A Star's Trek

It's September 2007, and just as he has been doing for the past couple of months while driving around Los Angeles, Zachary Quinto grabs a rubber band from the cup holder in the center console of his Toyota Prius. He wraps it around the ring finger and pinky of his right hand, binding them together. His left hand remains on the steering wheel. His right hand is now in rehearsal.

The actor is accustomed to doing whatever it takes to prepare for scenes—accents, intonation, attitude. His latest role requires muscle training, but not for bigger biceps. His ring finger and pinky need to stick together while parting from his forefinger and middle finger, which also must remain close. When done properly, the four fingers form a V. It's an essential part of the arm-raised, palm-out Vulcan salute, a signature characteristic of Mr. Spock, the character Quinto plays in the upcoming motion picture Star Trek.

The science-fiction franchise has already spawned 10 feature films and six television series dating to the 1960s, not to mention inspiring millions of "Trekkies" around the globe. Naturally, there has been plenty of hype for this Star Trek reboot, which revolves around the initial meeting of Spock and Captain Kirk. Months before advance screenings and the May 8 release date, New York Daily News movie critic Joe Neumaier picked the film as one of the "best bets on movies for 2009," and Toronto Star movie critic Peter Howell named it one of the "12 must see movies for '09."

If Star Trek turns into one of this summer's blockbusters, then the well-established television actor on NBC's drama Heroes will in all likelihood become a big-screen favorite, too. Quinto, whose fingers finally did get the hang of the Vulcan salute, seems nonplussed by it all. The work itself sustains him, he says while dining at a restaurant near the Carnegie Mellon campus. It's the kind of work he's been heading toward from a young age.