Historical Figures Codexery

Leonard Nimoy

The actor who made Spock iconic, Leonard Nimoy left a legacy in Star Trek and beyond.

He also directed films including Star Trek III: The Search for Spock and Three Men and a Baby.[1] The actor and director Leonard Nimoy, famous for originating the character Spock in the original 1966 Star Trek series and continuing in the role for over four decades, was an American.[2] Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) was the cause of Leonard Nimoy's death in February 2015 after a lengthy illness.[3]

Quick Facts

Birth name
Leonard Simon Nimoy
Born
26 March 1931
Birthplace
Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.
Died
27 February 2015
Place of death
Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Resting place
Hillside Memorial Park Cemetery
Occupation
  • Actor
  • author
  • director
  • photographer
  • singer
Years active
1950–2015

Facts from the source article.

Life and work

His father owned a barbershop and his mother was a homemaker.[4] As a child, Nimoy sold newspapers and set up chairs in theaters to supplement the family income.[5] He later directed Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home and starred in stage roles including Tevye in Fiddler on the Roof.[1][6] Nimoy's military service in the United States Army spanned from 1953 to 1955, during which he attained the rank of sergeant while assigned to the Special Services entertainment branch.[7][8]

As an alternative to the scripted method of knocking someone out with a phaser butt, Nimoy thought up the "Vulcan nerve pinch" as a more refined technique.[9][10] After the original Star Trek series concluded, Nimoy became a cast member on Mission: Impossible, playing the role of Paris during the show's fourth and fifth seasons from 1969 to 1971.[11][12]

What the cited sources add

A Military.com account states that Nimoy picked up Senator John F. Kennedy in his cab and received the advice "there's always room for one more good one"[8] The same source notes that Nimoy's Army service included writing, narrating, and emceeing shows for the Special Services branch.[8] The TODAY.com article quotes a physicist saying Nimoy's character portrayed "intellectual discipline and a love of logic"[13] A Las Vegas Weekly piece mentions that actor Montaigne had a contract to replace Nimoy on the show, which included a stipulation that Montaigne would be let go if Nimoy chose to return.[12]

References

  1. Wikipedia, "Leonard Nimoy" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Snaith, "Spock did Video Games too: A homage to Leonard Nimoy", GameSpew, March 2, 2015; Mejia, "Ten Memorable Leonard Nimoy Onscreen Appearances", Newsweek, February 28, 2015 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  2. Wikipedia, "Leonard Nimoy" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Heffernan, "Leonard Nimoy, Spock of 'Star Trek,' Dies at 82", The New York Times, February 27, 2015 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  3. Wikipedia, "Leonard Nimoy" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "Celebrities and scientists remember Leonard Nimoy", TODAY.com, February 27, 2015; Variety Staff, "'Star Trek' Co-Stars William Shatner, George Takei Remember Leonard Nimoy", Variety, February 27, 2015; "Obama Mourns Star Trek's Leonard Nimoy: 'I Loved Spock'", NBC News, February 27, 2015; "Leonard Nimoy, Honored: Asteroid 4864 Nimoy Named After Actor Who Played 'Star Trek's' Spock", Inquisitr, June 6, 2015; "New documentary by Leonard Nimoy's son honors both his dad and Spock", USA Today, September 8, 2016 (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
  4. Wikipedia, "Leonard Nimoy" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Bernstein, "Leonard Nimoy, a pop culture force as Spock of 'Star Trek,' dies at 83", Washington Post, February 27, 2015; Rosenbaum, "Leonard Nimoy: An Alien from Boston", The Phoenix, May 9, 2011; Sammarco, "Boston's West End", Arcadia Publishing, 1998, p. 85; "Biography", The Official Leonard Nimoy Fan Club; "Leonard Simon Nimoy", Genealogy of Lucks, Kai and Related Families; Ellin, "Girth and Nudity, a Pictorial Mission", The New York Times, May 13, 2007; Shatner, William. Leonard: My Fifty-Year Friendship with a Remarkable Man, St. Mar en.wikipedia.org
  5. Wikipedia, "Leonard Nimoy" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Shatner, William. Leonard: My Fifty-Year Friendship with a Remarkable Man, St. Martin's Press N.Y. (2016),; "Leonard Nimoy's Mameloshn: A Yiddish Story", Yiddish Book Center, February 6, 2014; Shatner, "Leonard Nimoy", January 6, 2009; Shatner, William. Leonard: My Fifty-Year Friendship with a Remarkable Man, St. Martin's Press N.Y. (2016), (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  6. Wikipedia, "Leonard Nimoy" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Isenberg, Barbara. Tradition!, St. Martin's Press (2014) p. 137; Gershom, Yonassan. Jewish Themes in Star Trek, (2009) Lulu p. 119; San Diego Magazine, Vol. 24, San Diego Publishing (1971) (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  7. Wikipedia, "Leonard Nimoy" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Military.com, "Famous Veteran: Leonard Nimoy", Military.com, February 12, 2019; Curthoys, "Leonard Nimoy, a former soldier, dies at 83", Army Times, October 2023 (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
  8. Military.com, "Famous Veteran: Leonard Nimoy", Military.com, February 12, 2019. facts only, no text reused. military.com
  9. Wikipedia, "Leonard Nimoy" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Fischer, Dennis, "Science Fiction Film Directors, 1895–1998", McFarland, 2000, p. 480–492 (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
  10. Open Library record, ISBN 9780786460915 ("Science Fiction Film Directors, 1895-1998"). CC0 (metadata); book content not read. openlibrary.org
  11. Wikipedia, "Leonard Nimoy" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Miller, "The man who would be Spock", Las Vegas Weekly, August 8, 2012 (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
  12. Miller, "The man who would be Spock", Las Vegas Weekly, August 8, 2012. facts only, no text reused. lasvegasweekly.com
  13. "Celebrities and scientists remember Leonard Nimoy", TODAY.com, February 27, 2015. facts only, no text reused. today.com

Each numbered sentence above was checked against the source it cites before publication. Sentences citing Wikipedia adapt text from the English Wikipedia article Leonard Nimoy (contributors), used under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is available under the same licence. Other sources were used for facts only; no text or images are copied from them.

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