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Leonard Nimoy, best remembered as Mr. Spock on ‘Star Trek,’ dies at 83

Leonard Nimoy, best remembered by “Star Trek” fans as the iconic Mr. Spock, died Friday. He was 83.

His wife, Susan Bay Nimoy, confirmed reports of Nimoy’s death at his Los Angeles home, saying that he succumbed to end-stage chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, the New York Times reported . Last year, he attributed his declining health to his smoking habit, which he had successfully quit more than 30 years earlier.

For decades on both the “Star Trek” television series and movie franchise, Nimoy played the character of Mr. Spock, a half-Vulcan, half-human science officer who operated under a rigid adherence to logic and helped guide the crew of Starship Enterprise through the galaxy. It was a role that Trekkers, or devout “Star Trek” fans, came to adore. Nimoy won three Emmys for his work on Star Trek and established a life-long role as a science fiction icon.

“The show valued education, it valued teamwork, and it valued loyalty,” Nimoy told PBS’ “Pioneers of Television” in 2010. [“Star Trek”] was forward-looking, always, just by its very nature. And I think those things appealed.”

Leonard Nimoy in character as the iconic Mr. Spock in a third season episode of “Star Trek.” Photo by CBS via Getty Images

Beyond “Star Trek,” Nimoy was a consummate artist who directed film, composed poetry and photography and taught acting.

News of the actor’s death elicited countless reactions from former co-stars and fans alike. President Barack Obama issued a statement Friday afternoon that said, “Long before being nerdy was cool, there was Leonard Nimoy,” and that the president “loved Spock”:

Long before being nerdy was cool, there was Leonard Nimoy. Leonard was a lifelong lover of the arts and humanities, a supporter of the sciences, generous with his talent and his time. And of course, Leonard was Spock. Cool, logical, big-eared and level-headed, the center of Star Trek’s optimistic, inclusive vision of humanity’s future. I loved Spock. In 2007, I had the chance to meet Leonard in person. It was only logical to greet him with the Vulcan salute, the universal sign for “Live long and prosper.” And after 83 years on this planet – and on his visits to many others – it’s clear Leonard Nimoy did just that. Michelle and I join his family, friends, and countless fans who miss him so dearly today.

Former “Star Trek” castmates William Shatner and George Takei remembered the actor on their social pages:

"I loved him like a brother. We will all miss his humor, his talent, and his capacity to love." -William Shatner http://t.co/U8ZN98tVYp — William Shatner (@WilliamShatner) February 27, 2015

On Instagram , actor Zachary Quinto, who inherited the role of Spock from Nimoy for 2009’s “Star Trek” film reboot and its 2013 sequel, “Star Trek Into Darkness,” posted a tribute.

my heart is broken. i love you profoundly my dear friend. and i will miss you everyday. may flights of angels sing thee to thy rest.

NASA also remembered Nimoy in a tweet, praising “Star Trek” for inspiring generations of future NASA workers. Nimoy, alongside many of the original show cast, were on hand in 1976 to dedicate NASA’s space shuttle “Enterprise,” named for the show’s starship.

RIP Leonard Nimoy. So many of us at NASA were inspired by Star Trek. Boldly go… http://t.co/qpeH5BTzQc pic.twitter.com/nMmFMKYv1L — NASA (@NASA) February 27, 2015

Nimoy remained active in his later years, even after his self-proclaimed 2010 retirement from acting. StarTrek.com, in a tribute post today , remembered asking the actor in 2012 if he truly considered himself retired:

“Yeah, I do. I am. Look, I liken myself to a steamship that’s been going full-blast and the captain pulls that handle back and then says, ‘Full stop,’ but the ship doesn’t stop. It keeps moving from inertia. It keeps moving. It keeps moving. It’ll start slowing down, but it doesn’t stop. It doesn’t come to a dead stop. That’s the way I am. I still have a few odds and ends things that I enjoy doing. I don’t want to get up in the morning and have nothing to do that day. That would be boring.”

A life is like a garden. Perfect moments can be had, but not preserved, except in memory. LLAP — Leonard Nimoy (@TheRealNimoy) February 23, 2015

Laura Santhanam is the Health Reporter and Coordinating Producer for Polling for the PBS NewsHour, where she has also worked as the Data Producer. Follow @LauraSanthanam

Justin Scuiletti is the digital video producer at PBS NewsHour.

