Leonard Nimoy
Biography
Leonard Simon Nimoy (March 26, 1931 – February 27, 2015) was an American actor, film director, poet, musician and photographer. Nimoy's most famous role is that of Spock in the original Star Trek series 1966–1969, multiple films, television and video game sequels.
Nimoy began his career in his early twenties, teaching acting classes in Hollywood and making minor film and television appearances through the 1950s, as well as playing the title role in Kid Monk Baroni. In 1953, he served in the United States Army. In 1965, he made his first appearance in the rejected Star Trek pilot, "The Cage", and would go on to play the character of Mr. Spock until 1969, followed by seven further films and a number of guest slots in various sequels. His character of Spock generated a significant cultural impact and three Emmy Award nominations; TV Guide named Spock one of the 50 greatest TV characters. Nimoy also had a recurring role in Mission: Impossible and a narrating role in Civilization IV, as well as several well-received stage appearances. Nimoy's fame as Spock is such that both his autobiographies, I Am Not Spock (1977) and I Am Spock (1995) detail his existence as being shared between the character and himself.
Nimoy was born to Yiddish-speaking Orthodox Jewish immigrants from Iziaslav, Ukraine. His father, Max Nimoy, owned a barbershop in the Mattapan section of the city. His mother, Dora Nimoy (née Spinner), was a homemaker. Nimoy began acting at the age of eight in children's and neighborhood theater. His parents wanted him to attend college and pursue a stable career, or even learn to play the accordion—which, his father advised, Nimoy could always make a living with—but his grandfather encouraged him to become an actor. His first major role was at 17, as Ralphie in an amateur production of Clifford Odets' Awake and Sing!. Nimoy took Drama classes at Boston College in 1953 but failed to complete his studies, and in the 1970s studied photography at the University of California, Los Angeles. He has an MA in Education and an honorary doctorate from Antioch University in Ohio. Nimoy served as a sergeant in the U.S. Army from 1953 through 1955, alongside fellow actor Ken Berry and architect Frank Gehry.
Acting (107 movies)
Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan
1982
Star Trek: The Motion Picture
1979
Star Trek III: The Search for Spock
1984
Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home
1986
Star Trek V: The Final Frontier
1989
Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country
1991
Mitzi & 100 Guys
1975
Hollywood's Funniest All-Star Bloopers
1985
The Transformers: The Movie
1986
David
1997
Atlantis: The Lost Empire
2001
A Life Apart: Hasidism in America
1998
Classic TV Bloopers Uncensored
2011
Invasion of the Body Snatchers
1978
Star Trek: The Captain's Summit
2009
Mind Meld: Secrets Behind the Voyage of a Lifetime
2001
Brave New World
1998
Star Trek
2009
The Pagemaster
1994
Destiny in Space
1994
Transformers: Dark of the Moon
2011
Trekkies
1997
Titanica
1992
The Halloween Tree
1993
Kid Monk Baroni
1952
The Evolution of the Enterprise
2009
Star Trek Into Darkness
2013
Catlow
1971
Star Trek: The Cage
1965
Sinbad: Beyond the Veil of Mists
2000
A Woman Called Golda
1982
Assault on the Wayne
1971
Never Forget
1991
Zambezia
2012
Hava Nagila: The Movie
2012
Baffled!
1973
To Be Takei
2014
Deathwatch
1966
Seizure: The Story of Kathy Morris
1980
The Prime Ministers: The Pioneers
2013
Star Trek Story
1996
The Alpha Caper
1973
The Pixar Story
2007
Star Trek: 25th Anniversary Special
1991
Super Duper Bloopers
1986
Vincent
1981
Francis Goes to West Point
1952
Them!
1954
Science Fiction: A Journey Into the Unknown
1994
The Brain Eaters
1958
Old Overland Trail
1953
Star Trek: Evolutions
2009
My Brother Vincent
2018
Leonard Nimoy: Star Trek Memories
1983
The New Explorers: The Science of Star Trek
1995
Satan's Satellites
1958
Star Trek: 30 Years and Beyond
1996
William Shatner's Star Trek Memories
1995
Valley of Mystery
1967
50 Years of Star Trek
2016
Zombies of the Stratosphere
1952
The Balcony
1963
The Star Trek Dream
1975
The Harryhausen Chronicles
1997
Star Trek: A Captain's Log
1994
The Great Pyramids
1997
The Missing Are Deadly
1975
The Once and Future Griffith Observatory
2006
Aladdin and His Wonderful Lamp
1986
Bonanza: Under Attack
1995
Y2K Family Survival Guide
1999
Star Trek: Beyond the Final Frontier
2007
Reflections on Spock
2004
Billy Blackburn's Treasure Chest: Rare Home Movies and Special Memories
2011
Kiss 'N' Tell: Romance in the 23rd Century
2004
Birth of a Timeless Legacy
2004
Rex Harrison Presents Stories of Love
1974
40 Years of Star Trek
2006
Jellies & Other Ocean Drifters
1996
The Star Trek Saga: From One Generation to the Next
1988
Symphony to the Planets: A Star to Call Home
1993
Symphony to the Planets: Mysteries Beyond Our Reach
1995
The Story of Computer Graphics
1999
Rhubarb
1951
The Making of 'Atlantis: The Lost Empire'
2002
Star Trek: Inside the Roddenberry Vault
2016
Ringers: Lord of the Fans
2005
Land of the Lost
2009
Lights
1984
Rambam - The Story of Maimonides
2005
The Making of 'The Pagemaster'
1994
The Fly Papers: The Buzz on Hollywood's Scariest Insect
2000
Planets of the Sun
1985
Emily @ the Edge of Chaos
2021
Queen for a Day
1951
Night of 100 Stars
1982
Mystical World of Ancient Greece
1996
Mysterious Spirits of the Mayans
1995
765874: Memory Wall
2022
Armageddon: Target Earth
1998
Directing (7 movies)
| Title | Year | Job |
|---|---|---|
| Deathwatch | 1966 | Producer |
| Vincent | 1981 | Writer |
| Never Forget | 1991 | Executive Producer |
| Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country | 1991 | Executive Producer |