The Spock Connection

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The Spock Connection

Ever since the very first episode, Heroes had a very strong connection to the very famous science fiction character, Spock. In the first episode, when Hiro first discovers his powers, he explains to Ando that they are beyond those of any mere mortal, just like Spock's powers. Ando, however, mocks him, since he does not yet believe that Hiro has any powers. He thinks that Hiro is just being silly and wanting more than he could possibly have. In the same episode, due to Hiro's self-comparison to Spock, Ando teases him as he is being dragged back to his desk by their boss. He tells Hiro to use Spock's death grip to get out of the situation, which, of course, Hiro could not do even with his powers. Also, repeatedly in the series, when meeting or saying goodbye to someone, Hiro performs the ever-famous Vulcan salute. This salute, performed by placing the fingers in a V-shape with the palm facing up, is normally accompanied by the words, "Live long and prosper." Spock, being the most prominent Vulcan in Star Trek, performed this salute on many occasions.

Although Hiro's geekdom was the initial reason for Spock's connection to Heroes, an addition one soon came up. In 2009, the new Star Trek movie, directed by J. J. Abrams, will be released in theaters. The movie is meant to provide somewhat of a reboot to the franchise, largely due to the catastrophes of the last movie and television show. Of course, picking the new people to replace the old characters was very difficult, Spock perhaps the most so. And Zachary Quinto, known better to Heroes. fans as Sylar, will be taking up that role. When he is wearing the full make-up, complete with the ears, Quinto actually looks uncannily like Leonard Nimoy. You could never tell from how he looks in Heroes, especially with the scruffy facial hair. Despite the legend he must live up to, I am actually more confident about Quinto being able to portray Spock well than I am about any other character in the movie. Even Nimoy is pleased, stating in an interview that the role was in "good hands."

Apparently, Quinto had always wanted to play the role of Spock. Milo Ventimiglia, who plays Peter Petrelli, had once asked Quinto what his ideal role would be, and Quinto's reply was Spock. Then, many of the cast members started to joke around about him playing the part, and they started a very unofficial campaign to get him the part, saying "Zach Quinto -- Spock '08." At the same time, as Abrams started to look for people for the new movie, Quinto started talking about his desire to play Spock in interviews. Eventually, he got the call. And the rest, they say, is history. The filming of the movie took a lot of time out of Quinto's schedule on Heroes, and as such, affected the amount his character was on. Apparently, James Kyson Lee, who plays Ando, wanted to get the part of Sulu, but the Heroes creators did not want to lose two actors at once. However, as with getting the part, the cast was very supportive. Oka Masi, Hiro's actor, even helped Quinto practice the Vulcan salute. Funny how things work out that way.

Aenedis
Fri, 23 Jan 2009 03:05:09 +0000

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