Zachary Quinto has urged fans to "simmer down" amid reports he is quitting his role of Spock in the Star Trek films.

The actor sparked speculation he is bowing out of the sci-fi franchise after discussing his career during a recent interview with Entertainment Weekly magazine.

During the chat, Quinto revealed he feels ready to "go in a different direction" when he finishes his current arc on TV series American Horror Story and once the forthcoming follow-up to his 2009 Star Trek reboot is released.

He said, "It's like an era of association with certain roles - a specific part like Spock, or a kind of part, like (my Heroes character) Sylar - is coming to an end."

Quinto has since taken to Twitter.com to clarify his remark, writing, "Simmer down kids. Rumors are rumors for a reason. Quotes out of context. Let's let the second movie come out before we talk about a third..."