I came across an article in NYMag a few minutes ago and actor Zachary Quinto, who many know as Sylar from Heroes, Spock in Star Trek, and his upcoming creepy new role on one of my favorite new shows American Horror Story (where he once again plays gay) was talking about a few interesting things, like his opinion on the whole Occupy Wall Street revolution and his role in the upcoming independent financial crisis film Margin Call. But what really made me sit up and pay attention was when Zachary, who has played gay numerous times such as in the aforementioned American Horror Story, Tori Spellings gay BFF on So NoTORIous talked openly for the first time about how his role in the revival of Angels In America impacted him as a gay man. Read the excerpt below:
NYMAG: You lived in New York City when you did the play Angels in America, right?
Zachary Quinto: I was here for a year. We did Margin Call, I wrapped Margin Call, I started rehearsals for Angels in America two days later. It was incredible. It was the most challenging thing I've ever done as an actor. And the most rewarding, hands-down. I had not been on stage in six years and so for me to do my first play in New York and to have it be this epic masterwork that, you know, went right to the heart of so many matters that were and still are circulating both in society and in my life personally, it was an enormously rewarding and terrifying journey for sure.
NYMAG: What was terrifying?
ZQ: Just the sheer scale of the play to begin with. And then I just think revisiting that work and revisiting the themes of that work at a time when the political and social climate of the country is shifting so dramatically and so irreversibly, to really come up against the echoes of that hatred and that bigotry and that fear that still exists in our culture, just in a different context now — you know, I feel it was just a really interesting exploration for me.
Doing that play made me realize how fortunate I am to have been born when I was born. And to not have to witness the decimation of an entire generation of amazingly talented and otherwise vital men. And at the same time, as a gay man, it made me feel like I — there's still so much work to be done. There's still so many things that need to be looked at and addressed. The undercurrent of that fear and that, you know, insidiousness still is swarming. It's still all around us. To revisit that world at all, it took a toll on me. It definitely was an incredible experience but it was really daunting at times.
Zachary also talked further about his sexuality when asked his thoughts on the recent suicide of bullied teen Jamey Rodemeyer and legalizing same-sex marriage. He says that when it comes to the different rights and treatment that come with being homosexual, "there's a hopelessness that surrounds it."
"Where's this disparity coming from, and why can't we as a culture and society dig deeper to examine that?" he says. "We're terrified of facing ourselves."
I have seen Zachary out and about in LA and New York with Glee's Jonathan Groff many in the media speculated was his boyfriend, but he had never confirmed what we've been suspecting for years. Don't get me wrong I wasn't expecting him to interrupt The View and hold a press conference, but I like the fact that he can speak openly about how something as powerful as Angels In America could impact him in such a strong way and that he can say it affected him as a gay man, but I did hear from a source that New York magazine editor Mark Harris "outed" Quinto via Twitter and that Zachary had not made a full statement, but was forced to confirm to People just a moment ago. Mark may have done the quick outing to get people to read the article (which in fact worked because I'm talking about it). Congrats either way on joining the list of openly gay performers making an impact one way or another in the arts.
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