Zachary Quinto Pays Tribute To Original Spock Leonard Nimoy At 'Star Trek' Fan Event, Has Own 'Fanboy Moment'
Zachary Quinto delivered Trekkies a special surprise at a Star Trek Beyond fan event at Paramount Studios on Friday night, held to celebrate the franchise's 50th anniversary and launch a new trailer for the upcoming film.
Quinto, who plays Spock in the J.J. Abrams' Star Trek reboot, toasted original Spock actor Leonard Nimoy and unveiled a newly named street on the Paramount lot: Leonard Nimoy Way.
WATCH: How 'Star Trek Beyond' Pays Homage to the 1960s TV Series and Leonard Nimoy
In the toast, the 38-year-old actor spoke of his friendship with Nimoy and the late actor's family, many of whom were in attendance at the event. Nimoy died in February 2015 at age 86.
"When I got this role I never imagined how my life would change, not only because of the creative experience but even more because of the personal experience with Leonard Nimoy and the relationship I forged with Leonard," Quinto told the audience.
"And now that he is gone, I feel even more grateful that relationship has led me to my relationship with his family, and I love them like my own," he added. "They carry on his spirit in such beautiful ways."
After unveiling the new street sign Quinto had his own "fanboy moment," stopping to take a picture of the gathered crowd, which he later posted to Instagram calling the occasion "maybe the most humbling moment of my Trek experience."
At the event, ET's Ashley Crossan caught up with Quinto and his Star Trek castmates, Chris Pine and Karl Urban, who spoke about the 50th anniversary and the love they get from the show's fandom.
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"It's a big milestone for the franchise, and it's a great opportunity to share with people what they love about the franchise," Pine told ET. "We have a passionate fan base. We all love one another so much to have [that] mirrored back to use by the fan community is fantastic."
The latest installment promises to give nods to the franchise's original series, with Quinto saying, "I definitely feel like there's a spirit of retro celebration of the origins of the franchise in this film."
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That wasn't the last surprise of the night -- Abrams and director Justin Lin announced that Beyond will have its world premiere in IMAX at the San Diego Comic Con in July. They also promised everyone in attendance at Friday night's event a free pair of tickets to the premiere. Talk about fan service!
Star Trek Beyond hits theaters July 22. Watch the video below to find out how the new film will pay homage to the original series and Nimoy.