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Watch Leonard Nimoy's Star Trek Memories

By chris higgins | sep 24, 2016.

In 1983, Leonard Nimoy produced a low-budget TV special called Leonard Nimoy: Star Trek Memories . In the hour-long special, he recalled the original series and talked about the first two Trek movies, as Star Trek III: The Search for Spock wouldn't be out until mid-1984. The special was taped in Boston at Channel 56, which was the main station showing syndicated Trek episodes in the Boston market at the time.

More than a decade later, William Shatner came along with his own direct-to-video package, William Shatner's Star Trek Memories .

But let's step back and revel in 1983's quiet hour spent with Nimoy, as he walks us through, quite literally, his memories of the show and movies. He talks about how he got the part, how the show worked, and gives just a hint of what might come next. (Keep in mind that at this point in the movies' continuity, Spock's fate was, at best, unclear.)

The special is broken into four parts on YouTube. Enjoy:

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Remember Leonard Nimoy with three of his best Star Trek episodes

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Share All sharing options for: Remember Leonard Nimoy with three of his best Star Trek episodes

Today we mark the passing of Leonard Nimoy, who died this morning at the age of 83. Nimoy was, among other things, a musician , a photographer and a poet . But he will always be known as Mr. Spock from the original Star Trek television series, a role that predates even William Shatner's iconic Captain Kirk.

That seminal program ran for just three seasons, but it casts a long shadow over television history and the science fiction genre in general. Even if you've seen them all dozens of times before, it's hard to recommend a better way to spend your weekend than with Spock, Bones, Scotty, Uhura and Chekov.

A high-definition boxed set is out now and sure to be selling briskly, but Netflix subscribers can stream every episode right now. Today, in memory of Leonard Nimoy, we recommend three of his best episodes.

May his memory always live long and prosper.

"Amok Time" from season two, episode one: After Spock takes ill, Kirk and the crew of the Enterprise help him return to his home planet of Vulcan. There he meets his wife, whose hand in marriage he was promised in his childhood, for the first time. The episode features a bloody, ritualistic test of arms, and the entire episode is a marvellous example of the classic triad of Kirk, Spock and "Bones" McCoy.

"A Piece of the Action" from season two, episode 17: Spock and Kirk land on a planet whose culture is completely based off a single historical document; a book titled Chicago Mobs of the Twenties . Only by thinking like mobsters can the crew of the Enterprise win the day. Nimoy's portrayal of Spock's dry, calculated wit makes this episode as much of a joy as his glorious pinstriped suit, pictured above.

"The Empath" from season three, episode 12: It's hard to find an episode that so completely crystalizes the classic Star Trek tropes. This one has it all. It starts with a distress beacon from an abandoned research station, quickly introduces a mysterious women, takes a grim turn with a pair of rubber-faced aliens, and finishes with one of Gene Roddenberry's classic moralistic conclusions. This performance stands apart as one of Nimoy's best.

There's many more to choose from. Share your favorites in the comments below.

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Leonard Nimoy (1931-2015)

IMDbPro Starmeter Top 5,000 517

• 10 wins & 19 nominations total

• Spock Prime

• Elevator Voice (as Frank Force)

• Spock (voice)

• Sekhuru (voice)

• Dr. William Bell
• 11 episodes

• Mr. Spock (voice, uncredited)

• Master Xehanort (English version, voice)

• Sentinel Prime (voice)

• Leonard Nimoy

• Spock Prime (voice)

• Narrator (voice)

• The Zarn (voice)

• Director (directed by)

• Director (directed for the stage by)

• executive producer

Personal details

• Leonard Nimoy Photography
• Frank Force
• 5′ 11¾″ (1.82 m)
• March 26 , 1931
• Boston, Massachusetts, USA
• February 27 , 2015
• Bel Air, Los Angeles, California, USA (end-stage chronic obstructive pulmonary disease)
• Spouses Susan Bay Nimoy January 1, 1989 - February 27, 2015 (his death)
• Children Child
• Parents Dora Nimoy
• Relatives Melvin Nimoy (Sibling)
• Other works Recorded " William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy Read Four Science Fiction Classics" featuring stories by Isaac Asimov , Ray Bradbury , Henry Kuttner and Robert A. Heinlein .
• 5 Print Biographies
• 1 Portrayal
• 15 Interviews
• 29 Articles
• 2 Pictorials
• 20 Magazine Cover Photos

