Quinto Clarifies: Will Be Spock For 2012 + Appears in ‘Yoda’ Comedy Podcast

Yesterday we reported that Zachary Quinto said he was taking a break from Star Trek for a couple of years. For some this caused a bit of confusion as Quinto was expected to work on the Star Trek sequel next year. Quinto has now clarified his remarks, saying he is ready to put on the ears when needed. In other Quinto news, the actor may be taking a break from Trek, but he recently appeared in a (kinda) Star Wars thing. All the details below.

 

Clarifying Quinto – He is Spock for June 2012
As we reported Wednesday afternoon, a WIRED interview Quoted Zachary Quinto saying:

I’m stepping away from Star Trek for at least two years — no movies, no conventions, no anything for a while.

TrekMovie noted that although he would not be appearing in Star Trek for over two years (when the sequel is released June 29, 2012), he was still expected to be at work on the film next year (when it will likely go into production). Just to be sure TrekMovie double-checked with sources to see if things were still on track for the June 2012 and all planning for the sequel is still moving forward towards that date. However, others had questions about Quinto’s comments, ranging from wondering if he just hadn’t done the math, to questioning if the Star Trek sequel was being delayed.

So late Wednesday night Zachary Quinto made post on his official website clarifying his comments:

to clarify…

i have been inundated with questions and confusion about a comment i made during an interview with wired – about the new atari star trek online game – in which i said i am stepping away from trek for the next two years.  obviously i will be a part of any upcoming films… reprising my role as spock.  what i meant was that in the meantime i won’t be making any public appearances related to the franchise – or doing anymore auxiliary projects pertaining to the trek universe.  i will be focusing my efforts on other projects and preparing to shoot the next film – which will be released in june of 2012… two years from now.  hence the no trek for two years remark.  worry not trekkers.  it was a misunderstanding of context.  i am not spock.  but i am spock.  all at the same time.  

 

ll & p.

zq.

So there you have it to all who had some doubt, the new Spock is ready to suit up again next year, but just don’t expect him to do any cons or other ancillary Star Trek stuff until 2012. We can live with that.

Quinto in "Yoda & Me"
Speaking of other stuff, here is something else Zachary Quinto recently posted on his site. The actor was the special guest star in the comedy podcast "Yoda & Me". The show’s premise is about a guy who has Yoda as a roommate (yes from a Galaxy far far away). The podcast was created by and stars Loren Tarquinio and David Hornsby (Quinto’s fellow CMU alum, and writer/actor on "It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia"). Quinto appears in episode 6, which reveals ‘outtakes’ from "Empire Strikes Back", Quinto plays an assistant director dealing with Yoda on the set. You can listen to get it on iTunes, or by visiting the Yoda & Me website.

Zach in NYC
One final bit of Zach news. Quinto is currently in NYC. He was spotted attending the Broadway opening of “A View From The Bridge” (starring Liev Schreiber and Scarlett Johansson) at the Cort Theatre on January 24, 2010 in New York City. Here is a shot of him going from the premiere.


Zachary Quinto attends "View from the Bridge" in NYC 1/24
 

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NuTrek without Zachary Quinto would be… well… like ClassicTrek without Leonard Nimoy.
Thank God, it doesn’t happen.

First?

Well, we all knew that :)

I mean… being in Star Trek is, as trivial as it might seem to be for some people, a certain responsibility, not only for one movie, but for the franchise and its future in general.
I would hate to see James Bond-style actor/acress changes in Star Trek’s future. It simply wouldn’t be cricket and it couldn’t be explained away (or ignored, for that matter).

It’s cool- he’s getting his “I Am Not Spock” phase out of the way early and in small increments.

zq,

you have been and always shall be mr. spock.

signed,
the spokesman of the stars

I don’t think he’ll have any trouble doing whatever the heck he wants. I mean, he was Sylar first, so he should have no trouble jumping out of the Spock shadow.

Ha ha! “I am not Spock”! I love this guy!

I think it’s funny that people will invariably get upset because he said he wants to do other things as well and not spend the next 2-3 years hitting the local Ramada Inn Ballroom to talk about what it’s like to deliver a Vulcan neck pinch or perform a mindmeld.

Can’t say that I blame him. Why would he want to do all those conventions, anyway? He has a TV show and his own production company.

I’m bummed he won’t be on the convention circuit– he’s a great speaker, and has a huge fan base. Oh well… there’s always the rest of the crew. Wait. They don’t do conventions either.

Adrien Brody would have made a good Xon though. ;)

So absolutely no convention appearances then? Pity, but can’t blame him for focussing on more important stuff.

He has every right to either attend or not attend. He should probably not have said anything so as not to stir the rumor mill. Nothing wrong with focusing on other stuff (since Heros always seems like it’s close to cancelation).

