RIP, Spock

LIVE LONG … AND PROSPER

|| By FITSNEWS || Leonard Nimoy – whose inimitable portrayal of the half-human, half-Vulcan Star Trek science officer Mr. Spock established him as a science fiction and cultural icon – died this week.  He was 83 years old.

Nimoy died at his home in Bel Air, California from complications related to a pulmonary disease he was diagnosed with last year.  The disease was caused by years of smoking.

“I quit smoking thirty years ago,” Nimoy said at the time.  “Not soon enough.”

Words to the wise …

One of the original three Star Trek characters – along with Captain James T. Kirk (portrayed by William Shatner) and Dr. Leonard “Bones” McCoy (portrayed by the late DeForest Kelley) – Nimoy’s Spock made his network television debut on September 8, 1966.

He went on to portray the character for more than four decades, making his final appearance as “Spock Prime” in the 2013 film Star Trek: Into Darkness.   That movie was the second installment of the rebooted Star Trek film franchise – which starred Zachary Quinto as Spock.

Nimoy portrayed Spock in six feature films – Star Treks I-VI, from 1979-1991.  Two of those movies – Star Trek III and IV – he directed.  But his connection with the character was deeper than just acting, as he is credited with creation Spock’s signature Vulcan salute as well as his famous “Live Long and Prosper” greeting.

Or #LLAP for you cool kids on social media …

Beyond his famous film character, Nimoy was an avid photographer, a poet and a pilot.  Prior to his fame, he spent two years in the Army – rising to the rank of Sergeant.  His father, a Yiddish-speaking Ukrainian Jewish immigrant, was a barber from Boston, Massachusetts.  In fact, Spock’s salute was modeled after the Jewish priestly blessings he witnessed as a young boy attending synagogue.

“A great man, with a poetic sensibility, and a niche for inspiring the creativeness of so many people,” one of our Twitter followers noted of Nimoy.

We agree …

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