Did you know

• Trivia His final Tweet, posted four days before his death, was "A life is like a garden. Perfect moments can be had, but not preserved, except in memory. LLAP" (Live Long and Prosper).
• Quotes [on working with William Shatner on the original Star Trek (1966) series] Bill was very passionate about the work. Unfortunately, Bill was passionate about everything.
• Trademarks Deep baritone voice
• Salaries Star Trek ( 1966 ) $1,250 /episode (first season)
• When did Leonard Nimoy die?
• How did Leonard Nimoy die?
• How old was Leonard Nimoy when he died?

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Watch: Leonard Nimoy 'Star Trek: The Menagerie' rare host footage from 1975

By rachel carrington | mar 5, 2024.

Star Trek: The Original Series' first pilot, "The Cage," was rejected by NBC in February 1965, and in a rare move, the network ordered another pilot, essentially giving Gene Roddenberry a second chance to make a first impression. Leonard Nimoy was the only star who joined the second pilot, keeping his original character of Spock.

While "The Cage" was not shown in its entirety, the episode wasn't jettisoned, and producers and writers were able to use the footage to incorporate it into a first season two-part episode entitled "The Menagerie," which saw Spock getting court-martialed for mutiny after he commandeers the Enterprise and directs it toward the forbidden planet of Talos IV. It's an especially impressive episode that allowed fans to see what could have been the first glimpse of Star Trek.

In 1975, Nimoy hosted a Sunday night special presentation of "The Menagerie" on Oklahoma's KAUT-TV Channel 43. Beaming aboard the Enterprise, Nimoy provides a bird's eye view of the transition of the two-part episode from "The Cage" to "The Menagerie," which was the only two-part episode ever shown on Star Trek: The Original Series. The two episodes were edited together to be presented as a two-hour movie for Sunday night's line-up.

The Youtube Channel hosted by Rob O'Hara unearthed the rare footage of Nimoy introducing "The Menagerie" and letting viewers know they would be seeing two different Mr. Spocks in one episode.

O'Hara discovered this footage from his own vintage collection of VHS tapes, and using clues from the promos, he was able to ascertain that this movie special aired on February 6, 1983! At the end of the movie, Nimoy shares his thoughts about Star Trek and reveals his pride in being connected with the show. It's a short six minute video, but it takes you right back to the 1970s when Star Trek was really starting to take off. Enjoy the nostalgia!

dark. Next. Julie Nimoy and William Shatner endorse a proposed statue honoring Leonard Nimoy. Julie Nimoy and William Shatner endorse a proposed statue honoring Leonard Nimoy

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Pharrell Williams Interviews... Leonard Nimoy

Guess who’s a massive Star Trek fan? That’d be Pharrell Williams, the rapper/producer/drummer/designer/entrepreneur. His fans know that he regularly flashes a variation of the split-fingered Vulcan greeting gesture. For his latest project, ARTST TLK , which airs on the Reserve Channel (on YouTube), Pharrell interviews artists and fellow entertainment figures. And for Episode #12, Williams snagged none other than Leonard Nimoy.

Pharrell and Nimoy chat face to face for nearly a half hour. They talk about how/why Nimoy ignored his father’s plea not to be become an actor, discuss his days in the Army (for which he produced talent shows) and converse about photography. Nimoy also recounts how Spock/ Star Trek helped inspire young people and shares his pride in knowing that his creation, Spock, lives on -- nearly 50 years later -- thanks to Zachary Quinto.

Check it out now.

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Leonard Nimoy dies at 83; ‘Star Trek’s’ transcendent alien Mr. Spock

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When Leonard Nimoy was approached about acting in a new TV series called “Star Trek,” he was, like any good Vulcan contemplating a risky mission in a chaotic universe, dispassionate.

“I really didn’t give it a lot of thought,” he later recalled. “The chance of this becoming anything meaningful was slim.”

By the time “Star Trek” finished its three-year run in 1969, Nimoy was a cultural touchstone -- a living representative of the scientific method, a voice of pure reason in a time of social turmoil, the unflappable and impeccably logical Mr. Spock.

He was, as The Times described him in 2009, “the most iconic alien since Superman” – a quantum leap for a character actor who had appeared in plenty of shows but never worked a single job longer than two weeks.

