Ten Things You Never Knew About Zachary Quinto

You probably know Zachary Quinto best as Heroes' complex villain Gabriel 'Sylar' Gray, but that's all about to change. Quinto has taken on the legendary role of half-Vulcan Spock in J.J. Abrams much-anticipated Star Trek reboot. When the sci-fi franchise re-opens in cinemas in May, Quinto and his famous furry eyebrows look likely to become one of Hollywood's hottest properties. In tribute, we have gathered ten teasing facts about the TV killer that you probably didn't know.

1. Zachary Quinto was born on June 2 in 1977 in Pittsburgh. His father John, a hairdresser, died when Quinto was only 7.

2. Aside from his obvious acting skills, Quinto also counts banjo-playing among his talents.

3. Before landing the role of Sylar in Heroes, Quinto had appeared in a mixed bag of TV roles. His credits include 24, VH1 sitcom So noTORIous, The Others, Hilary Duff's Lizzie McGuire and Six Feet Under.

4. Was Quinto concerned about what hardcore sci-fi fans thought of his performance as Spock in the new Star Trek? "I don't want to sound callous if I say I don't care, but I don't care! I feel I brought the character as much heart and respect for Leonard Nimoy and the journey of the franchise as I could." We'll take that as a no then.

5. Does the man who plays the evil Sylar have any fears of his own? "Oh, now that’s a big question. I don’t know what scares me," he says. "Cockroaches, nuclear apocalypse. Fear is an interesting thing. It has a place in all of our lives. I try to be as fearless as possible. I don’t always succeed, but I like to think I try."

6. Quinto claims that while working with Leonard Nimoy on the new Star Trek film, the pair formed a father-son bond. "Leonard is actually the same age my father would have been if he were still alive...Through getting to know Leonard, I've discovered aspects of myself that I might not have found otherwise - and that I didn't have from a relationship with my father."

7. Quinto first showed glimpses of his acting genius when he was at High School. He was awarded the Gene Kelly award for a performance as the General in Pirates Of Penzance.

8. Quinto can count himself amongst Matt Damon, Patrick Dempsey, Ryan Reynolds and Brad Pitt when it comes to dashing good looks. He was picked as one of People magazine's Sexiest Men Alive back in 2007.

9. Quinto tries to avoid internet forums which discuss his work in Heroes and Star Trek. "I don’t immerse myself in the internet chatter because it opens you up to a whole source of danger," he claims.

10. Quinto insists that he isn't embarrassed by his much talked about eyebrows, but admits that they "require some attention". "I don't know if they're my favourite feature, but they're certainly my defining characteristic," he says. "My older brother and I refer to ourselves as the Brow Brothers sometimes."