Changes: Leonard Nimoy

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Leonard Simon Nimoy (born 26 March 1931; age 93) is the actor who is best known for his Emmy Award-nominated portrayal of Spock, the half Human, half Vulcan first officer and science officer aboard the USS Enterprise. Originating the role on Star Trek: The Original Series, he went on to play him again on Star Trek: The Animated Series, the first six Star Trek movies, and the Star Trek: The Next Generation episodes "Unification I" and "Unification II". He has also left his mark on the Trek franchise as a director, writer, and producer.

Footage of his role from the TOS episode "The Trouble with Tribbles" was reused for the Star Trek: Deep Space Nine episode "Trials and Tribble-ations". Nimoy also voiced Spock in the video games Star Trek: Strategic Operations Simulator, Star Trek: 25th Anniversary, and Star Trek: Judgment Rites.

At San Diego's Comic Con on 26 July 2007, it was announced that Nimoy would reprise his role as Spock for Star Trek. It was also announced that Heroes star Zachary Quinto would portray a younger version of Spock. [1] This marked the first time Nimoy played Spock since 1991.

Biography

Nimoy was born in Boston, Massachusetts just four days after his Star Trek co-star, William Shatner. Like Shatner, he is of Ukraininan-Jewish ancestry (his surname means "an outsider who can't speak Russian" in Russian) and like his character of Spock, Nimoy is a vegetarian.

He entered Boston University on a dramatic scholarship but dropped out and headed for the West Coast knowing there he would find more lucrative opportunities in the acting business. In 1954 he married Sandi Zober, with whom he had two children – Adam and Julie. In the hospital scene in Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home, a voice can be heard paging "Dr. Sandi Zober." His current wife, Susan Bay, starred in two episodes of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, as Admiral Rollman in "Past Prologue" and "Whispers".

In the early 1950s, Nimoy served as a member of the United States Army Reserve. He served for eighteen months in Special Services at Ft. McPherson in Georgia and received discharge in 1955 as a sergeant. Nimoy's Army personnel file was destroyed in 1973 during a major fire at the National Personnel Records Center in St. Louis, Missouri.

In December 2002, Nimoy announced his retirement from acting. He plans to spend his retirement as a photographer. He came out of retirement to play Spock in J.J. Abrams' Star Trek. Regardless, Nimoy enjoys a new career in his senior years as a professional photographer showing his prints all over the United States and throughout the world.

Early career

Nimoy began his Hollywood career with small roles in the 1951 films Queen for a Day and Paramount Pictures' Rhubarb. Nimoy then played the title role in the boxing drama Kid Monk Baroni and played the Martian invader Narab in the science fiction serial Zombies of the Stratosphere (later edited and released as a feature, Satan's Satellites), both released in 1952. In 1954, he made an uncredited appearance in the classic science fiction film Them!, as did Richard Bellis, Lawrence Dobkin, and William Schallert. Four years later, he had a supporting role in another science fiction film, The Brain Eaters.

In the mid-1950s, Nimoy began appearing in various television guest shots, with his first being a 1954 episode of Dragnet (he would make a second appearance on this series four years later, with his "Amok Time" co-star Celia Lovsky). Between 1958 and 1960 alone, Nimoy was seen on such classic television shows as Sea Hunt, Wagon Train (working with future Trek co-stars Roy Jenson, Susan Oliver, and Phillip Pine, as well as Nehemiah Persoff), The Tall Man (two episodes, including one with Marianna Hill and Charles Seel), Outlaws (in an episode with Alfred Ryder), The Rebel (with Arlene Martel), and Bonanza (in an episode written by Gene L. Coon).