Nimoy, who became so identified with his TV and film role that he titled his two memoirs -- somewhat illogically -- “I Am Not Spock” (1975) and “I Am Spock” (1995), died Friday at his home in Bel-Air. He was 83.

The cause was end-stage chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, said his son, Adam.

Nimoy revealed last year that he had the disease, a condition he attributed to the smoking he gave up 30 years earlier.

While he was best known for his portrayal of the green-tinted Spock, Nimoy more recently made his mark with art photography, focusing on plus-sized nude women in a volume called “The Full Body Project” and on nude women juxtaposed with Old Testament tales and quotes from Jewish thinkers in “Shekhina.”

He also directed films, wrote poetry and acted on the stage.

As Spock, he was the pointy-eared, half-Vulcan, 23rd century science officer whose vaulted eyebrows seemed to express perpetual surprise at the utterly illogical ways of the humans who served with him on the starship Enterprise.

Spock could barely wrap his mind around feelings. He was the son of a human mother and a father from Vulcan – a planet whose inhabitants had chosen pure reason as the only way they could survive. When he thwarted deep-space evil-doers, it was with logic simple enough for a Vulcan but dizzying for everyone else, including his commanding officer, Capt. James T. Kirk, played by William Shatner.

While worlds apart from the racial strife and war protests of the 1960s, “Star Trek” explored such issues by setting up parallel situations in space, “the final frontier.”

“Spock was a character whose time had come,” Nimoy later wrote. “He represented a practical, reasoning voice in a period of dissension and chaos.”

He also turned Nimoy into an unlikely sex symbol.

When he spoke at Ohio’s Bowling Green State University in the 1970s, a young woman asked: “Are you aware that you are the source of erotic dream material for thousands and thousands of ladies around the world?”

“May all your dreams come true,” he responded.

Trekkies everywhere greeted each other with Nimoy’s “Vulcan salute” – a gesture he adapted from one he had seen at an Orthodox synagogue when he was a boy.

“I was awestruck,” Nimoy recalled in a 2004 Times interview.

At the altar, five or six men chanted prayers with their arms raised. They held their hands with fingers parted between the ring and middle fingers and thumbs stuck out – a representation, Nimoy said, of the Hebrew letter shin, the start of Shaddai , a term for God .

LSD guru Timothy Leary once flashed Nimoy the Vulcan salute. So did cabdrivers who sped by on the street, and interviewers who momentarily suspended their journalistic detachment. At a 2007 fundraiser in Los Angeles, presidential candidate Barack Obama spied Nimoy across a room, smiled, and held up his hand in the familiar gesture.

Four years later, President Obama told ABC’s Barbara Walters that his critics wrongly believed he was “Spock-like,” or too analytical.

For much of his career, Nimoy had to deal with the same sort of perception problem.

While his 1975 autobiography was “I Am Not Spock,” he later called the title a mistake because it was so easily misconstrued. In the book, he said he couldn’t think of a TV character he would sooner have played.

At the same time, he was disquieted by mountains of fan mail addressed not to Leonard Nimoy, but to “Mr. Spock, Hollywood, Calif.”

The melding of actor and character was sometimes uncomfortable. On a tour of Caltech, Nimoy was asked his thoughts about complex projects by students who must have believed he had a Spock-like insight.

“I would nod very quietly, and very sagely I would say, ‘You’re on the right track,’ ” he told the New York Times in 2009.

Nimoy appeared in the original “Star Trek” TV series, which ran on NBC from 1966 to 1969. He received three successive Emmy nominations.

He also was Spock in feature films, including: “Star Trek: The Motion Picture” (1979); “Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan” (1982); “Star Trek III: The Search for Spock” (1984); “Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home” (1986): “Star Trek V: The Final Frontier” (1989); and “Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country” (1991).

He retired from “Star Trek” pictures until 2009, when he became Spock Prime, a Mr. Spock who inhabited an alternate universe in J.J. Abrams’ “Star Trek.” He did a cameo performance as the same character in “Star Trek Into Darkness” (2013).

Rumors of Spock’s impending on-screen demise in “Star Trek II” prompted death threats to director Nicholas Meyer.

“I received a helpful letter that ran: ‘If Spock dies, you die,’ ” Meyer wrote in “The View from the Bridge: Memories of Star Trek and a Life in Hollywood.”

