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Zachary Quinto Comes Out in NY Magazine Interview

zachary-quinto-out

In a recent interview with New York Magazine, Star Trek actor, Zachary Quinto officially came out as being gay. Quinto joins several top level celebrities who have come out in recent years, including Neil Patrick Harris, Lance Bass, Portia de Rossi, Ricky Martin and fellow Trek actor George Takei.

“As a gay man I look at that and say there’s a hopelessness that surrounds it,” Quinto said, “but as a human being I look at it and say ‘Why? Where’s this disparity coming from, and why can’t we as a culture and society dig deeper to examine that?’ We’re terrified of facing ourselves.”

Quinto discussed Jamey Rodemeyer, a teenager who committed suicide after being bullied for being gay, on his blog.

“When I found out that Jamey Rodemeyer killed himself — I felt deeply troubled,” Quinto wrote. “But when I found out that Jamey Rodemeyer had made an ‘It Gets Better’ video only months before taking his own life — I felt indescribable despair.”

“In light of Jamey’s death — it became clear to me in an instant that living a gay life without publicly acknowledging it — is simply not enough to make any significant contribution to the immense work that lies ahead on the road to complete equality. Our society needs to recognize the unstoppable momentum toward unequivocal civil equality for every gay lesbian bisexual and transgendered citizen of this country.”

Watch Zachary Quinto’s “It Gets Better” video below.

Read the entire profile on Zachary Quinto at New York Magazine.

Roddenberry to Show World Premier Footage of “Trek Nation” This Weekend at NYCC

Trek Nation at New York Comic-Con

New York Comic-Con kicks off today at the Javitz Center and runs through Sunday, October 16th.

While the event is noticeably lacking in Star Trek celebrity guests (as compared to previous years), Roddenberry Productions has a few events scheduled for Saturday. The Roddenberry events include an autograph session with Eugene “Rod” Roddenberry, a pizza party and a Trek Nation panel.

Hosted by the SCIENCE Channel, Rod Roddenberry will discuss his long-awaited documentary, Trek Nation, on Saturday from 1:15 PM to 2:15 PM in room 1A03.

Along with the panel discussion, Roddenberry will present world premier footage of the film.

Earlier that day, Roddenberry will be signing autographs at table 6 in the main autograph area from 10:30 AM to 11:30 AM.

RELATED: “Trek Nation” to Air on Science Channel in November + Never Before Seen Clip

A “Pizza Party Panel” is scheduled for 6:30 PM until 7:30 PM, where Rod Roddenberry will be joined by Trevor Roth and Tory Mell for pizza and discussion of various Roddenberry projects.

For fans of the Roddenberry graphic novel, Days Missing, creator Trevor Roth will be signing autographs on Saturday from 10 AM until 11:30 AM at the Archaia booth #1546.

Other Star Trek guests include Star Trek: The Next Generation, Star Trek: Voyager and Star Trek: Enterprise writer Brannon Braga. Braga will be on hand to discuss his new show, Terra Nova. Writer of the TNG episode, “The Inner Light,” Morgan Gendel will be signing autographs at booth #N266 throughout the weekend.

Additional, non-Trek, guests include Mark Hamill, Eliza Dushku, Felicia Day, Kevin Smith, Seth Green, Stephen Lang, Jim Lee, Tom Morello, Kevin Sorbo and more.

For a full guest list, ticket information and schedule of events, visit New York Comic Con.

Watch the official trailer for Trek Nation, embedded below.

Creation Entertainment Announces Five Big Star Trek Conventions for 2012

Star Trek Convention

Creation Entertainment, the company who promotes and operates the Official Star Trek Conventions (licensed from Paramount), has released a full schedule of their 2012 events.

With stops in the Philadelphia/New Jersey area, San Francisco, Las Vegas and Chicago, next year’s conventions will celebrate the 25th anniversary of Star Trek: The Next Generation, which launched in 1987.

Below is a list of the conventions and announced guests.

