Quinto gets The Slap

Zachary Quinto has landed a role in US TV drama The Slap.

The American Horror Story actor will co-star opposite Emmy-winning Frasier star Brian Cox in the eight-episode NBC miniseries, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

Zachary will reportedly play a married father with a bad temper in the story of a family enduring a bitter feud after his character slaps another couple’s child for misbehaving at a barbecue.

Brian is thought to be portraying the family’s patriarch and “peacemaker”.

Mary-Louise Parker and Peter Sarsgaard have already been attached to the project.

Jon Robin Baitz is serving as executive producer alongside Walter Parkes, Laurie MacDonald, Ted Gold and Tony Ayres, according to THR.

It was not immediately clear when the show would premiere.

Zachary has starred in one-off episodes of some of the biggest shows in America including CSI, Lizzie Mcguire and Charmed. He then went on to star in a whole season of hit Fox series 24 and most recently in American Horror Story.

He recently attributed his early TV success to his “ambitious and eager” nature.

"There's probably a few of those that I might not have not done, but you know, I was ambitious and eager and wanted to work, and that was my journey, through those experiences," he laughed in an interview with entertainment.ie last summer.

"And some of those were really fulfilling and gratifying, but mostly, yes, they were just one-off guest stars that I did, and that was about the first five years of my career doing that kind of auditioning. It's a very traditional entry point to that sort of career, in LA especially,” he said.