The Scene staff
It was a sad day Feb. 27, when Leonard Nimoy died at 83 due to complications of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
He was a multi-talented man — an actor, writer, director and later a photographer. He was best known as Spock, the Vulcan first officer of the Starship Enterprise in the original “Star Trek” TV series.
Nimoy hated the role at first but grew to love it. He wrote a two-part autobiography, starting with “I am Not Spock” in 1975 and continuing with “I am Spock” in 1995.
In the late 1970s, Nimoy wanted to detach himself from the Spock image and declined to appear in “Star Trek: The Motion Picture” until writers agreed to kill him off in the sequel, “Star Trek II: The Wrath of Kahn.”
But after the “Star Trek” movie franchise proved to be hugely successful, Nimoy agreed to direct “Star Trek III: The Search for Spock” and allow his character to be resurrected. He went on to write and direct “Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home,” the only “Star Trek” film without a villain or phasor blast.
Nimoy got a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on Jan 16, 1985. It’s at 6651 Hollywood Boulevard in Los Angeles.
Nimoy influenced at least two generations with his acting roles. Fans of the hit TV show “Fringe” (2008 to 2013) know him as William Bell, founder of Massive Dynamics, a multi-million-dollar corporation involved in weapons testing, robotics, medical equipment and pharmaceuticals.
Nimoy voiced the Atlantian king Kashekim Nedakh in the movie “Atlantis: The Lost Empire” (2001), played Dr. David Kibner in the movie “Invasion of the Body Snatchers” (1978) and starred in the TV series “Mission Impossible” for two seasons (1969 to 1971).
He directed the movie comedy “3 Men and a Baby,” which was as far from the science-fiction world as he could get. It was a huge success in the ‘80s.
Over the years, Nimoy worked alongside many renowned actors outside of “Star Trek,” including Donald Sutherland, Jeff Goldblum, Veronica Cartwrite, John Noble, and Joshua Jackson.
It’s amazing that the role Nimoy once hated would be his last. He portrayed Spock in “Star Trek: Into Darkness” in 2013.
Nimoy had many achievements throughout his full and successful career. He never won an Emmy but was nominated three times for the original “Star Trek” TV series. He should have gotten at least one.
Nimoy was nominated again but passed over for “A Woman Called Golda,” a 1982 American made-for-TV film biopic of Israeli Prime Minister Golda Meir. He played her husband, Morris Meyerson.
Nimoy largely retired in 2010, wanting to give Zachery Quinto full light as the new Spock. He made guest appearances and did some voice acting but otherwise enjoyed his hobbies of photography and writing.
Nimoy spoke out against smoking with his 2014 diagnosis of COPD. One of his last tweets was, “Don’t smoke. I did. Wish I never had. LLAP.” (That stands for “Live Long and Prosper,” the famous Vulcan salute.)
Nimoy was a one-of-a-kind actor who could capture an audience with his presence. He did everything he could to make his fans happy. Today, his Twitter and Facebook accounts are packed with posts signed “LLAP.” On March 10, someone named Frau Forman wrote:
“Leonard, I never got the chance to meet you, but I want to thank you for a lifetime of entertainment. Spock was always my main man, and the greatest ‘Star Trek’ character of all. I will miss you, and I wish you well on your journey. Rest easy, and you will always be my hero. I want to extend my deepest sorrow and sympathy to your family. I share your sadness.”
Nimoy is gone, but he will be remembered by the masses. Trekkies everywhere know him by name and will continue to honor his memory. Those who smoke will try to quit just because of what he said. He was — and still is — a man of great influence.
Nimoy is survived by his wife, Susan Bay-Nimoy, children Adam and Julie Nimoy, and five grandchildren, Jonah, Madeleine, Alex, Dani and Spencer.
Live long and prosper.