The Philadelphia area convention will take place Friday, May 4 through Sunday, May 6th at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Cherry Hill, New Jersey.

Patrick Stewart has been announced as the special guest and headliner of the convention.

Gold Weekend packages for Philadelphia are now available for $379 at Creation’s website. Additional packages as well as single day passes will be made available in the future.

The San Francisco convention will take place Friday, July 27 through Sunday, July 29th. A location and guest list for the event has yet to be announced.

The biggest Star Trek convention of the year returns to Las Vegas, Thursday, August 9th through Sunday, August 12th. This year the “Vegas Khaaan” returns to The Rio All Suites Hotel.

William Shatner will headline the convention with an on stage appearance on Sunday. Kate Mulgrew appear on Saturday and Sunday. Jonathan Frakes, Brent Spiner and John de Lancie have also been announced.

Gold weekend packages for Las Vegas are now available for $699 at Creation’s website. Additional packages as well as single day passes will be made available in the future.

Next year’s New Jersey convention will take place Friday, August 17 through Sunday, August 19th.

The Chicago convention will take place Friday, October 19th through Sunday, October 21st. A location has not been officially announced.

This is only a partial list of guests for each convention. Additional names will undoubtedly be added over the next few months.

Check back for the latest information on all of Creation’s Star Trek conventions, along with news on independent conventions as well.

Brent Spiner Talks Data, TNG and a Reunion with Wil Wheaton on Big Bang Theory

Brent Spiner as Data

Brent Spiner, who played Lt. Commander Data on Star Trek: The Next Generation, recently sat down with StarTrek.com to discuss his time with the franchise along with some of his current projects, including his web series, Fresh Hell.

Spiner will also be a guest star, along with former TNG castmate Wil Wheaton, on tonight’s episode of the CBS hit comedy, Big Bang Theory.

“It’s very brief. It’s not even a cameo. It’s a cam. By the way, I have my own terms for everything. My appearance on Big Bang Theory is a cam, not a cameo.” Spiner joked.

Spiner discussed working with Wheaton again, saying “I see him a lot because we’re at conventions together, but we were standing backstage waiting to make an entrance and he said, ‘I think this is the first time in years that we’ve worked together.’ He was in Nemesis, but his scene got cut, so that doesn’t count. And I don’t think I was in the scene with him.”

Brent Spiner & Wil Wheaton on Big Bang Theory
Brent Spiner, Jim Parsons and Wil Wheaton on the set of Big Bang Theory

He went on to discuss the role of Data on TNG and how quickly he got a handle on playing an android, saying “I think fairly quickly because I realized pretty early on that there was really no precedent for it, that I could do pretty much anything I wanted and the audience would either accept it or they wouldn’t. But there was nobody to say, ‘Oh, that’s not what an android would do’ or ‘That’s not how an android would behave,’ because there weren’t any other androids at that point on weekly television.

Even in the audition process, there was the question of, ‘Should we play this character like a machine, like a robot, or should we make him closer to being a person?’ And we all agreed, finally, that it would be really tedious if I played him like a machine and a robot for seven years, if we went that long. So we decided to make him much more of a person who was growing in his humanity as time went on.” he continued.

In the mid-nineties Spiner was vocal about not wanting to play the character of Data indefinitely, because unlike an android, he ages.

“I was 38 when I started playing Data. So it occurred to me, ‘How long is this going to last?’ I looked pretty young for my age at the time, but I thought, ‘If I was 10 years younger, I could play this for 30 years.’ But I wasn’t. I was pushing 40. I thought, ‘How long am I going to look acceptably young to keep playing this part?’ Fortunately, it lasted as long as it did.”

After seven seasons of TNG and four films, Spiner returned to the role of Data in a few episodes of Star Trek: Enterprise.

“That was fun. It was a nice bunch of people and it was a lot of the crew I was used to working with. LeVar (Burton) directed one of the episodes. It was a blast. And I knew Scott (Bakula) from before, so that was fun. “

RELATED: Brent Spiner & Wil Wheaton to Guest Star on an Upcoming Episode of Big Bang Theory

Read the entire two-part interview with Brent Spiner at StarTrek.com.

