Zachary Quinto facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Zachary Quinto
Quinto in 2019
Born	Zachary John Quinto (1977-06-02) June 2, 1977 (age 48) Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Education	Carnegie Mellon University (BFA)
Occupation	Actor producer
Years active	2000–present
Relatives	Peter J. McArdle (great-grandfather) Joseph A. McArdle (grandfather)

Zachary John Quinto (born June 2, 1977) is an American actor and producer. He is well-known for playing the villain Sylar in the TV show Heroes (2006–2010). He also played Spock in the Star Trek movies (2009, 2013, 2016).

Quinto has starred in other popular TV series like NOS4A2 and American Horror Story: Asylum. For American Horror Story, he was even nominated for an Emmy Award, which is a big award for TV shows. Currently, he stars in and produces a medical drama called Brilliant Minds on NBC. He has also appeared in films such as Margin Call (2011) and Snowden (2016).

Early Life and Education

Zachary John Quinto was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. His mother, Margaret, worked at an investment firm, and his father, Joseph, was a barber. Zachary grew up in Green Tree, Pennsylvania. His father passed away from cancer when Zachary was seven years old. After that, Zachary and his brother, Joe, were raised by their mother.

Zachary's family has a history of public service. His great-grandfather, Peter J. McArdle, was a labor activist and a member of the Pittsburgh City Council. A road in Pittsburgh is named after him. His grandfather, Joseph A. McArdle, was a member of the U.S. House of Representatives.

Quinto went to Central Catholic High School. He was active in school musicals and won an award for Best Supporting Actor. He then studied at Carnegie Mellon University's School of Drama, graduating in 1999.

Acting Career Highlights

Zachary Quinto started his acting career on television. He appeared as a guest star on many shows, including CSI, Charmed, and Lizzie McGuire. In 2003, he got a regular role as a computer expert named Adam Kaufman on the Fox series 24. He was in 23 episodes of that show.

Becoming Sylar and Spock

In 2006, Quinto landed a major role as Sylar, a powerful villain, in the science fiction series Heroes. This role made him very well-known. He continued to work on Heroes until it ended in 2010.

Quinto at the premiere party of Heroes' third season in 2008

In 2007, it was announced that Quinto would play a young Spock in the new Star Trek film. This was a big deal because the original Spock, Leonard Nimoy, had to approve who would play the younger version of his famous character. Quinto said that Nimoy's involvement made him feel more confident.

The director of Star Trek, J. J. Abrams, praised Quinto's performance as Spock. He said Zachary brought a mix of seriousness and humor to the role, which made the character very interesting.

Film and Production Work

After Star Trek, Quinto appeared in several short films. In 2008, he started his own production company called Before the Door Pictures with Corey Moosa and Neal Dodson. This company creates films, TV shows, and even graphic novels.

One of their first big projects was the film Margin Call (2011). This independent movie was about the financial crisis and featured many famous actors. Quinto also acted in the film as Peter Sullivan. Margin Call was nominated for an Oscar for its screenplay. Quinto also helped produce another film by the same director, All Is Lost (2013), which starred Robert Redford.

Karl Urban, Quinto, J. J. Abrams, and Chris Pine at the Star Trek Into Darkness Australian movie premiere in Sydney, April 2013

In 2011, Quinto joined the TV series American Horror Story. He first had a recurring role in the first season and then a lead role as Dr. Oliver Thredson in the second season, American Horror Story: Asylum.

He continued to play Spock in the Star Trek sequels, Star Trek Into Darkness (2013) and Star Trek Beyond (2016). He also appeared in the action film Hitman: Agent 47 (2015) and the drama I Am Michael (2015). In 2016, he played journalist Glenn Greenwald in the movie Snowden, which was about Edward Snowden.

Stage Performances

Quinto has also performed a lot in theater. He has been in classic plays like Samuel Beckett's Endgame and Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing.

Quinto at a Midtown Comics signing in 2011

From 2010 to 2011, he played Louis Ironson in an Off-Broadway play called Angels in America. For this role, he won the Theatre World Award. In 2013 and 2014, he starred in The Glass Menagerie by Tennessee Williams, both in Boston and on Broadway. In 2016, he appeared in the play Smokefall in New York.

In 2018, he starred in the Broadway play The Boys in the Band. In 2022, Quinto made his debut in London's West End in the play Best of Enemies. He played Gore Vidal, a famous American writer. The play was very successful.

Filmography

Film

Television

Stage

Video games

Awards and Nominations

Zachary Quinto has received many awards and nominations for his work in TV, film, and theater.

Images for kids

• 

  Zachary Quinto in 2019

See also

In Spanish: Zachary Quinto para niños

• Sundance Film Festival
• LGBT culture in New York City
• List of LGBT people from New York City
• List of Carnegie Mellon University people
• NYC Pride March