ZACH IN TIME

Zachary Quinto on creating a villain for the ages Charlie Manx goes through a dramatic progression with prosthetics. Were you prepared for such an exhausting process?

I’ve really been open to and interested in the idea of an opportunity that would allow me to immerse myself in a character, and transform in a way so that was something that I haven’t actively pursued. That was obviously an aspect of this experience that was really appealing. One of the first things I said to Jami and all the producers was I really feel like one of the only ways that we can accomplish this is if we get Joel Harlow, who is an incredibly talented special effects make-up artist. I’ve worked with him on the last two Star Trek films. I just knew that if I was going to undertake a challenge like this, that I needed to do it in the hands of someone who I could trust implicitly and someone who is really the best of the best.

What’s really sinister about Manx to you?

In the world of the show, inscapes are places that are expressions of the internal lives and imaginations of these characters who are strong. So, Manx’s inscape [Christmasland] is rooted in the sense of wonder and the sense of joy and childlike enthusiasm for this holiday, which is universally acquainted with presents and gifts. There’s a lot about how much he relishes in that, that I think is really creepy, and the way that he appeals to the kids and brings them in, and appeals to their sensitivities and their vulnerabilities.