Leonard Nimoy

Lore & Background

Leonard Nimoy was born to Jewish immigrants from Iziaslav, Ukraine, in an Irish section of Boston's West End. His father owned a barbershop, and his mother was a homemaker. Nimoy began acting at age eight in children's theater, and his first major role was at 17 as Ralphie in an amateur production of Awake and Sing!. He served in the United States Army from 1953 to 1955 as a sergeant in the Special Services, an entertainment branch. After his discharge, he worked as a cab driver and took minor roles in B movies and television series such as Perry Mason and Dragnet.

Reader's Guide

Nimoy's portrayal of Spock made a significant cultural impact and earned him three Emmy Award nominations. His public profile as Spock was so strong that both his autobiographies, I Am Not Spock (1975) and I Am Spock (1995), were written from the viewpoint of coexistence with the character. He directed films including Star Trek III: The Search for Spock (1984), Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home (1986), and Three Men and a Baby (1987). His final role as Spock was in the 2013 film Star Trek Into Darkness. After his death in 2015, an asteroid was named 4864 Nimoy in his honor.

Did You Know?

• Nimoy served in the United States Army as a sergeant in the Special Services from 1953 to 1955.
• He released two music albums with Dot Records from 1967 to 1970, mostly as Spock.
• His final role overall was as Spock in the 2013 film Star Trek Into Darkness.
• An asteroid was named 4864 Nimoy in his honor.

Notable Quotes (Wikiquote)

"I'm much more emotional than Mr. Spock. Spock rarely betrays what he is thinking or feeling. He's fun to portray. But I hope I won't explode one of these days." — Leonard Nimoy "A Conversation with Leonard Nimoy", Reform Judaism Magazine (Spring 1998)." — Leonard Nimoy "Leonard Nimoy's last tweet (February 23, 2015), quoted in Miriam Kramer, "Star Trek's Leonard Nimoy Dies at 83", Scientific American (February 27, 2015)." — Leonard Nimoy "Whatever we areWe belong togetherWherever we areWe will find each otherWhoever we areWe areForever one." — Leonard Nimoy