American actor and producer Zachary Quinto has starred in a wide range of roles in movies and TV shows. Audiences have watched him give stellar performances, from playing a ruthless villain and skillful analyst to an emotionally broken lover. Although he’s yet to get recognized by major award academies, Quinto has received significant recognition in his decades-long career.
The Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania-born actor is an alum of Carnegie Mellon University’s School of Drama. Besides coming from a line of Pennsylvanian politicians, Zachary Quinto found his passion in acting. Since his debut in 2000, these are the top 7 Zachary Quinto movies and TV shows.
7. Hitman: Agent 47
Zachary Quinto joined the cast of the 2015 Hitman: Agent 47 in a major role as John Smith. The movie has been created as a reboot of the successful 2007 Hitman movie. Like its original movie, Agent 47 was based on the Hitman video game series. In Hitman: Agent 47, Quinto’s John Smith is a mysterious operative who initially appears to be an ally to the film’s protagonist, Katia (Hannah Ware). He’s later revealed to be genetically enhanced and has more sinister motivations, searching for Katia’s father, Dr. Piotr Litvenko (Ciarán Hinds).
6. NOS4A2
Adding to his list of playing superhuman villain characters, Zachary Quinto played Charlie Manx on AMC’s supernatural horror drama NOS4A2. His character is the series’ primary antagonist. Charlie Manx is an immortal, vampiric figure who feeds on children’s souls to maintain his youth and vitality. Once he drains their essence, the children are transported to Christmas land, a nightmarish town where they’re trapped forever and stripped of their humanity.
Charlie Manx becomes entangled with NOS4A2’s protagonist, Victoria “Vic” McQueen (Ashleigh Cummings), who has supernatural abilities of her own. Manx and Vic’s conflict is central to NOS4A2’s plot, as she seeks to stop Manx and save the children. Zachary Quinto gave another remarkable performance as a menacing character. NOS4A2, adapted from Joe Hill’s 2013 novel, was canceled after two seasons.
5. Margin Call
C. Chandor’s 2011 drama Margin Call is Zachary Quinto’s sophomore feature-length project on the big screen. In Margin Call, Quinto plays Peter Sullivan, a young and highly skilled risk analyst. The movie is set during the early stages of the 2008 financial crisis. Peter Sullivan, who worked for an unnamed, large investment bank, uncovers critical data after he’s handed a flash drive by a sacked employee, Eric Dale (Stanley Tucci). Sullivan’s findings show the firm has accumulated toxic assets that could lead to its financial ruin. Peter Sullivan’s discovery triggers a chain reaction of high-stakes meetings and moral dilemmas. The firm’s executive must decide how to prevent the looming catastrophe.
4. 24
The award-winning Fox action drama 24 was Zachary Quinto’s first major project on television. Until 2003, Quinto had only guest-starred in several TV shows. Quinto joined 24 in season 3 as Adam Kaufman, appearing in 23 episodes from 2003 to 2004. Adam is an analyst with the Counter Terrorist Unit (CTU).
The character is introduced as a replacement for Sean Walker after Peter Madsen kills him. Adam Kaufman is a competent and resourceful member of the CTU team. As a tech-savvy analyst, Quinto’s Adam Kaufman worked closely with Kiefer Sutherland’s Jack Bauer and Mary Lynn Rajskub’s Chloe O’Brian characters.
3. American Horror Story: Asylum
Zachary Quinto first joined the FX anthology horror series American Horror Story in season 1 (Murder House). In that season, he played the character of Chad Warwick, appearing in 4 episodes. However, his most standout performance in the series is in season 2, American Horror Story: Asylum.
In the season, Quinto plays Dr. Oliver Thredson, a psychiatrist who initially appears rational and compassionate. He’s later revealed to be Bloody Face, the serial killer. Zachary Quinto’s portrayal of Dr. Thredson is charismatic and horrifying. Quinto shifts from a seemingly trustworthy doctor to a psychopathic killer with unsettling ease.
2. Heroes (2006–2010) 7.5
NBC’s superhero drama series Heroes is unarguably Zachary Quinto’s top project of his career. His portrayal of Sylar, the series’ primary antagonist, makes him one of television’s top villains. Sylar, a watchmaker, discovers he can understand and manipulate the mechanics behind how things work. This also includes stealing and better understanding the powers of other superhumans. As such, Sylar becomes obsessed with gaining new abilities. He does this by killing other superhumans and taking their powers.
1. Zachary Quinto as Spock
Portraying the Star Trek fictional character Spock has been Zachary Quinto’s longest-running role of his career. Quinto first portrayed the character in the J. J. Abrams-directed 2009 reboot of the Star Trek films. Coincidentally, the 2009 Star Trek movie is Zachary Quinto’s film debut. Quinto’s Spock character is half-human, half-Vulcan, and was originally portrayed by the late Leonard Nimoy in the Star Trek TV series.
Zachary Quinto’s portrayal of Spock stays true to the character’s core traits—logical, calm, and composed. Quinto brings a fresh layer of emotional complexity to the film, particularly in his relationships with Captain James T. Kirk (portrayed by Chris Pine) and Nyota Uhura (Zoe Saldaña). Zachary Quinto reprised the role of Spock in the sequels Star Trek Into Darkness (2013) and Star Trek Beyond (2016). Besides these Zachary Quinto movies and TV shows, here’s a ranking of Jena Malone’s best movies.
Follow Us
