<PERSON>, the actor who played <PERSON> is very open about the fact that he is a nerd, and a fan of the original series. He's written himself numerous times about his experiences being a fan while also being on the show, such as on this Facebook post where he mentions he was attending Star Trek conventions long before he was ever asked to be a guest at one.
I have found a number of sources where the fact that he was a fan of the original series before he was cast as <PERSON> is pretty strongly implied, such as in this interview where he had said of his audition for the role of <PERSON>:
It's kind of intimidating meeting <PERSON>—it was like meeting <PERSON> or somebody—but he was a great guy, and I ended up getting the job.
Another quote from an interview with him done regarding the remastered Star Trek: The Next Generation Blu ray:
Most, at first, thought that he was the luckiest 15-year-old in the galaxy, able to work with greats like <PERSON> in a sequel of a series that he was both a fan of and that already had large fan following.
In addition, I've found a youtube video of an interview with <PERSON> that is said to have been recorded before Star Trek: The Next Generation has aired, in which is said:
Narrator: Born after the original series went off the air, <PERSON>, the youngest member of the cast of Star Trek The Next Generation considers himself, without a doubt, to be a fan.
<PERSON>: I'm a Trekkie, but not the kind of Trekkie that knows everything about the show. I couldn't tell you like who starred in episode number 13, you know, in the second half, who was the main focus, or anything like that. 663
Um, what I do is I like to read the books. The novels I haven't really gotten into yet. But like the comic book I read, the old series I watch every night, unless I have to get up real, real early for work the next day.
Finally, I cite a definitive quote from <PERSON> own blog, where <PERSON> refers to playing Star Trek as a kid, nearly ten years before he got his role on The Next Generation:
When I was a little kid, playing Star Trek on the playground (I always ended up being <PERSON>), I had no idea that less than a decade later it would become a fundamental part of the tapestry of my life. 240