Nimoy's subsequent TV credits include a 1961 episode of Rawhide and a 1963 episode of Perry Mason with Arthur Batanides, a 1961 episode of The Twilight Zone with Dean Stockwell (and concocted by Sam Rolfe), a 1962 episode of Laramie with Michael Forest, and a 1962 episode of Sam Benedict with Paul Carr and Joanne Linville, as well as numerous episodes of the classic western series Gunsmoke, including one in 1963 with Bill Zuckert and another in 1966 with Richard Webb. He was also seen in a 1962 episode of The Untouchables, which, like Star Trek, was produced by Desilu. In 1964, he appeared in two episodes of the classic sci-fi anthology series, The Outer Limits – "The Production and Decay of Strange Particles" with Joseph Ruskin, Barry Russo, and Willard Sage; and "I, Robot" with Peter Brocco, Marianna Hill, and John Hoyt. He also co-starred with Sally Kellerman in a 1966 episode of A Man Called Shenandoah.

His feature film credits during the 1960s consisted of a supporting role in the 1963 drama The Balcony (with Peter Brocco), an uncredited appearance in the acclaimed John Frankenheimer thriller Seven Days in May, and a role opposite Michael Forest and Robert Ellenstein in the 1966 drama Deathwatch (featuring music by Gerald Fried). Nimoy also produced the latter film.

Nimoy first worked with his future Trek co-star DeForest Kelley (Doctor Leonard "Bones" McCoy) in a 1959 episode of 26 Men entitled "Trail of Revenge". Prior to Star Trek, he again worked with Kelley in a 1963 episode of The Virginian. Nimoy also appeared in two 1965 episodes of The Virginian, working with Michael Ansara, Hal Baylor, Richard Beymer, Rex Holman, Sherry Jackson, and Ken Lynch.

In 1964, Nimoy and his soon-to-be Star Trek co-star William Shatner worked together for the first time. This occasion occurs in the Joseph Sargent-directed episode of The Man from U.N.C.L.E. entitled "The Project Strigas Affair". In this episode, Nimoy and Shatner are on opposite sides, with Nimoy playing the right-hand-man of a diplomat attempting to initiate a war between the United States and the Soviet Union and Shatner playing the reluctant U.N.C.L.E. recruit who must help foil the diplomat's plot. Nimoy and Shatner would begin working together on Star Trek just two years later.

The Star Trek years

File:LeonardNimoy No1Vulcan.jpg

Nimoy shows his opinion of Spock at the 2007 Las Vegas Star Trek Convention

Late in 1963, Nimoy landed a guest role on The Lieutenant, a series starring Gary Lockwood and created by Gene Roddenberry. The episode he appeared in, entitled "In the Highest Tradition", co-starred Roddenberry's future wife, Majel Barrett. Roddenberry was also developing a science fiction series at the time and thought Nimoy would be perfect for it. Although he was initially up for the role of the ship's chief medical officer, Nimoy accepted the role as a half-Vulcan/half-Human named Spock on Roddenberry's series, entitled Star Trek, which changed his life.

The first Star Trek pilot, "The Cage", was filmed in November and December of 1964. Although the pilot was rejected by NBC, the studio allowed Roddenberry to produce a second pilot, which became "Where No Man Has Gone Before". Many cast changes were made between the first pilot and the second, and Nimoy was the only principal cast member from "The Cage" to return for the second pilot. Following this pilot, Star Trek was picked up as a series.

During his time on Star Trek, Nimoy was responsible for many traits which have become associated with Spock or Vulcans in general, including the Vulcan salute and the Vulcan nerve pinch. For his supporting role as Spock, Nimoy was nominated for an Emmy Award for each of the show's three years. Despite this, it was while working on Star Trek Nimoy became an alcoholic and he became desperate if he could not have a drink after the day at work was over; because of that he also became suicidal and depressed. [2] Fortunately, Nimoy was able to get past these personal problems and continue his acting career.

Low ratings led to Star Trek's cancellation in 1969. Including the two pilots, Nimoy appeared in all 79 episodes of the series, the only actor to do so.