The scene was filmed anyway -- so affectingly, according to Meyer, that the crew wept openly “as the dying Spock held up his splayed hand and enjoined Kirk to ‘live long and prosper.’ ”

Thanks to an ancient Vulcan ceremony and some tortuous plot twists, Spock was resurrected in “Star Trek III.” Nimoy directed that film, as well as “Star Trek IV.” He went on to direct the 1987 comedy “Three Men and a Baby” and the 1988 drama “The Good Mother.”

In numerous public appearances, he pointed out the irony of his success.

“My folks came to the U.S. as immigrants,” he said in a 2012 speech at Boston University. “They were aliens, and then became citizens. I was born in Boston a citizen, and then I went to Hollywood and became an alien.”

Born on March 26, 1931, Leonard Simon Nimoy first acted in a community settlement house for immigrants. At 17, he was cast in a Boston production of the Clifford Odets play “Awake and Sing!”

To his parents’ chagrin, it confirmed his passion for acting. The play was about a Jewish family much like Nimoy’s and it probed his kind of teenage confusion.

“I was electrified,” he recalled. “The author gave me a voice when I was struggling to find my own.”

Nimoy’s Ukrainian-born father Max, who ran a barber shop in a Boston tenement neighborhood, tried to warn his son about the dangers ahead.

“Learn to play the accordion,” he urged. “You can always make a living with an accordion.”

Instead, Nimoy briefly studied drama at Boston College, sold vacuum cleaners, and, at 18, left for acting school in California. He dropped out after six months.

His earliest film roles include Narab, a Martian in the 1952 film “Zombies of the Stratosphere.” The same year, he scored his first title role, in the boxing movie “Kid Monk Baroni.”

After a stint in the Army, Nimoy he was back in Los Angeles by the mid-1950s, studying acting and picking up work on shows like “Dragnet,” “Bonanza,” “Dr. Kildare” and “The Man from U.N.C.L.E.”

In 1965, he drew the attention of Gene Roddenberry, the producer behind the upcoming “Star Trek” series.

In an early scene, Spock and company were huddled over a computer screen and he uttered the one-word line: “Fascinating.”

Then he tried it again.

“The director gave me a brilliant note which said: Be different,” Nimoy recalled in an interview for the Archive of American Television . “Be the scientist. Be detached. See it as something that’s a curiosity rather than a threat.”

“I said, ‘ Fascinating .’ Well, a big chunk of the character was born right there.”

Despite its fans’ enthusiasm, the show ended its run in 1969, a victim of low ratings and tepid support from NBC.

By then, Nimoy was famous. Even his much-derided 1967 record album, “Leonard Nimoy Presents Mr. Spock’s Music from Outer Space” sold more than 130,000 copies.

He put in an unsatisfying two years on “Mission: Impossible” and then pursued a range of interests befitting the Renaissance man he had become.

He received a master’s degree in education from Antioch University. He turned out seven books of poetry and created a comic book series with science fiction writer Isaac Asimov. He directed six films and, from 1978 to 1980, toured in a one-man show, “Vincent,” about Vincent Van Gogh.

From 1977 to 1982, he hosted the documentary TV series “In Search Of …” about paranormal phenomena. In 1978, he played a pompous self-help guru in the film “Invasion of the Body Snatchers.”

He poured himself into projects reflecting his Jewish heritage. In 1982, he appeared as Israeli Prime Minister Golda Meir’s former husband in the TV movie “A Woman Called Golda”; nine years later, he played a Holocaust survivor who waged a courtroom battle against Holocaust deniers in the TV movie “Never Forget.”

His photography book, “Shekhina,” pictured nude and sensually draped women, with a cover shot of a woman wearing tefillin , Jewish ritual objects traditionally worn by men. It raised some hackles in the Jewish community, but Nimoy said it was his vision of feminine Jewish spirituality.

“I’m not introducing sexuality into Judaism,” he said. “It’s been there for centuries.”

In 2009, the Santa Monica Museum of Art exhibited images Nimoy made in Northampton, Mass., of strangers willing to be photographed as their “secret selves.”

The show, called “Who Do You Think You Are?” featured a rabbi with a leather vest over his bare torso and a conservatively dressed female psychologist toting a chain saw.

