birthdays: Zachary Quinto (see more)

Zachary Quinto

Zachary Quinto graduated from Central Catholic High School in Pittsburgh, with the class of 1995, where he won Pittsburgh's Gene Kelly Award for Best Supporting Actor for his performance as the Major General in Gilbert and Sullivan's "The Pirates of Penzance". He then went on to attend Carnegie Mellon University,

where he continued to hone his talents by performing in plays and musicals.
He first appeared on numerous television series since 2000 and, in 2003, landed the role of computer expert "Adam Kaufman" on the Fox series, 24 (2001), during its third season. In 2006, Quinto portrayed serial killer "Sylar" on the science fiction series, Héroes (2006), until its cancellation in 2010, after four seasons. He was cast in his first main film role as "Spock", in the hugely successful franchise reboot, Star Trek (2009).

- IMDb Mini Biography By: Tony

Trade Mark

Soft mellow voice

Unique clipped manner of speaking

Often plays cold-hearted or unfeeling characters

Often plays villains or troubled anti-heroes

Distinctive eyebrows

Trivia

As of 2013, Zachary is the only person in history to appear on the cover of Entertainment Weekly two weeks in a row (issues 1017 and 1018). In issue 1020, the magazine published the fact that he is the only one to have that honor.

His father was of Italian ancestry and his mother is of Irish ancestry.

Close friends with Star Trek (2009) co-stars Chris Pine and Karl Urban.

His fans call themselves "Sylar's Army" after his character in Héroes (2006).

Is a supporter of LGBT rights and other causes.

Became good friends with Leonard Nimoy while playing Nimoy's iconic role as Spock in the Star Trek (2009) remake.

Was a huge fan of the play "Angels in America" long before being cast as Louis in a production.

Best friends with his Héroes (2006) co-star Milo Ventimiglia.

Has one brother: Joe Quinto.

His father, Joseph John Quinto, died of cancer when Zachary was age 7.

When he was age 16, he survived a serious car accident.

Quinto and his producing partners were some of the very first people to whom writer/director J.C. Chandor showed his Margin Call (2011) script.

One of his closest friends is his Héroes (2006) co-star Kristen Bell.

Traveled to various states in support of President Barack Obama in 2012.

His television work has involved collaborating with several fellow Star Trek cast members. Héroes (2006) featured Nichelle Nichols and George Takei, among many others. Crossing Jordan (2001) featured Miguel Ferrer and Denise Crosby, and episodes written by Damon Lindelof. American Horror Story (2011) cast him opposite James Cromwell.

Attended and graduated from Central Catholic High School in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in 1995.

Attended and graduated from Carnegie Mellon University's School of Drama in 1999.

Personal Quotes

The interesting thing about my character Sylar is that my strengths as an actor seemed to go completely against the shape of a character in the shadows. I stepped into this character and then realized how much there was to play with.

I love when you aren't accountable to anybody or anything, and you can just be wherever you are.

What scares me? Oh, now that's a big question. I don't know what scares me - cockroaches, nuclear apocalypse. Fear is an interesting thing. It has a place in all of our lives. I try to be as fearless as possible. I don't always succeed, but I like to think I try.

[Zachary Quinto, on October 16, 2011, on his own blog, commenting on his decision to "come out" as gay on a New York Magazine article] When I found out that Jamey Rodemeyer killed himself - I felt deeply troubled. But when I found out that Jamey Rodemeyer had made an "It Gets Better" video only months before taking his own life - I felt indescribable despair. I also made an it gets better video last year - in the wake of the senseless and tragic gay teen suicides that were sweeping the nation at the time. but 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.

Our society needs to recognize the unstoppable momentum toward unequivocal civil equality for every gay lesbian bisexual and transgendered citizen of this country. Gay kids need to stop killing themselves because they are made to feel worthless by cruel and relentless bullying. Parents need to teach their children principles of respect and acceptance. We are witnessing an enormous shift of collective consciousness throughout the world. We are at the precipice of great transformation within our culture and government. I believe in the power of intention to change the landscape of our society - and it is my intention to live an authentic life of compassion and integrity and action.

Jamey Rodemeyer's life changed mine. and while his death only makes me wish that I had done this sooner - I am eternally grateful to him for being the catalyst for change within me. Now I can only hope to serve as the same catalyst for even one other person in this world. that - I believe - is all that we can ask of ourselves and of each other.

[on losing his father to cancer at 7-years-old] I found myself in a pattern of being attracted to people who were somehow unavailable, and what I realized was that I was protecting myself because I equated the idea of connection and love with trauma and death. I had to do a lot of work on the couch to really get to a place where I was able to show up to a relationship with someone who was actually capable of being in one - and that took a lot of trial and error. And I'm still working on all that stuff - that will never stop. But I definitely want kids... I want to share.

[about his father] He was really, really bad-ass and confident and sexy and intelligent and sensitive and curious. For years after he died, people would go out of their way to let me know how much he meant to them. And every time I heard it I was always so grateful to him for living that life. Now that I'm older, I know it's because that's what matters - the things people can tell your child about you - and I realize my father gave something really special to me even though he wasn't here to give it to me in person.

I have a dualistic self. There are two sides of my personality: one is outgoing and gregarious; the other is introspective and thoughtful. I am an intellectually minded person and also very compassionate, which are qualities Spock possesses as well.