ROAD TO FAME Zachary Quinto enlightens students about his start in acting and his sexuality

Zachary Quinto, an actor famously recognized for his role as Spock in the rebooted Star Trek, spoke at the Union on Monday night.
Through a moderated conversation conducted by both ASUU speaker manager Laura Madsen, a junior in marketing, and radio host Bill Allred from Radio From Hell, Quinto was interviewed in front of an audience of an estimated 1,200 people, Madsen said.
Quinto engaged with students and fans and talk about his personal life, his sexuality, his experiences in the acting and film industry and beginning a film production company.
Quinto began the conversation by talking about his early childhood and family life.
“My father died when I was 7,” he said. “I think losing a parent defined me for many years and defined me as an artist. For my brother and I, I think losing our father made us have a deeper curiosity of the world, and that’s why we’re both away from home.”
He was still young when he first found an interest in performing.

“I was 10 years old when I found my way to any kind of performance,” he said. “It was a teacher who brought [me] there. I really enjoyed it. My teacher sent me home with a letter for my mother reading, ‘this [performing] could be a good outlet for Zachary.’ After that, I auditioned for performance arts groups without ever performing before in my life and made it into a group called Mini Stars, a singing and dancing group for ages 6 to 16. My first part I ever got was as a munchkin in ‘[The] Wizard of Oz.’ ”
Musicals gave Quinto an idea of what it meant to become an actor. It was in high school when he began to take acting seriously and decided it was something he wanted to pursue. His decision was partly because of an acting teacher he had from the ages 12 to 18.
“She influenced me greatly, and I felt most free in her class,” he said. “What she taught me that I have never forgotten was that it’s as, if not more, important to be a good person than it is to be a good actor. That has changed my life.”
After much debate with his mother, who was unsettled with the idea of her son pursing the arts, Quinto went on to study at Carnegie Mellon University School of Drama.
“I don’t think I have a bigger fan,” Quinto said, referring to his mother.
Originally, Quinto started his career in New York to do theater, which is a passion of his. While there, he was required to stage a performance in Los Angeles, where he received an overwhelming response. Agencies were encouraging him to stay, and he did.
“There was something about this path that provided more opportunity for me,” he said.
Quinto began his career in Los Angeles by doing commercials. He then got picked up for season three of the TV drama “24,” which he referred to as a turning point in his career. To this day, he has performed in many productions, including “Star Trek,” “24”, “Touched by an Angel”, “Heroes” and “American Horror Story.”
Quinto talked about the challenges of being an actor, such as getting rejected. He also talked about the challenges of being gay in his career.
“I officially came out when I was 24 — that’s when I told my family,” he said. “There was a long period where I wasn’t fully accepting myself and I was worried I wouldn’t find work if I shared who I was. When I decided it was the right time and place for me to share with the public, I referred to myself as a gay man several times in a New York Times interview to get the point across.”
Quinto said he came out for the gay kids who struggling with suicide. He is involved in the Trevor Project, a resource for kids who are questioning their sexuality and want to talk to someone about it. Quinto answered phone calls of many kids who were having trouble. He said he is a big believer in supporting these kids and staying connected.
ASUU campus events board director, Jana Stoneman, explained why they chose Quinto to talk to U students.
“We invited Quinto because we believe he is a well-rounded performer,” Stoneman said. “He’s been in a lot of things, is a producer and an active LGBT member.”