Interview: Zachary Quinto talks about American Horror Story and NOS4A2
By Carla Davis
1428 Elm: I am a big horror fan, but the best horror to me are the movies and stories that make you care about the characters, where it’s something more than just lining up people to kill them off.
Zachary Quinto: Exactly, I think that’s true.
1428 Elm: So, moving on to NOS4A2, had you read Joe Hill’s novel prior to accepting the role of Charlie Manx?
Zachary Quinto: No, I hadn’t. I read it after I signed on to the show, so I was even more excited once I read it. I think it’s such a great book, it’s really well written. That, to me, is an example of a really compelling horror story, and really well told. So for me, it was the joy of reading the book and knowing what I get to be a part of, and it enhanced my excitement about the job.
1428 Elm: When I first read it, I didn’t even know he was Stephen King’s son, and I loved it.
Zachary Quinto: Well, he’s a very talented writer in his own regard, you know? He has his own talent.
1428 Elm: With Charlie Manx being, let’s just say a less than sympathetic character, how did you go about preparing for a role like that?
Zachary Quinto: I think it’s kind of incumbent upon any actor to cultivate some sense of compassion for the character you’re playing, and when you’re playing a monster such as Charlie, the way to do that is to understand that he wasn’t always that way, right? He encountered a series of traumas and a series of abuses through the course of his life that led him to this experience. He didn’t just end up there, so, for me, it was important to kind of trace that back, and understand where that comes from. A lot of that has to do with, it’s in the novel to a certain extent, but it’s also in the graphic novel that Joe wrote called The Race, those were my sources for the choices that I made, and the information that I had going into playing the role. That’s something that I really used, and focused on through the course of my preparation.
1428 Elm: I’ve had the chance to see the first episode of the second season, and I’m really excited about it, it looks like we’re probably going to learn a lot more about Charlie Manx’s past, based on what I’ve seen so far.
Zachary Quinto: You will, and I’ll think it’ll be really satisfying, especially if you’re into the character side of things.