Zachary Quinto: Being bullied doesn't shape work

Zachary Quinto doesn't draw upon his childhood bullying to play villains.

The 38-year-old actor is best known for his portrayal of Spock in the new Star Trek movies but has ditched his pointy ears for a smart attire as CIA agent John Smith in Hitman: Agent 47. This isn't his first time playing a baddie having had evil stints in American Horror Story and Heroes, so Zachary knows just how to put on a strong performance.

"I’ve never drawn on those experiences creatively in that way," he explained to dallasvoice.com when asked if his being bullied as a kid inspires his portrayals.

"It’s a lot about imagination. When you’re in a world like this, which is stylised and heightened and has a sleekness to it, then it becomes about filling that world with the character that you’re playing and, for me, that’s all about rooting it in the imaginary circumstances – one definition of acting is truthful behaviour in imaginary circumstances."

Zachary is versatile with his roles and is mostly drawn to projects he feels strongly about. One of these was I Am Michael, based on the true events of gay activist Michael Glatze (James Franco) who rejected his homosexuality and became a Christian pastor.

"That was a specific decision; I felt really drawn to the story and the nature of the story," Zachary, who is openly gay, added. "My whole take on the potential perceived limitations is just to not engage them and not allow them to exist – to me that is a choice. I know what I am capable of and I know what my range is, and I know that’s not limited by or even affected by my sexual orientation."