memories of Leonard Nimoy with Time Magazine recently.
The world was “a better place for having had Leonard Nimoy in it,” said Quinto.
Although not a fan of Star Trek as a child, Quinto was aware of Nimoy. “Of course, I was aware of, and fascinated by, his work as Spock, and also his series In Search Of…, which I watched as a curious youngster,” said Quinto.
Once he took on the role of Spock in Star Trek (2009), Quinto turned to Nimoy for help, and received more than he expected from the actor. “Initially, I was coming at it all from a strictly creative standpoint,” said Quinto. “I wanted to know that I had his support and that I could utilize him as a resource and guide through the journey of discovering who this character is for me. But what I never imagined was how close we would become, and what a father figure he would be to me.”
Nimoy helped fill a role for Quinto, that of his own father, who died when Quinto was young. “I lost my own father when I was very young, so to have this man come into my life and resonate so many qualities to which I aspire, and be such an example of dignity and grace and fulfillment — that was the part of it that so far exceeded any expectations I could have had,” said Quinto.
Nimoy genuinely cared about Quinto. “We would often talk about things that I was going through, and he had a way of guiding me with questions,” Quinto explained. “He would inquire as to the way I felt about a particular experience, or he would ask, ‘Is this a serious person? Is this someone that you respect? Is this something that you’ve grown from, and if you’ve grown from it, how have you grown?’ We would talk in these ways that were very organic, and yet there was also a depth to our conversations, even though neither of us was trying to be deep.”
Nimoy’s loss is painful for Quinto, but Quinto is appreciative for the time he had with the actor. “While it is true that I feel a profound sadness at the loss of a great man and an even greater friend, that sadness is not only counterbalanced — but outweighed — by the tremendous gratitude I have for the time we shared, the laughs we had and the stories of our connection that I will cherish forever,” said Quinto. “The world is a better place for having had Leonard Nimoy in it, and I am a better man to be sure.”
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That’s a heart-warming story. I’m glad Mr. Quinto had the great privilege of being loved and mentored by Mr. Nimoy … and that Mr. Quinto was wise enough to know just what he’d been given.
All of the problems I have with NuSpock are located in the script; Mr. Quinto is an excellent actor, and if anyone could fill such large shoes as Mr. Nimoy’s, Mr. Quinto could. Now if only the script-writers will give him an actual half-Vulcan scientist to play…
I too agree that Mr. Quinto is an excellent actor and I don’t really have a complaint with him.
My complaint is that I watched too much Heroes, so whenever I see him as Spock, I can’t help but see Sylar — one of the creepiest villains to ever grace the small screen.
Hah, yep. I still have that problem myself.
Interesting. I watched all four seasons of “Heroes” — Mr. Quinto was absolutely stunning, especially during the fourth season, where he got to show off his incredible range — and I never think of Sylar when watching Quinto as Spock. The bowl cut, the upswept eyebrows, the pointed ears — they’re all such strong Spock cues that Sylar never crosses my mind.
Well they did in the 2009 film *cough*… here’s hoping we’ll see that again at some point. Kang really liked the commercial they did together, it showed genuine warmth and friendship.
I’m surprised they had such a close relationship. I didn’t get the impression that they interacted all that much while making the last two movies. It’s cool see they formed a friendship like this.