Leonard Nimoy at the 2011 Phoenix Comicon in Phoenix, Arizona. (Wikimedia Commons – http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Leonard_Nimoy_by_Gage_Skidmore_2.jpg#/media/File:Leonard_Nimoy_by_Gage_Skidmore_2.jpg )
Darick T. Earney
Associate Editor
Star Trek’s Leonard Nimoy entered UCLA Medical Center in California on Feb. 19, complaining of severe chest pains. After complications with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), Nimoy died Feb. 27.
Nimoy had a career both on stage and in cinema for over 60 years. Among some of his most famous roles were Mr. Spock in the “Star Trek: Original Series,” and the voice of Galvatron in the 1986 animated feature, “Transformers: The Movie.”
“I think Leonard Nimoy’s passing will have a huge impact on remembering the series of Star Trek, as well as the complexity behind his character, Mr.Spock,” Professor of Film Jim Price said. “Although Spock always preferred logic first and foremost, he also had a human side that could be more doubtful and impulsive. I feel that this personal struggle helped audiences identify with him, as well as give Mr.Spock a chance to speak for them from time to time.”
Years after his retirement from acting, Nimoy had come back to reprise his role as “Mr. Spock” in the 2009 “Star Trek” reboot, and a TV show guest appearance on, “The Big Bang Theory”.
Four days before his death, Leonard Nimoy posted his final tweet on his Twitter page for his friends and followers that read: “A Life Is Like A Garden. Perfect moments can be had, but not preserved. LLAP [Live Long And Prosper]“.
“I think we can perhaps read some Spock into it. Spock evolved and developed as he aged. That statement does seem to make sense coming out of the mouth of an older, more mature Spock,” Vice President of Student Engagement Sean Hill said. “Like most men as they get older, Spock became more accepting of himself as an emotional being. I suspect a younger Spock may have rejected the notion of a perfect moment.”
Ukraine immigrants, Max and Dora, welcomed the birth of their son Leonard on March 26, 1931 in Boston, Massachusetts.
Nimoy’s interest in acting began at age eight while attending a local theater company until leaving for Hollywood at age 18 to pursue a movie career.
Working on several low budget science fiction films, Nimoy’s career went on hiatus from 1953-1955 when he joined the U.S. Army reserve. During his service in the Reserves he married girlfriend, Sandra Zober, later having two children, Julia and Adam.
His acting career grew in the early 1960s after starring in episodes of “Bonanza,” “Gunsmoke,” “The Outer Limits,” and even “The Twilight Zone.” Nimoy’s breakthrough role didn’t happen until the unprecedented science fiction series, “Star Trek.”
“Fans will remember him fondly. It also helps a little that Zachary Quinto’s portrayal of Spock in the most recent Star Trek films has been largely accepted and admired. Like many others upon hearing of his death, my thought was that he himself did live long and prosper,” Hill said.
For more on the life and career of Leonard Nimoy, visit imdb.com to learn more about his acting credits and his rise to fame.
Contact Darick at dearney@lc.edu
