Question: What American actor is known for his role as spock in 2013 American science fiction action film Star Trek Into Darkness?
Context: Star Trek III: The Search for Spock is a 1984 American science fiction film directed by Leonard Nimoy and based on the created by Gene Roddenberry.  It is the third film in the "Star Trek" film series, and is the second part of a three-film story arc that begins with "" (1982) and concludes with "" (1986).  After the death of Spock (Nimoy), the crew of the USS "Enterprise" returns to Earth.  When James T. Kirk (William Shatner) learns that Spock's spirit, or katra, is held in the mind of Dr. Leonard "Bones" McCoy (DeForest Kelley), Kirk and company steal the "Enterprise" to return Spock's body to his home planet.  The crew must also contend with hostile Klingons led by Kruge (Christopher Lloyd) who are bent on stealing the secrets of a powerful terraforming device. Spock is a fictional character in the "Star Trek" media franchise.  Spock was first portrayed by Leonard Nimoy in the , and also appears in the , a two-part episode of "", eight of the "Star Trek" feature films, and numerous Star Trek novels, comics, and video games.  In addition, numerous actors portrayed the various stages of Spock's rapid growth, due to the effects of the Genesis Planet, in the 1984 Star Trek film "".  In the 2009 film "Star Trek", Nimoy reprised his role with Zachary Quinto, who depicted a younger version of the character, existing within an alternate timeline.  Both reprised their roles in the 2013 sequel "Star Trek Into Darkness" and Quinto reprised his role again in 2016's "Star Trek Beyond". Star Trek is a 2009 American science fiction adventure film directed by J. J. Abrams and written by Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman.  It is the eleventh film in the "Star Trek" film franchise, and is also a reboot that features the main characters of the portrayed by a new cast, as the first in the rebooted film series.  The film follows James T. Kirk (Chris Pine) and Spock (Zachary Quinto) aboard USS "Enterprise" as they combat Nero (Eric Bana), a Romulan from their future who threatens the United Federation of Planets.  The story takes place in an alternate reality because of time travel by both Nero and the original Spock (Leonard Nimoy).  The alternate timeline was created in an attempt to free the film and the franchise from established continuity constraints while simultaneously preserving original story elements. Star Trek: The Animated Series (originally known simply as Star Trek but also known as "The Animated Adventures of Gene Roddenberry's Star Trek") is a 1973 animated science fiction television series set in the "Star Trek" universe following the events of "" of the 1960s.  The animated series was aired under the name Star Trek, but it has become widely known under this longer name (or abbreviated as "ST: TAS" or "TAS") to differentiate it from the original live-action "."  The success of the original live action series in syndication, and fan pressure for a "Star Trek" revival, led to "The Animated Series" from 1973–1974, as the source of new adventures of the "Enterprise" crew, the next being the 1979 live-action feature film "". Dr. Leonard H. "Bones" McCoy is a character in the American science fiction franchise "Star Trek".  First portrayed by DeForest Kelley in the , McCoy also appears in the , six "Star Trek" films, the pilot episode of "", and in numerous books, comics, and video games.  Karl Urban assumed the role of the character in the 2009 film "Star Trek", and its sequels, 2013's "Star Trek Into Darkness" and 2016's "Star Trek Beyond". Star Trek Into Darkness is a 2013 American science fiction action film directed by J. J. Abrams and written by Roberto Orci, Alex Kurtzman, and Damon Lindelof.  It is the twelfth installment in the "Star Trek" film franchise and the sequel to the 2009 film "Star Trek", as the second in a rebooted film series.  The film features Chris Pine reprising his role as Captain James T. Kirk, with Zachary Quinto, Simon Pegg, Karl Urban, Zoe Saldana, John Cho, Anton Yelchin, Bruce Greenwood, and Leonard Nimoy reprising their roles from the previous film.  Benedict Cumberbatch, Alice Eve and Peter Weller are also credited in the film's principal cast.  It was the last time Nimoy would portray the character of Spock before his death in 2015.  Set in the 23rd century, Kirk and the crew of USS "Enterprise" are sent to the Klingon homeworld seeking former Starfleet member-turned terrorist John Harrison. Star Trek Beyond is a 2016 American science fiction adventure film directed by Justin Lin from a screenplay by Simon Pegg and Doug Jung and based on the series "Star Trek" created by Gene Roddenberry.  It is the thirteenth film in the "Star Trek" film franchise and the third installment in the reboot series, following "Star Trek" (2009) and "Star Trek Into Darkness" (2013).  Chris Pine and Zachary Quinto reprise their respective roles as Captain James T. Kirk and Commander Spock, with Pegg, Karl Urban, Zoe Saldana, John Cho and Anton Yelchin reprising their roles from the previous films.  This was also one of Yelchin's last films before his death in June 2016.  Idris Elba, Sofia Boutella, Joe Taslim and Lydia Wilson also appear. Zachary John Quinto ( ; born June 2, 1977) is an American actor and film producer.  He is best known for his roles as Sylar on the science fiction drama series "Heroes" (2006–2010), Spock in the reboot "Star Trek" (2009) and its sequels "Star Trek Into Darkness" (2013) and "Star Trek Beyond" (2016), as well as his Emmy nominated performance in "".  He also appeared in smaller roles on television series such as "So NoTORIous", "The Slap", and "24". Christopher Pike is a character in the "Star Trek" science fiction franchise.  He was portrayed by Jeffrey Hunter in the original "" pilot episode, "", as captain of the USS "Enterprise" .  The pilot was rejected, and the character was dropped during development of the second pilot when Hunter decided that he did not want to continue with the series.  Sean Kenney portrayed Pike in new footage filmed for a subsequent "Star Trek" episode, "", which also re-uses original footage featuring Hunter from "The Cage".  Bruce Greenwood portrays Pike in the 2009 film "Star Trek" and its 2013 sequel, "Star Trek Into Darkness". Spock, Messiah!  is the second original novel based on the universe of the American science fiction television series "Star Trek".  It was co-authored by Theodore R. Cogswell and Charles A. Spano, Jr., and was the first "Star Trek" novel to be published since 1970's "Spock Must Die! ".  Cogswell had been an experienced author at the time of publishing, and invited Spano to co-author the book with him after he was approached by editor Frederik Pohl.  It was later republished with new cover artwork in 1993.  The novel was poorly received by fans and was criticised by critics for being exploitative and inaccurate.
Answer: Zachary Quinto