Asked by a Times reporter about his own secrets, Nimoy demurred.

“I have to laugh,” he said. “I have no secrets left. I revealed it all a long time ago.”

Nimoy was married to Sandi Zober from 1954 to 1987, when they divorced.

In addition to his children from that marriage, son Adam and daughter Julie, his survivors include Susan Bay, his wife since 1989; his stepson Aaron Bay Schuck; six grandchildren; a great-grandson; and his brother Melvin.

Instead of flowers, Nimoy’s family asks that donations be made in his memory to the Everychild Foundation , P.O. Box 1808, Pacific Palisades, CA 90272; the COPD Foundation , 20 F Street NW, Suite 200-A, Washington, D.C. 20001; Beit T’Shuvah treatment center, 8831 Venice Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90034 or the Bay-Nimoy Early Childhood Center at Temple Israel of Hollywood, 7300 Hollywood Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90046.

[email protected]

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How Spock's Vulcan Hand Salute Is Inspired By Jewish Culture

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As the United States celebrates Jewish American Heritage Month, it's only fitting Star Trek fans think of one of the best characters of all time , Spock. Not just because actor Leonard Nimoy was Jewish but also because he made sure to incorporate some of his own heritage into the character via the Vulcan salute.

Today, we'll dive into the history of this salute and how its origins have absolutely nothing to do with BTS star Jungkook , which is another story entirely. Considering we'll likely see the Vulcan salute a lot more in the upcoming season of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 3 and beyond to Season 4 , Now is as good of a time as any to educate readers on the story behind its creation.

Leonard Nimoy Improvised The Gesture In Season 2 Of Star Trek

A casual audience may think that the Vulcan salute was baked into Star Trek 's DNA from the get-go, but that's not the case. The hand signal actually made its first appearance in the Season 2 opener, "Amok Time," in which Spock ultimately learned his fiancé, T'Pring, had found another lover. The moment in the episode, which is available with a Paramount+ subscription , can be seen toward the end when Spock bids farewell to Vulcan leader T'Pau.

The gesture, along with the phrase "Live long and prosper," became hallmarks of the Vulcan people. Due to Spock's popularity as a character, it's evolved into the universal icon for all Star Trek fans, to the point that in mainstream pop culture it's all someone has to do to signal they're a fan. It's such an iconic gesture, it's surprising to hear that it was made up by Leonard Nimoy, who used his Jewish heritage to create it.

Nimoy Based The Vulcan Salute On A Jewish Hand Signal

StarTrek.com says that Nimoy, who was Jewish, came up with the Vulcan salute by referencing the Jewish Priestly Blessing of the descendants of Aaron. The gesture is performed by the priests of Aaron, or Kohanim. A gesture performed by the Kohanim at the beginning of a service to the congregation is similar to the Vulcan salute and can be seen in the video below:

This ritual is now done symbolically, daily in Israel, and during festivals. Ironically, those of the Jewish faith who might've witnessed the practice might not have seen the hand signal, as they're meant to face the other direction while the blessing is given. The intention is so that those hearing the blessing focus on the words more than the ritual itself, but as Nimoy confessed, curiosity got the better of him and he looked.

Why Star Trek's Leonard Nimoy Didn't Want To Be An EP On The Next Generation

He had good reason.

Obviously, there are differences between the ritual and the Vulcan salute, but to me it's clear in the video where the inspiration came from. It's funny to think that, had Nimoy been more obedient when observing the ritual as a child, we may have never seen a symbol that will still be used heavily in upcoming Trek shows down the road.

Quite a fun bit of history, especially as we observe Jewish American Heritage Month. While later Spock actors Zachary Quinto and Ethan Peck are not of the faith, they carry on the tradition of the Vulcan salute. At this point it's so ingrained in the series it would be strange for either not to, but also I think Peck at least understands that to truly play the role, one must understand Leonard Nimoy as much as his character. As such, I'm sure he has some understanding of why Nimoy adapted this part of Jewish culture for Star Trek and the importance of using it throughout the series.

Catch Leonard Nimoy's most iconic performances as Spock by watching Star Trek over on Paramount+. There's no shortage of great scenes to enjoy, though I think, given the month, that watching "Amok Time" would be the most appropriate.