Seth McFarlane Says He Wants to See Star Trek Revived on TV

seth-mcfarlane

In a recent interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Seth McFarlane, creator of Family Guy and The Cleveland Show, discussed rebooting the Star Trek franchise on TV.

“I don’t know who would give me the keys to that car,” McFarlane said, on the topic of Paramount allowing him to reboot Star Trek on television.

“But I’d love to see that franchise revived for television in the way that it was in the 1990s: very thoughtful, smartly written stories that transcend the science fiction audience.” he continued.

Fans will remember McFarlane’s hit animated show, Family Guy‘s Star Trek: The Next Generation parody and cast reunion in 2009, which included Patrick Stewart, Jonathan Frakes, Brent Spiner, Michael Dorn, Marina Sirtis and Gates McFadden.

Watch the video clip embedded below.

Read the entire interview with Seth McFarlane at The Hollywood Reporter.

Zachary Quinto on Star Trek 2 “None of Us Have Seen the Script”

quinto-star-trek-2-script

In a recent interview with the Orlando Sentinel, Zachary Quinto discussed the current status of the Star Trek sequel, being typecast as “the smart guy” and his new film, Margin Call.

On the topic of preparation for Star Trek 2, Quinto said “I’m starting to shift into that mode of preparation,”

“I have physical training and other ways of prepping for it. None of us have seen the script. We’re all very curious to see where he’s taking us this time. We’re going on rumors, little hints here and there, stories we’ve been told.”

“Starting my production company is something that Star Trek allowed me to do,” Quinto said.

Produced by Quinto’s company, Before the Door, Margin Call is a film about the 2008 financial meltdown of Wallstreet.

Margin Call opens October 21st.

RELATED: JJ Abrams Confirmed to Direct Star Trek 2

Read the entire interview with Zachary Quinto at the Orlando Sentinel.

William Shatner’s One-Man Show, “How Time Flies” Coming to Canada

william-shatner

William Shatner’s will be performing a one-man tour across Canada, entitled “How Time Flies – An Evening with William Shatner,” beginning later this month.

The tour is scheduled to make six stops across Canada, including Vancouver, British Columbia on Wednesday, October 19th, Regina, Saskatchewan on Friday, October 21st, Edmonton, Alberta on Sunday, October 23, Winnipeg, Manitoba on Tuesday, October 25th, Toronto, Ontario on Thursday, November 3rd and Montreal, Quebec on Friday, November 4th.

Tickets for all shows are available for $79, $99 and $129 through Ticketmaster Canada.

A special VIP experience is also available at each show for $399, which includes a private meet and greet with Shatner.

Show dates and venue information, below.

Vancouver, British Columbia – Wednesday, October 19
The Centre in Vancouver for Performing Arts
www.centreinvancouver.com
777 Homer Street

Regina, Saskatchewan – Friday, October 21
Conexus Arts Centre
www.conexusartscentre.ca
200A Lakeshore Drive

Edmonton, Alberta – Sunday, October 23
Shaw Conference Centre
www.edmonton.com/shaw-conference-centre
9990 Jasper Avenue

Winnipeg, Manitoba – Tuesday, October 25
Centennial Concert Hall
www.centennialconcerthall.com
Suite 1000 – 555 Main Street

Toronto, Ontario – Thursday, November 3
Massey Hall
www.masseyhall.com
60 Simcoe Street

Montreal, Quebec – Friday, November 4
Place des Arts
www.laplacedesarts.com
175, rue Sainte-Catherine Ouest

William Shatner discusses “How Time Flies.”

Official description:

Mr. Shatner, best known for his varying roles as Cpt. James T. Kirk, T.J. Hooker and Attorney Denny Crane, will be coming to a city near you this Fall. With a career spanning more than 7 decades, Mr. Shatner’s career in entertainment and philanthropy work is unparalleled by any other Canadian born entertainer. Mr. Shatner will be taking attendees on a wild ride through his life and career and singing songs as only he can.