I’m glad for once it was other outlets…on other websites….that freaked out and made a big deal about his length of time off not jibing with the release date.

Sure we had our questions here on trekmovie.com….but im glad we did not have a “this is a disaster” moment.

I think its smart for him to not do conventions non-stop while we wait for the next movie. Let some appetite build and he’ll give a better performance… the questions he gets asked will also be much better.

Quinto rocks.

That is all.

Zachary Quinto says “I am not Spock” lol.

I can’t believe people got mad over this statement.

Qunito is in the prime of his career and life. There is plenty of time for him to run to the convention circuit.

Does anyone know when the Hot wheels version of the 2009 USS Enterprise is coming out? I have seen pictures and promises but no date.

I thought Zacharay Quinto did a terrific job as Spock, bringing enough similarity to Leonard Nimoy’s portrayal, while bringing his own take to the character. And my girlfriend loves him.

I guess Quinto does not like to use the shift key, or does not believe in capital letters. Reminds me of that poet cummings.

Anyway, I like the “ll&p”

That rocked.

LL&P!

The guy has a life beyond his work. I think he’s given plenty to the fans, and hope he enjoys his break.

I think he had to use the shift key at some point to get the “&” sign? Hmmm…

That’s fine that he wants to step back for a bit, especially since he was so quick to get to the cons in the first place.

Now if some of the other ST09 actors would step forward, please?

I, too, love the “I Am [Not] Spock” reference.

As much as I like MR Q, none of the cast really stamped there feet on the roles and made it ‘their’ own. Perhaps apart from the ‘De’ re-incarnation. :)
I don’t think he’s jumping ship tho.. just the usual context thing when 24 hour news and the internet go beserk as soon as someone with more than a few thousand followers on Twitter says something! [said with one tongue in one cheek..ish] :)

God I hate the term Trekker. Nobody that I know that loves Star Trek calls them self one and somehow that term get set lose on the new cast and crew. Guess its just personal opinion, but hey, they never made a movie called Trekkers, it was Trekkies. Yep, I’m picking that out to comment on.

25 – I am part of an organization called the IFT, International Federation of Trekkers, that has been long established.

Most of the Star Trek fans like myself really have no issue with being called either a Trekkie or Trekker, however the terms are generally acknowledged to have different connotations.

Trekkie – A fan of Star Trek in general.
Trekker – Someone who appreciates Star Trek on a more philosophical level (the bright future etc.). More of a “serious” fan, if you will.

When I hear Trekkie, it brings to mind images of goofy costumes and pointy ears, social misfits living in a basement etc. The stereotype Star Trek fans are painted as.

When I hear Trekker, it is someone who loves Star Trek from a more “mature” perspective, not necessarily wearing a Costume (though I have 3 Captain’s uniforms), and generally not fitting the stereotype.

The term Trekker really is a way to say “I am a Star Trek fan, and I don’t live in my parent’s basement”.

Most of the Trek fans I know call themselves Trekkers for this reason.

I can see it now 20 years from now on an iPad near you. A 99 cent book called “I am NOT Spock: The Zachary Quinto Files” followed by 10 years later “I am SPOCK:I need the money”

Trekkie is to Trekker

as

Geek is to Nerd

as

Same Thing is to Same Difference

I am all of the above…

Poor dude, I think a guy like Quinto really immerses himself into projects and needs to change like any artist. I guess Leonard was right when he told Zach in the elevator at their first convention together “You have no idea what you are in for”

I don’t like being called a Trekkie or Trekker. I prefer the phrase “Star Trek fan.”

LL&P

Hahaha.

I love that “ll & p” at the end.

All I can say is… ILU. :D

Oh, and on the Trekkie vs. Trekker vs. whatever.. I call myself a Trekkie because “Star Trek fan” takes too long to type out/say and Trekker sounds weird when I say it out loud. It’s like “Trekkerrrrr..” an’ I feel like I’m growling or something. I dunno. I think the terms are all personal preference.

I believe it was Gene Roddenberry who said the “correct” term was Trekkie. Trekker just happens to be a more “politically correct” version of the same thing. And besides, trekker can refer to someone who likes to go hiking or sailing around the world. Trekkie is unique and specific only to Star Trek. You can’t be a Trekkie without being a Star Trek fan.

Trekkie or Trekker, its like saying sendie or sender…addressee or addresser. We are all fans of Star Trek, regardless of seriousness or geekness or sophistication or nationality. We are in for the pleasant appreciation, interesting association and stimulating conversation.

We have the only TV show that is over 40 years old and has a huge fan base and not to mention some large conventions each year we all get to enjoy. When you attend a ST CON, where ever it may be, you are automatically friends with each other. There are no barriers between people of any size, shape, color, gender or religon.