After Star Trek

After the cancellation of Star Trek, Nimoy moved on to another Desilu/Paramount series, Mission: Impossible, playing the regular character of Paris for two seasons (1969 - 1971). He joined the series as a replacement for the departing Martin Landau, who, ironically, was up for the role of Spock before Nimoy got the part. Lee Meriwether had a recurring role during Nimoy's first season on Mission: Impossible. Brooke Bundy and Alfred Ryder had roles in "The Controllers", the first episode shot with Nimoy. Many other past and future Star Trek actors appeared with Nimoy during his two seasons on Mission: Impossible, including Arlene Martel and David Opatoshu in the episode "Terror."

After Mission: Impossible, Nimoy starred with Lloyd Haynes, Malachi Throne, William Windom, and John Winston in the ABC Movie of the Week Assault on the Wayne (for Paramount Television) and co-starred with Yul Brynner, Richard Crenna, and TOS guest actor Jeff Corey in the western film Catlow, both released in 1971. He then starred in three 1973 TV movies: Baffled! (as a race car driver who has visions of people dying), Columbo: A Stitch in Crime (as a murderous doctor), and The Alpha Caper (co-starring James B. Sikking, Paul Sorenson, Vic Tayback, and Kenneth Tobey).

Nimoy made his directorial debut with a 1973 episode of Night Gallery entitled "Death on a Barge", which featured one-time TOS guest actor Lou Antonio and future TNG guest actress Brooke Bundy. Nimoy cast Lesley Ann Warren, one of his Mission: Impossible castmates, in the lead role in this episode. Also in 1973, Nimoy made his Broadway debut in a revival of the play Full Circle, working with future Star Trek: Enterprise guest star Peter Weller.

In 1976, Nimoy began hosting a television series called In Search of..., a syndicated documentary program dealing with topics such as Bigfoot and other monsters, Atlantis, Stonehenge, Jack the Ripper, and other unsolved mysteries. Although the series ended in 1982, the A&E Network and later A&E's The History Channel aired In Search of... throughout the 1990s and the early 2000s.

Return to Trek

In 1973 Nimoy reprised the role of Spock for the first time since 1969, voicing the character in Star Trek: The Animated Series for Filmation. Although this series ended in 1974 after only 23 episodes, a new live-action series, Star Trek: Phase II, began production shortly thereafter. Nimoy, however, opted out of this series and his character was replaced by a young Vulcan named Xon, who would have been played by David Gautreaux.

While Paramount was busy bring Phase II to fruition, Nimoy moved on, continuing to host In Search of..., appearing in the Broadway production of Equus, and starring in the 1978 remake of Invasion of the Body Snatchers, earning a Saturn Award nomination from the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films for his work on the latter. By this time, production on Phase II had ceased and the pilot for that series was being turned into the first Star Trek film, Star Trek: The Motion Picture. Nimoy was ultimately persuaded to reprise Spock for The Motion Picture, which debuted in the United States on 7 December 1979 and marked the beginning of a new era for Star Trek and for Nimoy.

Nimoy received a Saturn Award nomination for his portrayal of Spock in The Motion Picture. He went on to play Spock in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, although he was at first reluctant to do so. Spock seemingly perished at the end of Wrath of Khan, but Nimoy returned to the role for four more films: Star Trek III: The Search for Spock, Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home, Star Trek V: The Final Frontier, and Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country. He also directed and co-wrote the stories for The Search for Spock and The Voyage Home and executive produced and co-wrote the story for The Undiscovered Country. He earned Saturn Award nominations for directing The Search for Spock and for his performance in and direction of The Voyage Home.

In 1994, Nimoy was asked to appear as Spock in Star Trek Generations, the seventh Star Trek feature and the first to feature the crew of Star Trek: The Next Generation. The film's script originally had a role for Nimoy, but it was not to Nimoy's satisfaction and he declined the offer. Explaining his reason for turning down the film, Nimoy remarked:

"There was no Spock role in that script... there were five or six lines attributed to Spock [...] but it had nothing to do with Spock... I said to [co-writer] Rick Berman "you could distribute these lines to any one of the other characters and it wouldn't make any difference." And that is exactly what he did. There was no Spock function in the script. I have always tried to make a contribution to these movies. There was no contribution to be made in that movie."

