Leonard Nimoy, the well-loved actor who brought Spock to life in Gene Roddenberry’s Star Trek, died on Monday. He was 83.
It goes without saying he will probably be best remembered by many for his performance as Jim Kirk’s half Vulcan, half human First Officer. But Nimoy was also an accomplished poet, artist, and folk musician. He appeared in numerous films and TV shows and turned his hand to directing.
Nimoy was cast as Spock in 1966, playing the logical half alien with a computer-like brain for its three seasons, until 1969 and earned two Emmy nominations. He went on to reprise the role for the STAR TREK film franchise, while appearing in Star Trek: The Animated Series and Star Trek: The Next Generation. He also made cameos in J J Abrams’ reboot STAR TREK and STAR TREK: INTO DARKNESS. Nimoy even directed STAR TREK III: THE SEARCH FOR SPOCK and STAR TREK IV: THE VOYAGE HOME (or ‘the one with the whales’).
He had a bit of a love/hate relationship with Spock. His autobiography I Am Not Spock (1975) worried some fans, but his later I Am Spock (1995) seemed to suggest he had fully embraced the far reach of the role.
Nimoy died at his home in Bel Air after battling with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. He had previously announced his illness on Twitter last year. Ever embracing social media, his last Tweet is incredibly touching:
A life is like a garden. Perfect moments can be had, but not preserved, except in memory. LLAP
— Leonard Nimoy (@TheRealNimoy) February 23, 2015
Nimoy had been ending his tweets with the Vulcan farewell, ‘live long and prosper’ for a while now. It seems a fitting final message before his final journey into the undiscovered country.
Source: Twitter
