COURSE CORRECTION: Actor Zachary Quinto says the role in Heroes really changed his trajectory in a significant way.
By Patricia Sheridan
Actor Zachary Quinto nearly gave up his dreams of an acting career until fate and opportunity intervened to give him the role of Sylar, a serial killer on Heroes. The science-fiction drama helped raise his profile as did playing Spock in the 2009 movie Star Trek and the 2013 sequel, Star Trek Into Darkness. Now 36, he recently appeared on Broadway in The Glass Menagerie, which ran for 173 performances. Excerpts.
You seem to be everywhere lately. How do you measure your own success?
I am interested in pursuing projects that fulfill me creatively, that fulfill me personally and my professional ambitions and that I can feel good about the people I’m working with and the work that I’m doing. I have been really lucky to have that be the case. So I just try to make decisions that will allow that to continue.
Was there a point when you thought, “I’ve made it!”
Heroes really changed my trajectory in a significant way. (The year) 2007 was a big year because I was made a series regular on Heroes at the same time I was cast in Star Trek and I turned 30. That was a big culmination for me. But I don’t think I ever have or necessarily will get to a place where I say, “I’ve made it.” You know, I’ve achieved a lot of goals that I set out to achieve and I am most grateful for that, but I feel like everything is in service of momentum and moving forward.
Were you always so fearless about getting attention and being in the spotlight?
(Laughing.) I was a pretty precocious kid. I feel like I was comfortable. I didn’t shy away from attention. I would say as I got older I understood more about the balance of it, you know? How to use it, how to employ it rather than basking in it. I don’t really bask in attention as much as I see it as a point of leverage. When you have people’s attention you can say more and accomplish more and that’s what I’m interested in.
You have reached a level of fame now that is hard to avoid, so how has that impacted your personal life?
I really do what I can to maintain a relatively normal personal life. It’s mitigated at times by people’s awareness of me, but I try not to let it stop me. I still take the subway everywhere I go and walk. I try to maintain a relative level of normalcy and keep my boundaries clear. My goal is to live a life that I can be comfortable with and happy with.
I’m a lot more fortunate in that regard compared to some people who can’t even walk out of their home. I see all that stuff as a part of my job, you know, people that recognise me or stop me or want pictures or want to say hello to me. It’s like I’m very clear about whether or not I am giving people what they want at any given moment. I am also very comfortable expressing that or articulating that to them.
Right, not something you didn’t expect.
Exactly. I think any actor that’s striving for success or accomplishment, especially in the film and television industry, is aware of that. With success comes that kind of recognition. If you’re not aware of that then I think you are a little out of touch. So, yeah, it’s not something I was completely surprised by and it came in waves. It builds and continues to build, and I am grateful for that, actually.
You had a rough road to becoming a working actor and nearly threw in the towel. What stopped you?
I didn’t know what else to do. Honestly, if I had been able to figure out another path or another vocation or career I probably would have explored it. But there was nothing that I could consider that would have been nearly as fulfilling or that appealed to me or that I knew how to pursue. So I knew I had to keep trying, I guess. What stopped me really was that I got Heroes. Honestly, it was in that period of time I was seriously contemplating figuring something else out, and then that job came along and changed everything.
I’m curious — what was something you would have done other than acting?
I think I would have been interested in going back to school to become a psychologist. As you mentioned and know, I am really interested in therapy and the therapeutic process. It’s an invaluable path toward self-realisation and self-actualisation. I would have probably been interested in trying to figure that out and help other people. As it stands, I was able to channel that into my work as an actor and do it that way because it is still possible to have that same goal. — Pittsburgh Post-Gazette/MCT
Andrew Dice Clay files for divorce
Actor-comedian Andrew Dice Clay has filed divorce papers in a Los Angeles Superior Court. The Brooklyn-born comic-actor, whose legal name is Andrew Silverstein, and his third wife, Valerie Silverstein separated March 18, just four years after they got married, reports people.com
“The word ‘marriage’ was putting a pressure on our relationship and since we filed, we’ve been more in love and have had more respect for each other than ever before,” said Clay.
The Blue Jasmine actor filed papers stating neither he nor his wife have separate assets worth over $40,000.
Clay, 56, said that the divorce is amicable. In fact, the couple celebrated the separation at an upscale West Hollywood restaurant. — IANS
Lindsay Lohan’s coach quits on reality show
TV actress Lindsay Lohan’s life coach A J Johnson quits on reality show after the actress falls off the wagon getting drunk.
The committed professional finally walked away to help Lohan change her life for the better. She told the cameras about drinking again after jumping into a new relationship the month before. “Yeah, I screwed up. The person I was seeing does drink and I had a glass of wine. And that was it but I just had so much guilt and it’s okay to admit it”, said Lohan. The troubled actress whose sobriety journey has taken centre stage on the show — admitted that she was having problems getting hired because of her reputation for unreliability. “Now what do I do that it doesn’t happen again?” asked the fresh-out-of-rehab star. — IANS
Depp questions humans’ dependence on technology
Hollywood actor Johnny Depp, who will be seen in the role of a technology-obsessed scientist in his next movie Transcendence, questions the dependence of humans on technology in today’s age. “In the 21st century, I think it’s appropriate to look at the way human beings worship technology and what that could mean for our future,” Depp said in a statement.
“Whether you’re on the side of technology or ecology, a pacifist or an extremist, most people have very definite opinions, and the question of how far we should allow our dependence on computers to go is a question that needs to be asked,” he added.
In Transcendence, the actor portrays the role of Will Caster, an artificial intelligence researcher who strives to create a machine that possesses sentience and collective intelligence. — IANS
Kelly Brook in new reality show?
Model-actress Kelly Brook is reportedly in talks to feature in a reality show about her wedding preparations. Brook got engaged to David McIntosh, a former star of British TV show Gladiators, in March. Now cameras are set to follow them as they get ready for the wedding day, reports contactmusic.com. A source told The Sun newspaper: “It’s early days but Kelly and David have started talks about some sort of series that will be filmed in the build-up to their wedding.”
“They both think it could make a funny, entertaining show and could also pocket a few quid (pounds).” — IANS