Several costumes and costume pieces worn by Nimoy were sold off on the It's A Wrap! sale and auction on eBay, including his headband from Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home. [3]

Other film and television works

Between his work on the Star Trek films, Nimoy worked on numerous television projects. In 1981, he directed, starred in his own television adaptation of the one-man play Vincent, portraying Vincent Van Gogh's brother, Theo. In 1982, he received his fourth Emmy nomination for his supporting role in the telefilm A Woman Called Golda and appeared in the mini-series Marco Polo, starring Kenneth Marshall in the title role and co-starring F. Murray Abraham and David Warner.

Also during this time, Nimoy directed an episode of William Shatner's new series, T.J. Hooker, reportedly in preparation for directing Star Trek III: The Search for Spock. (Star Trek III: The Search for Spock (Special Edition) special features) He later guest-starred on the series, which also starred Star Trek: Deep Space Nine performer James Darren.

Nimoy later appeared in the James Goldstone-directed TV movie The Sun Also Rises, based on the Ernest Hemingway novel. He then worked with director Tim Burton to play the villain in the Fairie Tale Theatre production of Aladdin and His Wonderful Lamp. Nimoy also lent his voice to the role of Galvatron in The Transformers: The Movie, the 1986 film based on the animated series. Among the others who voiced characters in the movie are Michael Bell, Roger C. Carmel, Walker Edmiston, Clive Revill, Frank Welker, and Orson Welles.

In 1987, Nimoy directed the hit comedy 3 Men and a Baby, his first non-Star Trek feature film. Subsequent films he directed were The Good Mother (1988), Funny About Love (1990, featuring Michael Bofshever and Celeste Yarnall), and Holy Matrimony (1994, starring Jeffrey Nordling and John Schuck); frequent Trek editor Peter E. Berger edited all three of these films. Nimoy's latest directorial effort was a 1995 episode of the short-lived UPN series Deadly Games, starring Christopher Lloyd.

Nimoy starred in the 1991 television drama Never Forget, directed by Joseph Sargent, and voiced the mysterious Mr. Moundshroud in the 1993 animated movie The Halloween Tree. In addition, he voiced Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde in the 1994 live-action/animated fantasy The Pagemaster, which also featured the voices of Patrick Stewart, Whoopi Goldberg, Frank Welker, George Hearn, Robert Picardo, and Christopher Lloyd. In 1995, Nimoy appeared on The Outer Limits under the direction of his son, Adam.

Later projects

In 1996, Nimoy co-founded Alien Voices with John de Lancie and writer-producer Nat Segaloff. The audio production company/troupe produced several science fiction audio productions (including the two "Spock Vs. Q" audios) and a few televised specials for the Sci-Fi Channel: The First Men in the Moon in 1997 and The Lost World in 1998. Nimoy appeared in both of these films along with de Lancie, Ethan Phillips, and Dwight Schultz. William Shatner also starred in the first project; Roxann Dawson and Armin Shimerman had roles in the second.

In 1997, Nimoy played the biblical prophet Samuel. His partner in the TNT movie was TNG star Maurice Roëves.

In 1998, Nimoy appeared in a made-for-TV adaptation of Aldous Huxley's book, Brave New World, along with Miguel Ferrer, Daniel Dae Kim, and Aron Eisenberg. He then voiced a trio of characters in the 2000 CGI-animated film Sinbad: Beyond the Veil of Mists, along with John Rhys-Davies. After voicing the role of the King of Atlantis in Walt Disney's 2001 film Atlantis: The Lost Empire (along with Phil Morris and David Ogden Stiers), Nimoy announced his retirement from acting, deciding instead to focus on photography.