Trekkie vs Trekker?

Are we serious?

Who gives a Klingon’s forehead bump?

As for Quinto’s comments, part of the “semi-uproar” over his statement arises from the fact that Paramount is waiting for what will be *three* years between franchise releases. It gives a Quinto *time* to “step away” from the franchise. That “gap” you hear is the momentum built over the last year crashing into a brick wall.

Said it before, and I’ll say it again, Paramount is waiting too long to put the next installment on the screen.

Just my $0.02.

@OneBuckFilms

You’re a Trekkie

@37

THANK you for using the correct grammar, i.e., “you’re” not “your”! :-)

I don’t use either, i generally use the phrase “yeah, I like Trek”, but then I don’t get into many conversations with people about my inner sci-fi freak

#39 :: I do. A lot. But that’s just me.
My mom calls it “embracing my inner nerd”…

Oh, and for the record, while I do consider myself a “Trekkie“, I don’t live in the basement. I live in a bedroom, and I will for about two more years, AKA the time between now and the time I’ll be in a university dorm/apartment.

(Not all of us are over the age of 30, or even 20!)

It makes sense though. This new cast is (for the most part) young, and eager to move their way up the Hollywood ladder. Star Trek, well, may slow or even halt their dreams and aspirations, locking them into one singular role that they may not be able to ever escape from.

Fine if you’re already in your 40s or 50s and want to ride the gravy train for 5 or 6 or 7 films into retirement. Also fine if you’re comfortable being in a niche part of the market, where you’ll probably always be known for being “_____” with any other starring roles being just an afterthought.

I don’t believe that this is necessarily the first crack in a crumbling wall of cast members trying to distances themselves from Trek, but I suspect that come 2015 when a third film is (probably) made, you won’t see some of these faces again afterward reprising their roles.

-43

And because Star Trek fans are highly invested in the franchise, they are very demanding. I have seen fellow travelers interject themselves into the actors’ personal lives in a way that those outside of the science fiction clique would not. I’m sure these folks mean well. But I can see how a group of nerds following me around in a bus and telling me which roles I can or cannot take because it’ll harm the spirit of Gene Roddenberry might become irritating after a while. At the end of the day, this is just another job for many of the cast members. I think it is really important that fans respect the actors’ personal space and privacy. This is something we have not been terribly good at in the past. And it has clearly taken an emotional toll on several members of the Trek alumni. Sometimes they lash out for good reason.

“i am not spock. but i am spock. all at the same time. ”
Nr. Nimoy – You Will Live on through MR. QUINTO!!! :))))))))))))))!!!
SO HAPPY TO READ THIS :))!!!

A wise actor. He doesn’t want to have his name tied to Star Trek. I agree.

Why Shock it when you can Spock it!

I love trek (grew up watching the original trek in synd., a serious lover of the Trek universe and its affliates, a some-time convention go-er, Uhura costume owner (yes, I am a female), collector, home owner, avid “Trekkie”…Rodenberry had the final say- not that it really matters… sheesh, and a ZQ fan).

I can respect ZQ decision. He is a talented actor and he should branch out a bit. I believe he understands the trek universe enough to know that even if he so chose to take a break, we would always enbrace him and welcome him back whenever he decided to return.

He is and from now on our Spock…and he knows that. Let the Trek momentum continue to rise and burn. We will wait and show up in full force when the Trek reboot and Quinto returns.

I was about to ask “what the heck is ‘ll and p?” Love, luck and peace? Something new the kids are saying? Then I got it. Sigh.

Hey, wasn’t “live long and prosper” originally the response to another greeting “peace and long life,” or something, in Trek. What happened to that?

I get the too much Trek thing. Not a big convention fan, myself. Aren’t the conventions kind of there solely for when the work has dried up? Alas, dinner theatre, Murder She Wrote and game shows don’t pay like they used to.

I’m in complete agreement with 42. Some fans are nuts and distancing myself from them is good for my own sanity – I can’t even imagine what it’s like to be a focal point for them like Quinto is.

And yeah, he’s young and needs to spread his wings. Con’s are great for your career when you’re near it’s end – his fame has only just begun and has the potential to be huge/

On the down side he was scheduled for a nearby con – I’m sure a few will be upset to see he’s cancelled.

I almost got hopeful when I read this post. I wish Quinto would leave. He was an awful Spock, and I hated his interpretation of the character as some priggish “smartest guy in the room and I know it” nerd/bully.

49. Really? He grew on me, especially in the scene on the transporter after he lost his mom. For just a second, he looked uncannily like the actor who played him as a hurt kid… he was a kid who just lost his mom. Then it was gone. Beautiful.