Leonard Nimoy Biography

LEONARD NIMOY

Date of Birth: March 26, 1931

Best known, and for some, only known for the pointy-eared alien Spock in the cult classic Star Trek series and films, Nimoy was born in Boston, Massachusetts. Born in an acting community, he first took to the stage at age eight. His stage acting earned him a scholarship to Boston College and after one year, he transferred to the Pasadena Payhouse in Los Angeles.

His training opened the door to film, but it wasn't until his 20th year that he decided to take on the feature film industry. After landing a small role in Queen for a Day, followed closely by a lead role in Kid Monk Baroni, Nimoy spent the next couple of years in the army. He returned to work on a number of popular television series which eventually led him to the series that made him famous.

Playing the half-Vulcan and science officer Spock in Star Trek led to numerous awards for acting, directing and writing. Although the show was short lived during its making, it became a cultural icon years later and the cast was brought back to voice an animated series and make six motion pictures. Wanting to kill off his character, Nimoy showed his directing talents both the third and fourth film, which brought back his character. He also continued to direct popular films such as Three Men and A Baby and Body Wars.

Nimoy has worked on a variety of different arts including writing poetry and books (including an autobiography, I Am Not Spock), and lending his voice to tell stories on tapes and on commercials. He has continued to perform on stage in plays like Fiddler on the Roof, and Equus on Broadway. He also spent time working as an acting teacher and received an honorary doctorate from Antioch University in 2000.

Nimoy hosted the well-known TV series, In Search of and Ancient Mysteries. as well as appearing in a number of TV movies and miniseries, notably as Golda Meir's first husband in A Woman Called Golda and starring as concentration camp survivor Mel Mermelstein in Never Forget, which he also produced. Recently, he reprised his role as "Old Spock" in the all new Star Trek (2009).

Nimoy passed away at age 83 on February 27, 2015. He left behind his second wife Susan, and three children (one stepson) from his marriage to first wife, Sandi.

Filmography:

Star Trek Into Darkness (2013)
Star Trek (2009)
To Be Takei (2014)
Fringe: The Complete Fourth Season (2012)
Atlantis: The Lost Empire (2001) (voice)
Sinbad: Beyond the Veil of Mists (2000) (voice)
The First Men on the Moon (1999) (V)
Rashi: A Light After the Dark Ages (1999) (voice)
The Story of Computer Graphics (1999) (voice)
Armageddon: Target Earth (1998) (voice)
A Life Apart: Hasidism in America (1997) (voice)
Trekkies (1997)
Carpati: 50 Miles, 50 Years (1996)
Jellies & Other Ocean Drifters (1996)
William Shatner's Star Trek Memories (1995) (V)
Destiny in Space (1994) (voice)
The Pagemaster (1994) (voice)
The Halloween Tree (1993) (voice)
Greenhouse Gamble (1992)
Titanica (1992) (voice)
The Twenty-Five Year Mission Tour (1992) (V)
Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country (1991)
Bangles Greatest Hits (1990) (V) (uncredited)
Star Trek V: The Final Frontier (1989)
Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home (1986)
The Transformers: The Movie (1986) (voice)
Star Trek III: The Search for Spock (1984)
Star Trek: The Wrath of Khan (1982)
Leonard Nimoy Demonstrates the Magnavision Videodisc Player (1981) (V)
Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1979)
Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978)
Catlow (1971)
Deathwatch (1966)
Seven Days in May (1964) (uncredited)
The Balcony (1963)
The Brain Eaters (1958)
Satan's Satellites (1958)
Them! (1954) (uncredited)
Old Overland Trail (1953)
Francis Goes to West Point (1952) (uncredited)
Kid Monk Baroni (1952)
Zombies of the Stratosphere (1952)
Queen for a Day (1951)
Rhubarb (1951) (uncredited)