Heroes Scoop: Cheerleader Exits, D.L. MIA and More

[Rhiannon]

• Lyndsy Fonseca is out as Claire's gay cheerleader pal. No, not out like that. She's out as in, off the show. According to Heroes creator Tim Kring, Fonseca's role had to be cut short after she landed that series-regular gig on Desperate Housewives. "She wasn't a pivotal character," Kring says of Claire's pal, who will now appear in just one episode. "The idea was that that part would grow, but it never got a chance to."

• The entire cast was present with the exception of Leonard Roberts (D.L.), although Kring cautioned reporters not to necessarily "read anything into that." Well, considering this is the second Heroes press conference Roberts has bailed on this summer, I'm guessing D.L. is a goner.

• New Hero Dania Ramirez revealed that when we first meet her character, Maya, "she's on the run from the cops."

• Zachary Quinto was neither confirming nor denying reports that he's in line to play a young Spock in Damon Lindelof and J.J. Abrams' Star Trek pic. "I'm under strict orders not to say anything," he said. Luckily, my BFF Greg Grunberg was under no such gag order. "How exciting is that?" he enthused. "Now I've got to beg, plead and scrape to get in that movie! I mean, what's wrong with me as Scotty? Down in the engine room, rotisserie chicken.... "

• One movie that Abrams is casting Grunberg in is the buzzerific disaster flick known only by its myriad working titles (i.e., Cloverfield, 1-18-08, Slusho). "It'll probably be something where no one will be able to tell it's me," he said. "As you know, J.J. calls me his good-luck charm, so he's got to put me in there somewhere. I actually went to the set the other night, and it was really exciting and cool. The budget is not astronomical. But they're doing incredible things."

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