Despite his retirement, Nimoy made appearances with William Shatner in several commercials for Priceline.com in 2005 and 2006. Also in 2006, Nimoy did commercials for the arthritis pain medication, Aleve, in which Nimoy was concerned that his arthritis would prevent him from delivering the Vulcan salute to his fans at a convention.

Nimoy and Quinto — Nimoy with Zachary Quinto at the Comic-Con International (2007)

In 2007, it was announced that Nimoy would come out of retirement to play Spock in the 2009 Star Trek feature being produced and directed by J.J. Abrams. When proclaiming his reasons for accepting the role, he stated it was because the film has "a great director" (Abrams), "a wonderful actor playing the young Spock" (Zachary Quinto), and "a fabulous script" (written by Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman). He summed up his decision by stating "it was logical". [4]

In a July 2007 interview with Anthony Pascale of trekmovie.com, Nimoy gave three reasons for coming out of retirement to play Spock for the new film. His first reason was that it was Star Trek and that he owed it to the franchise to give his attention to the project. The second reason was his admiration for producer/director J.J. Abrams, and the third was that Spock had an "essential" and "interesting" role in the script. [5]

Production on Star Trek began on 7 November 2007. Nimoy began filming his scenes the following month. Shooting wrapped in March 2008. Nimoy can be heard reciting the famous line "Space... the final frontier" in the teaser trailer for the new Star Trek film, which debuted 18 January 2008. According to the film's co-writer, Roberto Orci, the line is a new recording which Nimoy made on the film's set in-between takes. [6]

With his work on Star Trek completed, Nimoy will continue acting for the time being. On the 12th of May he first appeared on Fringe, the science fiction television series created and produced by three members of Star Trek's creative team, J.J. Abrams, Alex Kurtzman, and Roberto Orci. On the show, Nimoy plays the recurring role of the enigmatic founder of Massive Dynamics, William Bell, a character which had previously been referenced but never seen. Nimoy voiced the role for the episode "Bad Dreams", which was written and directed by Akiva Goldsman and made his first on-camera appearance in the first season finale aired 12 May 2009. Nimoy will return for an extended arc in the fall. Fringe is Nimoy's first foray into episodic television since appearing on Becker in 2001.[7]

Appearances

Nimoy appeared as Spock in:

Star Trek: The Original Series (every episode)
Star Trek: The Animated Series (voice only, every episode)
Star Trek: The Motion Picture
Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan
Star Trek III: The Search for Spock
Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home
Star Trek V: The Final Frontier
Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country
TNG: "Unification I", "Unification II"
DS9: "Trials and Tribble-ations" (archive footage)
Star Trek

Additional appearances

Directing credits

Writing credits

Star Trek: The Motion Picture (uncredited)
Star Trek III: The Search for Spock (uncredited)
Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home (story with Harve Bennett)
Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country (story with Lawrence Konner & Mark Rosenthal)

Games

Music discography

Albums (vinyl LPs)

Mr. Spock's Music from Outer Space (Dot Records, 1967)
Two Sides of Leonard Nimoy (Dot Records, 1968)
The Way I Feel (Dot Records, 1968)
The Touch of Leonard Nimoy (Dot Records, 1969)
The New World of Leonard Nimoy (Dot Records, 1970)

Reissued LPs

Leonard Nimoy: Space Odyssey (Pickwick Records, US, 1972)
Mr. Spock Presents Music From Outer Space (Rediffusion Records, UK, 1973)
Outer Space / Inner Mind (Famous Twinsets/Paramount Records, US, 1974)
Leonard Nimoy (Sears Records, US, 1988)

Spoken word LPs

The Martian Chronicles (Caedmon Records, 1976)
Illustrated Man (Caedmon Records, 1977)
War of the Worlds (Caedmon Records, 1977)
Green Hills of Earth (Caedmon Records, 1977)
The Mysterious Golem (JRT Records, 1982)

