Zachary Quinto Coming Out VIDEO - 'I Just Did It,' 'Star Trek' Actor Says
When Zachary Quinto, who plays Spock in "Star Trek Into Darkness," came out publicly that he is gay, he gave no warning to his family, friends or publicists.
In an interview with movie critic Peter Travers on ABC's Popcorn, Quinto said: "I didn't tell anyone I was going to do it so no one had a chance to [give me advice]. I just did it. No one in my life knew."
Quinto, 35, is best known for starring on the TV series Heroes and as Spock in the recent film Star Trek Into Darkness, released on May 16. He came out as gay in a high-profile interview with New York magazine in October 2011. His announcement was seemed to help undermine the prejudice that publicly gay actors will not be accepted by audiences in straight film roles.
The actor said he has not experienced any adverse effects career-wise after his announcement. He thinks people are more accepting of homosexuals and marriage equality than they were a few years ago.
Quinto played a series of gay roles onscreen, including one on Tori Spelling's TV show So NoTORIous and on the FX series American Horror Story, where he plays the kinky dead owner of the haunted house that is outspoken about gay-rights issues.
In summer 2011, New York State passed a law legalizing gay marriage, That same summer, 14-year-old gay high school student Jamey Rodemeyer was bullied to death. Quinto said he saw a hopelessness in the disparity and in reaction to the events, Quinto wrote on his website the following:
"When I found out that Jamey Rodemeyer killed himself - I felt deeply troubled...In light of Jamey's death - it became clear to me in an instant that living a gay life without publicly acknowledging it - is simply not enough to make any significant contribution to the immense work that lies ahead on the road to complete equality."
A native of Pittsburgh, Quinto appeared on numerous television series since 2000. In 2003, he landed the role of computer expert Adam Kaufman on the Fox series 24 during the show's third season. In 2006, Quinto portrayed serial killer Sylar on the science fiction series Heroes until it was cancelled in 2010, after four seasons. Quinto was cast in his first major film role as Spock in the hugely successful Star Trek reboot in 2009.