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“Stay home and be angry”: Leonard Nimoy Quoted J.J. Abrams When the Star Trek Movie That Breathed New Life into the Franchise Got Needless Backlash

L eonard Nimoy is a veteran actor who found popularity through his role as Spock in the iconic  Star Trek  franchise. Ever since its inception, Nimoy portrayed the role diligently until his retirement in 2013 when he passed on the role to Zachary Quinto.

After the  Star Trek  franchise dialed down in the early 2000s, a rebooted film set in an alternate reality titled  Star Trek  was released in 2009. Nimoy decided to star in the film directed by J.J. Abrams but hardcore Star Trek fans had problems with the film. Leonard Nimoy’s simple response was quite a simple yet iconic line.

“Stay Home And Be Angry”  – Leonard Nimoy

In 2009, the  Star Trek  franchise got a fresh start with the release of the film of the same name. Being a reboot (sort of) set in an alternate timeline,  Star Trek  allowed the franchise to reinvent itself while keeping all the original elements in it.

Leonard Nimoy reprised the role of Spock in the film alongside Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, and, many more portraying different characters. However, not everyone liked the new film. Having some radical ideas suited to a more modern approach, hardcore fans of the original series and the 1980s Star Trek  wanted originality.

“It didn’t do us any good”: Star Trek Legend Leonard Nimoy Never Forgave a Movie That “Nearly Derailed” the Franchise

Having mixed reviews, the film was a success but also received equal backlash. In an interview with TrekMovie , Leonard Nimoy stated his opinion that the backlash was not needed at all. While talking about the 2009 film, Nimoy had a lot to say about J.J. Abrams and how the people were being unfair and simply rude!

There is no way in the world that a Star Trek film will please every Star Trek follower or fan, no way. And to try to would be a death sentence, you just can’t. 

He further continued,

 I saw JJ quoted very recently on fan complaints of the kind you are referring to and what he said was something like “stay home and be angry” so just don’t see the movie, if that is what your life is about and that is the way you want to envision your relationship to Star Trek and the world, fine.

Although Nimoy made his point very clear, he truly wanted the people to enjoy the film rather than just point out the inaccuracies. The veteran actor had a simple point to display that people should have watched the film with an open mind.

“You’re not going to do the show without him”: Unlike Steve Carell, Leonard Nimoy Got the Most Unlikeliest Ally After Star Trek Tried to Fire Him in Second Season

Not a fan of beating around the bush, Leonard Nimoy was on point with his statements and meant every word that he said.

Leonard Nimoy Is Not A Fan of Beating Around The Bush

Despite the 2009 film earning rave reviews, there was still a lot of unnecessary backlash for the film. Some may consider that the sequels ruined the franchise once again, in many ways  Star Trek  made the franchise relevant again.

What people did was go to the cinemas with feelings of nostalgia and originality. They were, however, greeted with differing ideas and alternating storylines for which they weren’t ready. Leonard Nimoy agreed with the statements and urged that people only keep an open mind.

This is a movie. It is a movie! You want to go see it — chances are you are going to enjoy yourself if you open your mind to it. If you go to see it to find fault and to point out the things you think are inconsistencies, chances are you won’t have a good time and you would have wasted your time and money so why bother?

The actor further stated that Winona Ryder’s role as Spock’s mother was something that he didn’t have faith in. He was surprised by how subtle and emotional the scene was when Spock half-apologizes for not paying attention to his human side more!

I was shocked to see Winona Ryder so effective as Spock’s mother — I didn’t think it would work, I couldn’t envision her in the role. This really works — that wonderful scene between see and Zachary when he semi-apologizes for negating his human side and asks that she not take it as an insult, is so wonderful.

Veteran actor Leonard Nimoy continued to portray the role of Spock until 2013 with the release of the film  Star Trek Into Darkness.  The actor retired and stated that he wanted Zachary Quinto to have the stage and the spotlight.

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In 2015, Leonard Nimoy passed away but left a lasting legacy for decades to come.  Star Trek  (2009) which started it all (once again), received a rating of 7.9/10 on IMDB and a whopping 94% on Rotten Tomatoes.

With high ratings and controversial reviews,  Star Trek  is available to stream on Paramount+ in the U.S.

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Did ‘Doctor Who’ Just Confirm That ‘Star Trek’ Is Real!?