Singles (45s)

The Ballad of Bilbo Baggins / Cotton Candy (Dot Records, 1967)
Theme From Star Trek / Visit To A Sad Planet (Dot Records, 1967)
I'd Love Making Love To You / Please Don't Try to Change My Mind (Dot Records, 1968)
Consilium / Here We Go 'Round Again (Dot Records, 1968)
The Sun Will Rise / Time to Get It Together (Dot Records, 1969)
Outer Space / Inner Mind (Paramount Records, 1970)

Cassettes

Leonard Nimoy / Micro-Cassette (Dot Records, release date unknown)
You Are Not Alone (MCA Records, 1987)

CDs

Highly Illogical (Rev-Ola Records, UK, 1993)
Leonard Nimoy Presents: Mr. Spock's Music From Outer Space (Varése Sarabande, US, 1995)
Spaced Out: The Very Best of Leonard Nimoy & William Shatner (Universal Music/Phantom, UK, 1997)
Golden Throats: The Great Celebrity Sing Off (Rhino Records, US, 1988, LP; 1992, CD)
Golden Throats 2: More Celebrity Rock Oddities (Rhino Records, US, 1991)
Golden Throats 3: Sweet Hearts of Rodeo Drive (Rhino Records, US, 1995)
Spaced Out: The Very Best of Leonard Nimoy & William Shatner (Universal Music/Space, Canada, 1997)
Dr. Demento's 30th Anniversary Collection (Rhino Records, US, 2000)
Dr. Demento's Hits From Outer Space (Rhino Records, US, 2002)

External links

Leonard Nimoy at Wikipedia
Template:IMDb-link
LeonardNimoyPhotography.com - official Leonard Nimoy website
Official Leonard Nimoy fan club
Template:NowCasting
Leonard Nimoy at TriviaTribute.com

Previous Director:
Nicholas Meyer

Star Trek films director
Star Trek III: The Search for Spock;
Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home

Next Director:
William Shatner

@@ Line 46: / Line 46: @@
 The first ''Star Trek'' pilot, {{e|The Cage}}, was filmed in November and December of {{y|1964}}. Although the pilot was rejected by [[NBC]], the studio allowed Roddenberry to produce a second pilot, which became {{e|Where No Man Has Gone Before}}. Many cast changes were made between the first pilot and the second, and Nimoy was the only principal cast member from "The Cage" to return for the second pilot. Following this pilot, ''Star Trek'' was picked up as a series.
-During his time on ''Star Trek'', Nimoy was responsible for many traits which have become associated with Spock or Vulcans in general, including the [[Vulcan salute]] and the [[Vulcan nerve pinch]]. For his supporting role as Spock, Nimoy was nominated for an [[Emmy Award]] for each of the show's three years. Despite this, it was while working on ''Star Trek'' Nimoy became an alcoholic and he became desperate if he could not have a drink after the day at work was over; because of that he also became suicidal and depressed. ([[#External links|''Star Trek: After They Were Famous, Part Four'']]) Fortunately, Nimoy was able to get past these personal problems and continue his acting career.
+During his time on ''Star Trek'', Nimoy was responsible for many traits which have become associated with Spock or Vulcans in general, including the [[Vulcan salute]] and the [[Vulcan nerve pinch]]. For his supporting role as Spock, Nimoy was nominated for an [[Emmy Award]] for each of the show's three years. Despite this, it was while working on ''Star Trek'' Nimoy became an alcoholic and he became desperate if he could not have a drink after the day at work was over; because of that he also became suicidal and depressed. [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OMzOLPuwGxk] Fortunately, Nimoy was able to get past these personal problems and continue his acting career.
 Low ratings led to ''Star Trek''{{'}}s cancellation in {{y|1969}}. Including the two pilots, Nimoy appeared in all 79 episodes of the series, the only actor to do so.