Leonard Nimoy, better known as Mr. Spock for his role as the half man half Vulcan alien from “Star Trek,” died Feb. 27 in his home in Bel Air, Los Angeles. He was 83.
Nimoy passed away due to Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary disease, or COPD. Nimoy had been diagnosed with COPD a year earlier, a condition attributed to his smoking habit that he had given up about 30 years ago.
On Feb. 19, Nimoy was taken to UCLA Medical Center for chest pains. Nimoy had been in and out of hospitals for the past several months.
Looking past his signature role as Mr. Spock, Nimoy was a man of many talents. Nimoy was a director, poet, photographer, and songwriter.
Throughout his career Nimoy appeared in dozens of films and televisions shows, as well as providing voice-overs for five different video games.
Nimoy had also appeared in three music videos, wrote two autobiographies, and had a successful career in photography and poetry.
Above all else though, his most famous role was Mr. Spock.
While “Star Trek” was canceled after only three seasons, a cult-like following quickly ensued. And many fans, aka Trekkies, were enamored with Nimoy’s personification of Mr. Spock, and his Vulcan salute.
“He portrayed a character that was a cornerstone of my childhood,” said James Levan, 20, a liberal arts major from Levittown.
“I was always a huge fan of science fiction and Spock was probably the most enjoyable alien I’ve ever seen,” he added.
Nimoy was not shy about his mixed feelings for his rise to fame as Mr. Spock, which is evident in the titles of two autobiographies: “I Am Not Spock,” published in 1975, and “I Am Spock,” published in 1995.
Nimoy’s most famous quote as Mr. Spock, “Live long and prosper,” still resonates with Trekkies and non-Trekkies alike, some 50 years after the TV series was originally broadcasted.
“He’s at the top of [Sci-fi],” Levan said. “He’s probably right up there with Mark Hamill. He was that powerful an actor.”
Many questions remain about where this leaves “Star Trek” going forward.
“He has been retired for some time now,” Levan said. “I imagine the character of Spock is falling onto Zachary Quinto now. If Quinto continues to play Spock, the character is in good hands.”
Although Nimoy’s body of work speaks for itself, it is his role as a family man and kind person that was perhaps his greatest achievement.
Nimoy is survived by his wife, Susan Bay Nimoy; two children, Adam and Julie; six grandchildren; a great-grandchild; and his older brother, Melvin.