Old Spock, new Spock
May 9th 2009 00:01
Legendary actor Leonard Nimoy, who originally brought Star Trek's most famous Vulcan to life, has shared some of his knowledge with the Spock of the new movie, Heroes star Zachary Quinto. The two stars both appear in the 2009 J.J. Abrams blockbuster - and meet as the same person at different stages of his life - thanks to some classic sci-fi plot lines.
The role of Spock isn't just your average movie part, as the ever-logical Vulcan is a cultural icon with countless followers worldwide. When the two actors first met in the elevator, Nimoy said to Quinto, "Do you have any idea what you're getting into?"
Warnings of obsessive fandom aside, Nimoy believes Quinto is the ideal actor for the role of Spock. Said Nimoy, "I called [director] J.J. [Abrams] and I said, 'I think he's terrific. I think the resemblance works. Most importantly, he has an interior life.' That's very essential to the character. Then we had some very good conversations and I think that we come from the same kind of ethos as far as the work is concerned. I feel very comfortable with him. He's also a smart guy. I like smart people."
For Quinto, one of the biggest challenges in adapting to the role of Spock was the need to shave his eyebrows, and wear the iconic bowl cut - apparently he didn't leave the house without a hat and big sunglasses for months! "The eyebrows for me were probably the biggest challenge, just because my eyebrows are such a big part of my face," Quinto said. "There's really no way around it and to lose three-quarters of them for six months...!" Nimoy, however, didn't have such a problem with the eyebows as his "weren't so prominent to begin with. I would pencil in the missing portion of the eyebrows so that I could get away with it." He warns Quinto that "over the years the more and more I shaved them the less and less they came back!"
As for favourite fan encounters, Nimoy said that "People talk about the positive influence that Star Trek and the character have had on their lives. A lot of people will tell me that they're in the sciences because of Spock, [or] that during adolescence they used Spock as a role model on how to function with some dignity and equilibrium, dealing with the logic versus the emotional issues that all of us feel sometimes. It's just good to hear that."
The new Star Trek movie is currently screening in Australian cinemas - click here for the review.
The changing face of Dr Spock
The role of Spock isn't just your average movie part, as the ever-logical Vulcan is a cultural icon with countless followers worldwide. When the two actors first met in the elevator, Nimoy said to Quinto, "Do you have any idea what you're getting into?"
Warnings of obsessive fandom aside, Nimoy believes Quinto is the ideal actor for the role of Spock. Said Nimoy, "I called [director] J.J. [Abrams] and I said, 'I think he's terrific. I think the resemblance works. Most importantly, he has an interior life.' That's very essential to the character. Then we had some very good conversations and I think that we come from the same kind of ethos as far as the work is concerned. I feel very comfortable with him. He's also a smart guy. I like smart people."
Nimoy and Quinto in 2009
For Quinto, one of the biggest challenges in adapting to the role of Spock was the need to shave his eyebrows, and wear the iconic bowl cut - apparently he didn't leave the house without a hat and big sunglasses for months! "The eyebrows for me were probably the biggest challenge, just because my eyebrows are such a big part of my face," Quinto said. "There's really no way around it and to lose three-quarters of them for six months...!" Nimoy, however, didn't have such a problem with the eyebows as his "weren't so prominent to begin with. I would pencil in the missing portion of the eyebrows so that I could get away with it." He warns Quinto that "over the years the more and more I shaved them the less and less they came back!"
As for favourite fan encounters, Nimoy said that "People talk about the positive influence that Star Trek and the character have had on their lives. A lot of people will tell me that they're in the sciences because of Spock, [or] that during adolescence they used Spock as a role model on how to function with some dignity and equilibrium, dealing with the logic versus the emotional issues that all of us feel sometimes. It's just good to hear that."
The new Star Trek movie is currently screening in Australian cinemas - click here for the review.
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