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Zachary Quinto, who plays a young Spock in J.J. Abrams' upcoming "Star Trek" movie, based his characterization as much on the film's script as on Leonard Nimoy's previous performance of the iconic character. Nimoy also appears in the film, as the elder Spock.

"I really felt like my relationship to the character was specific to the text I was playing and to the world in which the character is being created right now, this time," Quinto said in an interview at the Television Critics Association summer press tour. "So I didn't feel beholden to Leonard, other than to honor the origins of what he created, obviously. But I think the whole project was based in that philosophy, so it wasn't a problem."

Putting on the Spock ears "was a momentous occasion," Quinto said. "I shared it with my dog. He was there."

Quinto, who also plays brain-stealing Sylar in the NBC series "Heroes," said that filming and production for "Star Trek" wrapped up at the end of April. It is now in post-production, with a targeted May 8 release.

Quinto can be seen as Spock in a preview poster for the film that will be debuted at Comic-Con International in San Diego this week. The poster, one of four, can be viewed under the "downloads" link at the "Star Trek" official movie site.

"I think it's a really cool concept to bring them all together," Quinto said. "I think the colors look really great. And, you know, I think it's a hearkening of what's to come. ... I think it's going to be really cool."

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