This is the last of the new Star Trek actor profiles: Two Sides of Spock ~rave!
http://twitter.com/ravenadal http://blackplush.blogspot.com _________________________________________________ courant.com/entertainment/movies/hc-new-spock-startrek.artmay10,0,7732594.story Courant.com `STAR TREK' Two Sides Of Spock Leonard Nimoy Helps Zachary Quinto Redefine The TV Icon By RICK BENTLEY|McClatchy NewspapersPhotos By MATT SAYLES|Associated Press May 10, 2009 There was a time, not long after the original run of the television series " Star Trek," when Leonard Nimoy tried to distance himself from the show. He had played many roles before slapping on the pointy ears to portray Spock, but that character was the only role anyone seemed to remember. Nimoy eventually embraced the inevitable: He will always be known as the actor who played Spock on the '60s TV show. He could not ignore the fan interest or the fact that Spock tops lists of the most-iconic television characters. Now, with the new "Star Trek" feature film, Nimoy has someone with whom to share the burden. Screenwriters Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman say the movie would not have been possible without Nimoy's being part of it, but they also needed someone who could play a younger Spock. "Heroes" star Zachary Quinto portrays Spock in the early days of the "Star Trek" mythology, when Spock and Kirk, and the rest of the Enterprise gang, came together. The plot also includes a major role for Nimoy's more mature version of the character. Seated next to each other at the Four Seasons Hotel, Nimoy and Quinto discuss the movie. Nimoy explains how excited he was to have the opportunity to slip back into the role. "These people, the makers of this film, I think reawakened in me the passion I had when we made the original film and series," Nimoy, 78, says. Quinto, 31, admits that when he was 12, he had the same bowl-shaped haircut that Spock sported. But he never had anyone tell him that he looked like the famous Vulcan. He prepared for the role by watching episodes of the television show. He also had the luxury of being able to chat with Nimoy during the filming. "The whole experience for me was so fulfilling. Beyond my wildest expectations, in terms of just getting to know him and understanding how this character has formed. His creative processes and life. It was great fun," Quinto says. "I got asked a lot if there was pressure because of Leonard's involvement. My response is always to the contrary. Having him as a resource, and such a generous available support system, made it much easier for me to step into the experience. "I felt that it was incumbent upon me to determine my own relationship with this character. That was the mandate that [director] J.J. [Abrams] set forth very early on in the process. We were expected to use the foundation as a point of entry into our own experiences with the characters." Nimoy smiles at the young actor's response, and says, "He sounds like Spock. Doesn't he?" Nimoy has nothing but compliments for how Quinto handled the role. The pair never talked about the "do's" and "don'ts" of playing Spock. Their conversations where more about the philosophy and psychology of the character, the philosophy of "Star Trek" and even the fans' reactions to various aspects of "Star Trek." "I'm very proud of what he did," Nimoy says. "I loved the idea that he is doing the character, that he did it so well. I think we have book-ended the character. He has created a Spock that comes before the Spock that I portrayed in the series. I'm playing a Spock that comes much, much later and is much more resolved and is, I think, much closer to who I actually am today. So I think it works extremely well." There is one huge story line in the movie involving the younger Spock that will catch "Star Trek" fans off guard. It would be unfair to reveal what happens except to say that it illustrates Quinto's suggestion that there is a real misconception about how much emotion Spock feels. Spock is the son of a Vulcan father and an Earth mother. The "Star Trek" lore is that Vulcans have long suppressed emotions because emotions are not logical. But Spock has always had to deal with the added pressures of his human side. "I think he feels emotion very deeply. But he's just restricted in the ways that he can express it," Quinto says. "For me, it was about cultivating a deeply rooted inner life and not being able to do much other than to hold on to it." It Wasn't Much Of A Stretch To Go Back In Time Few television characters have reached the iconic status of "Star Trek" science officer Spock. From his pointed ears to the "live longer and prosper" greeting, the character is ingrained in the pop-culture fabric. It was Leonard Nimoy, a lanky actor from Boston, who first gave Spock life in the television series and then in a string of movies. Nimoy has returned to the role in the new "Star Trek" feature film, which looks at the early days of the "Star Trek" mythology, when Spock and Kirk and the rest of the Enterprise gang, came together. The plot includes a major role for Nimoy's more mature version of the character. Nimoy, 78, had no input in the script. His first meeting with director J.J. Abrams, along with writers Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman, was to see about his interest in playing Spock again. He read the script and agreed to sign on. It was imperative that Nimoy be in the movie because the major story line deals with the older Spock's traveling through time to the year when he was first at Starfleet Academy. Abrams also is the man behind such television shows as "Alias,' "Lost" and "Fringe." Nimoy will appear in this season's finale of "Fringe" and will be in at least two more next season. He was happy to take on the television role because, as Nimoy explains, "It's a wonderful opportunity because it's a blank canvas." Most of the colors had already been filled in when it came to playing Spock again. Nimoy had one other reason he agreed to be on "Fringe." "When they tell me J.J. Abrams is on the phone," Nimoy says, "I have to take the call." Copyright 2009 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