Doctor Who has returned to fans and we could not be happier! The new series starring Ncuti Gatwa as the Doctor brought back Russell T. Davies as show runner . And while we love seeing the Doctor’s adventures with Ruby Sunday (Millie Gibson), a line in the season premiere has us confused.

In the first episode of the season, titled “Space Babies,” Ruby and the Doctor end up on a space station filled with babies who talk! Terrifying, right? The babies are all trying to fight off a monster of their own creation (it literally exists because of their snot), but as the episode is rolling on with Ruby’s first real adventure as a companion, we get to see a moment that will cause ripples in the spacetime continuum of our minds.

When the Doctor and Ruby arrive on the station, they exit the TARDIS look around. As Ruby sees a part of the ship, she asks, “Is that like a, uh, matter transporter like in Star Trek ?”

The Doctor responds by saying, “We gotta visit them one day.” I’m sorry … what?!

Not the Doctor casually revealing that Star Trek is real pic.twitter.com/O94wL2CrzS — ????? ??????? ?? (@EmmaTolkin) May 12, 2024

Now, this could be one of two things: The Doctor could be referring to making a trip through time to the set of the original series of Star Trek —which began filming in 1966, while Doctor Who was also in its original run. Or the Doctor could be confirming that the voyages of the Starship Enterprise, on its five-year mission to explore strange new worlds, could actually be real within the Doctor Who universe.

Whichever is true, I do love that there is a continued connection between both sci-fi franchises.

It wouldn’t be the first time the Doctor met the bridge of the Enterprise

Fans throughout all of time and space have wanted a crossover between the two series, and in 2012, we got the first official one with Star Trek: The Next Generation – Doctor Who: Assimilation . The 8-part series brought the The Next Generation crew into the Eleventh Doctor’s (Matt Smith) run of the show.

That had been a long time coming, and while we’ve never seen it happen in the actual shows, it is still nice to know that the dreams of fans are being considered. Davies writing a Star Trek joke into “Space Babies” has us wondering what it could possibly mean. Does the Doctor want to go and hang out with Leonard Nimoy and William Shatner? Or is this a situation where Lt. Uhura can help fix the communication device on the TARDIS that allows everyone to understand each other?

No matter what this one line means, it just makes me so happy that we have little moments like this to unpack again! I would love to see Ncuti Gatwa’s Doctor meet Captain Kirk. I think the two would just flirt with each other non-stop, and we’d all be better for it, right?

Chris Pine Was Surprised by New ‘Star Trek 4’ Writer Hire Because ‘I Thought There Was Already a Script…I Was Wrong or They Decided to Pivot’

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Chris Pine was taken by surprise when news hit that Steve Yockey, creator of the Max series “The Flight Attendant,” had signed on to write the script for “ Star Trek 4.” Why? “I thought there was already a script,” the actor recently told Business Insider during an interview on his “Poolman” press tour.

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“I honestly don’t know,” Pine told Business Insider when asked about “Star Trek 4” updates. “There was something in the news of a new writer coming on board. I thought there was already a script, but I guess I was wrong, or they decided to pivot. As it’s always been with ‘Trek,’ I just wait and see.”

Steve Yockey is the latest screenwriter to get a chance to pen the script for “Star Trek 4.” Attempts over the years to get the sequel off the ground have included an R-rated idea from none other then Quentin Tarantino. Another version of the project was to be directed by Matt Shakman (“WandaVision”) and written by Lindsey Beer (“Sierra Burgess Is a Loser”) and Geneva Robertson-Dworet (“Captain Marvel”). Shakman left the project to direct Marvel’s “The Fantastic Four” instead, and it fell apart soon afterwards.

In his Business Insider interview , Pine also said that it wasn’t until the third movie that he finally felt comfortable on set playing Kirk. The character was made famous by William Shatner.

“It’s interesting. Karl Urban decided to go head first into McCoy because Karl loved ‘Star Trek,'” Pine said. “With Spock, you have to do Spock-like things, plus Zach [Quinto] kind of looked like Leonard [Nimoy]. And then Kirk is a tricky one. You are the lead of the band of characters, so you don’t want to occupy too much space. It’s fine if they are doing a thing, but you don’t want to. And J.J. [Abrams] never asked me to do a thing, though I did do little nods to Shatner because it was fun.”

“But I would say I felt most in his shoes in the third movie. By that point, I think I mellowed into it and didn’t feel like I was trying too hard,” Pine added.

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