VIP TICKET HOLDERS WILL ENJOY THE FULL EXPERIENCE! From seating in the front rows, to a private VIP Meet & Greet and after party, to souvenirs, photo opportunities and your all access VIP lanyard. VIP Packages still available, don’t miss out!

For additional information, visit ShatnerTour.com

Leonard Nimoy Bids Farewell at His Final Convention Appearance in Chicago [Photos]

Leonard Nimoy

Leonard Nimoy made what has been touted as his “final convention appearance” on Sunday in Chicago at the final stop of Creation Entertainment’s Official Star Trek Convention which is celebrating the 45th anniversary of the franchise.

RELATED: Report: Creation’s Chicago Star Trek Convention with Nimoy, Frakes, Spiner & More

Back in July, Nimoy announced that he would be retiring from the convention scene this year, listing the annual Las Vegas convention in August, followed by Chicago this past weekend as his final appearances.

In addition to Nimoy, the weekend’s festivities included on stage appearances from a myriad of other Star Trek actors and personalities, including Brent Spiner, Jonathan Frakes, Nichelle Nichols, John de Lancie, Dominic Keating, Connor Trinneer, Nana Visitor, Rene Auberjonis, Brannon Braga, TrekNews.net’s own John Tenuto and more.

Inside the Grand Ballroom of the Westin O’Hare Hotel, Creation co-founder Adam Malin presented an emotional video tribute, a pre-recorded video farewell from director J.J. Abrams, and Bruno Mars’ “Lazy Song” music video, in which Nimoy stars.

RELATED: Leonard Nimoy Stars in New Bruno Mars Video “The Lazy Song”

Around 2 PM, Nimoy made his way on stage to a standing ovation and thunderous applause. Similar to his presentation at this year’s Las Vegas Star Trek Convention, Nimoy presented a retrospective on his career, discussing his life and career through images, poems and narrative.

Nimoy discussed growing up in Boston, moving to Los Angeles, his early work in Hollywood and being cast in Star Trek.

Following the heart-felt presentation, Nimoy held up the Vulcan salute, wishing all the fans “Live Long and Prosper.” He was then presented with a cake, which he shared with the audience.

Leonard Nimoy

Leonard Nimoy

Nimoy's Cake

[Photos: John Tenuto]

Roberto Orci Gives an Update on the Next Star Trek Film & Discusses Comic Tie-In

roberto-orci

In a recent interview, Star Trek (2009) co-writer/producer Roberto Orci and Star Trek comic book writer Mike Johnson discussed the progress of the next Star Trek film and discussed how the comic ties in with it.

Orci gave a brief update on the progress of the next film, saying “The cast is excited. We have a director. We’ve started scouting locations. The second time around the crew is already together from the start, so we can jump right into the adventure.”

“The cast is excited. We have a director. We’ve started scouting locations.”

Additional episodes of Star Trek: The Original Series are planned to be retold in upcoming issues. “Each episode will be told in two issues, so in issue #3 and #4 we will revisit the events of “The Galileo Seven.” I’m excited about this one because it’s a Spock-centric story that explores his brief experience as a commanding officer and how he was affected by losing command of the Enterprise to Kirk in the last movie.” Johnson said.

“Re-visiting original episodes in the new timeline is great for two reasons. First, we can do things we can’t do in the movies, simply because we don’t have the time to explore so many different adventures in the course of one film. And second, it’s so much fun to revisit the classic stories. Imagine being invited to jam with your favorite band. The classic songs will never change, but you get to play them in a new way.” Orci added.

Discussing how much the comic book will tie in to the next film, Johnson said “Very much so, much in the way that the “Countdown” series set up backstory for the last movie. It’s fantastic to have Bob’s input, because he can steer us clear of story elements that might conflict with what’s coming up in the next movie, and we can lay in subtle clues to what’s coming up so that once you see the new movie you can go back and see how it evolved in the comics.

