Zachary Quinto has always been good to the press. He’s just as accessible now that he’s a movie star playing the new Spock as he was when he joined the hit show as a no-name midway through Season One. He shows up to studio parties, takes part in conference calls and walks the red carpets. Here is his latest update on the state of Sylar.
Crave Online: The season premiere gives us some very definitive answers about Sylar and Claire. How did it feel to finally resolve that?
Zachary Quinto: I was so glad that we finally got to get to that stuff, that I finally got to get to Claire in the end and that we got to have a good experience of it. I thought it was really fun.
Crave Online: How about getting to see his process with the brain?
Zachary Quinto: That was great. Finally put rest to the most frequently asked question that I got which was what do I do with the brain?
Crave Online: This volume is called Villains and you’re the main villain, so will this be good for you?
Zachary Quinto: There’s going to be more than just me. It’s not just about me and it’s exploring the idea of villainy in a lot of different ways and with different people. It’s going to be a very action packed beginning of the year, for sure.
Crave Online: Are you in the whole season?
Zachary Quinto: So far I am, yeah. Every time we get a new script then we know what happens.
Crave Online: Is there a theme for Sylar this year?
Zachary Quinto: Conflict. A lot of conflict.
Crave Online: Do you feel that there’s a chance to redeem Sylar at all?
Zachary Quinto: It’s possible. It depends on what his motivation is. He has a lot of different reasons to do things this year. They don’t all originate from himself. He’s being put into situations where he has to do stuff for other people.
Crave Online: Have you gotten to meet any of the new characters they’re bringing on?
Zachary Quinto: I have. Great people.
Crave Online: How do you greet a new cast member when they join the show?
Zachary Quinto: I think that they dictate that a lot, actually. It’s the energy that they come in with and the experience that they have and the relationship that they have to their character. I think that dictates the way that we all relate to them from the beginning.
Crave Online: Have you shared more time with any of them any of the others?
Zachary Quinto: No. I would say that it’s been about even so far.
Crave Online: You’ve gotten really good about being vague. Do you enjoy giving answers like this?
Zachary Quinto: I feel like this year it’s warranted. I do.
Crave Online: What can you say about this season?
Zachary Quinto: It’s really, really action packed. I feel like I’m strapping on to the flying wires all the time this year. It’s a lot of action so it’s going to be really great. Each episode has it and each episode from the beginning is really strong and is really going a lot of places.
Crave Online: Do you know what the volume after Villains is?
Zachary Quinto: Not really. I know maybe a little bit, but not too much.
Crave Online: Do they let you do as much stunt work as you like to?
Zachary Quinto: Yes, except when it’s really dangerous.
Crave Online: Will we be seeing a lighter side to Sylar since all the other character are getting a darker side?
Zachary Quinto: I wouldn’t say lighter, but I would maybe say more restrained. That’s probably a good way to say it.
Crave Online: What were your intentions for Sylar coming into Season Three?
Zachary Quinto: M approach is always the same in whatever I’m working on. It is to serve the text and I think we’re really fortunate to work with incredibly creative, imaginative, consistent writers that bring surprise. Sometimes when I opened the script in Season 3, it’s difficult to keep track of exactly where I’m going because there’s so many different aspects of this character’s experience this year that are drawn upon. So my approach really is just to sort of serve that and to keep track of it at the same time. But I think people will see what I mean as the season unfolds.
Crave Online: Will we get to explore any more of his background as Gabriel?
Zachary Quinto: Well, I’d certainly be interested in learning as much about his background as the writers see fit. I mean, we do go there again this year. At a certain point you’ll sort of revisit that character and the shades of that character as you first saw him.
Crave Online: How evil do you ultimately want him to get?
Zachary Quinto: I feel like Sylar’s evil is rooted in a great humanity and in a lot of smallness, and a feeling of sort of emptiness. So I don’t really look at it again as like how evil could he possibly get. I sort of look at it as what he has in front of him and the choices that he makes in order to seize his opportunities. He’s constantly, constantly wrestling with the desire to feel special, the desire to feel valid, the desire to feel viable. So I feel like those are the ways that I come at it more than the level of evil that he achieves because those are really just means to an end.
Crave Online: Could you ever see Sylar becoming a good guy? Would that be any fun for you and what do you think would have to happen for that to occur?
Zachary Quinto: Well again, I don’t really look at him as, you know, absolutely good or bad. I think that he is constantly walking a line of ambiguity within himself and uncertainty within himself that defines the way he acts, the way he behaves. So I feel like there are colors of this character that are possible, that are maybe a little less violent and a little less dark than we’ve seen him in the past. But as long as it’s rooted in a connection to the character’s psychology, then that’s what’s fun for me. So I have nothing but faith in the fact that that would always be the case no matter where this character is taken on the show. And that’s certainly held true so far this season.
Crave Online: Are we going to see an epic battle between you and Kristin Bell?
Zachary Quinto: Well, I just love Kristen all around. I love working with her. I love hanging out with her. I think she has a really great energy and a novel actress. So any time I get to work with her is a good time. It’s a pretty epic battle. Some things go down. There’s definitely some special effects elements to it. There’s some stunt elements to it.
