Zachary Quinto Recalls His '90s-EraMickey Mouse ClubAudition — and His 'Full-on Bowl Cut Haircut'

Mar. 15, 2025

Like many others,Zachary Quintoexperienced awkward and embarrassing moments during his tween years. One just happened to take place while auditioning forThe Mickey Mouse Club.During an appearance on the Wednesday, Dec. 4, edition of thePodcrushedpodcast, the actor, 47, recalled auditing for the revamped version of the show,The All-New Mickey Mouse Club,which featured the likes ofJustin Timberlake,Ryan Gosling,Britney Spears,Christina AguileraandKeri Russell.Quinto said he recently came across a videotape of the cattle call audition he did for the show when he was “maybe 12 or 13.“The PEOPLE Puzzler crossword is here! How quickly can you solve it? Play now!Members of ‘The Mickey Mouse Club’.WALT DISNEY TELEVISION / Alamy"I remember it was early in my time as a performer, and I went to this hotel in Pittsburgh, and there were hundreds of kids probably. I mean, it was like pre-American Idol,” he said, noting that he auditioned with the song “42nd Street” from the eponymous musical rocking a “full-on bowl haircut.““Like, really bad,” said Quinto. “Not great. It was not good, though, some would say I was doing early research to play Spock, but, but I really went through the world with this haircut. And it was bad guys. I can’t really overstate how bad it was.” (Quinto starred as Spock in theStar Trekfilms of 2009 and beyond.)He added that the casting director was also “mean” and “made fun” about his hair.“To watch the way that I reacted to it was so insightful because I heard it, I felt it, and then I immediately moved past it,” said Quinto, noting that he came back with a response “that was both heartbreakingly self-effacing and self-deprecating.“Zachary Quinto attends the “Appropriate” Broadway opening night at Hayes Theater on December 18, 2023 in New York City.John Nacion/FilmMagicNever miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.“But, also, unknowingly savvy and incredibly resilient,” he added, describing it as “more kind of esoteric, awkward moment from my tweens, but it was a profound one.““It was one that I really learned a lot from, and I think really grew from in, a capacity for self love,” he said.Quinto is now starring in the NBC medical drama,Brilliant Minds.

Like many others,Zachary Quintoexperienced awkward and embarrassing moments during his tween years. One just happened to take place while auditioning forThe Mickey Mouse Club.

During an appearance on the Wednesday, Dec. 4, edition of thePodcrushedpodcast, the actor, 47, recalled auditing for the revamped version of the show,The All-New Mickey Mouse Club,which featured the likes ofJustin Timberlake,Ryan Gosling,Britney Spears,Christina AguileraandKeri Russell.

Quinto said he recently came across a videotape of the cattle call audition he did for the show when he was “maybe 12 or 13.”

The PEOPLE Puzzler crossword is here! How quickly can you solve it? Play now!

Members of ‘The Mickey Mouse Club’.WALT DISNEY TELEVISION / Alamy

WALT DISNEY TELEVISION / Alamy

“I remember it was early in my time as a performer, and I went to this hotel in Pittsburgh, and there were hundreds of kids probably. I mean, it was like pre-American Idol,” he said, noting that he auditioned with the song “42nd Street” from the eponymous musical rocking a “full-on bowl haircut.”

“Like, really bad,” said Quinto. “Not great. It was not good, though, some would say I was doing early research to play Spock, but, but I really went through the world with this haircut. And it was bad guys. I can’t really overstate how bad it was.” (Quinto starred as Spock in theStar Trekfilms of 2009 and beyond.)

He added that the casting director was also “mean” and “made fun” about his hair.

“To watch the way that I reacted to it was so insightful because I heard it, I felt it, and then I immediately moved past it,” said Quinto, noting that he came back with a response “that was both heartbreakingly self-effacing and self-deprecating.”

Zachary Quinto attends the “Appropriate” Broadway opening night at Hayes Theater on December 18, 2023 in New York City.John Nacion/FilmMagic

John Nacion/FilmMagic

Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

“But, also, unknowingly savvy and incredibly resilient,” he added, describing it as “more kind of esoteric, awkward moment from my tweens, but it was a profound one.”

“It was one that I really learned a lot from, and I think really grew from in, a capacity for self love,” he said.

Quinto is now starring in the NBC medical drama,Brilliant Minds.

source: people.com