RELATED: New Star Trek Ongoing Comic Book

For more from Roberto Orci and Mike Johnson, visit StarTrek.com.

Learn to Speak Klingon with New Instructional CD-ROM

speak-klingon

London-based company, EuroTalk is set to release Talk Now! Learn Klingon, an instructional CD-ROM to teach users how to speak the Klingon language.

The CD-ROM is currently available from EuroTalk’s website and will soon be available at Amazon.com for $34.99 beginning October 14th.

“This is the first sci-fi language we’ve ever published,” said Richard Howeson, EuroTalk chairman. “But Star Trek fans asked us to do it, and we were really happy to explore new frontiers. It allows Klingon speakers all over the world to learn the sci-fi language because all the words on ‘Talk Now! Learn Klingon’ have been translated into 120 Earth tongues, all available on the same disc.”

Manufacturer’s Description

Klingon is the language spoken by the legendary Klingon warriors in the hugely successful Star Trek TV shows and movies.

Language learning specialists EuroTalk have brought out this beginners guide to spoken Klingon with the help of Marc Okrand, creator of the Klingon language.

The Talk Now! CD-ROM covers everyday words Klingons would use if they lived on Earth today, including some brand new ones. Phrases that are unique to the Klingon culture are not included.

”People interested in learning Klingon will get a big kick out of this product – it’s great fun!” says Marc Okrand.

Importantly, you don’t have to be an English / American speaker to use this disc as the Klingon has been translated into 100+ tongues. Choose yours.

EuroTalk software is completely intuitive – the simple interface means that learning is as easy as pointing and clicking. Speech recording allows you to record your voice and compare it to the approved pronunciation. Quiz yourself with 2 levels of difficulty to test what you’ve learnt – earn points and monitor your progress, then take on the memory man and get the maximum possible 1800 points to receive the gold award!

Learn at your computer – or alternatively, print out pages of the printable picture dictionary, or you can learn on the move using the iPod application.

Above all, EuroTalk discs are designed to be fun. Research in the early 1990s at the University of California revealed that memory is greatly improved when accompanied by fun and laughter. Our quizzes, games and stories provide this and you will be amazed how much you remember after a surprisingly short time devoted to a disc.

For more information, visit EuroTalk.

Star Trek 2009 Returns to Select IMAX Theaters This Weekend

star-trek-imax
Star Trek in IMAX

As part of AMC Theater’s “IMAX Big Movie Week,” J.J. Abrams 2009 blockbuster, Star Trek will return to theaters, along with Inception and Fast Five, beginning tomorrow.

Star Trek: The IMAX Experience will return to select AMC IMAX theaters beginning this Friday, September 30th and running through next Thursday, October 6th.

Tickets will be available at a discounted rate of $7 for each film.

For a list of theaters and to purchase tickets, visit AMC Theaters.

Nana Visitor and Rene Auberjonis Say They’re Excited To See DS9 Return in Upcoming Online Game [Video]

nana-visitor

Former co-stars on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Nana Visitor and Rene Auberjonis recently sat down with Gameforge to discuss the upcoming browser-based video game, Star Trek: Infinite Space.

During the interview, Visitor talked about revisiting Deep Space Nine in an online environment, saying “I think it’s appropriate, because Deep Space Nine has a lot to say about our worries and our worldly problems right now. Certainly, to be able to condense those feelings down and play them out in a game, I think that serves a purpose.”

Discussing DS9′s return in the game, Auberjonis said “I would think that Deep Space Nine of all the Star Trek manifestations is the one made for this kind of game, because of the wonderfully complex political and military conflicts that happened within that universe.”

“So I’ll be very excited to see how comes together. I’m sure it will draw people to this world, the Star Trek world who maybe had not experienced it and will bring a whole new audience to it.” he continued.

The free-to-play browser-based Star Trek: Infinite Space is scheduled to be released later this year.

Watch Visitor and Auberjonis discuss the game in the video below.

Read more about the game at startrek-is.com.