Leonard Nimoy, 'Star Trek's' Spock, dies at age 83

Leonard Nimoy, the actor who brought brains to William Shatner’s brawn in Star Trek, has reportedly died. He was 83.

Nimoy was rushed to the UCLA Medical Center with chest pains on Feb. 19 due to chest pains. His wife, Susan Bay Nimoy, told the New York Times that he died at his Los Angeles home Friday morning.

Like everyone else who starred on the original Star Trek series, Nimoy was best known for the role he played. Mr. Spock, the U.S.S. Enterprise’s science officer, was the show’s brains, reeling in Captain Kirk whenever his emotions got the best of them. He always frustrated medical officer Leonard “Bones” McCoy with his inability to take a joke. But the three of them lead the Enterprise’s most famous crew.

Nimoy had appeared on several TV shows before Star Trek, including Wagon Train, The Twilight Zone and Perry Mason. But in 1966, Gene Roddenberry cast him as the Vulcan/human Spock. Nimoy even appeared in the original Star Trek pilot.

After Star Trek was cancelled following three seasons, Nimoy went back to college to get a master’s degree in Spanish at Antioch University Austin in Ohio.

In 1978, Paramount saw how successful Star Trek was and decided to work on a new series. Eventually, it developed into Star Trek: The Motion Picture, with the original crew back. That started the long line of Trek movies, which included two directed by Nimoy: The search For Spock (1984) and The Voyage Home (1986). He also served as a writer on the last movie with the original crew, the underrated The Undiscovered Country.

Nimoy also appeared on The Next Generation and even made cameos in J.J. Abrams’ 2009 Star Trek and Star Trek Into Darkness.

Nimoy also directed the smash hit comedy Three Men and a Baby. He earned four Emmy nominations, including one for 1982’s A Woman Called Golda. He was also a recurring star on Fox’s cult sci-fi series Fringe.

He was also an accomplished writer, penning two memoirs and a book of poems in 2002 called A Lifetime of Love: Poems on the Passages of Life. He also made his Jewish heritage an important part of his creative life, producing the 1991 TV movie Never Forget and writing Shekhina, which featured his photographs.

Nimoy was born in Boston on March 26, 1931. He is also survived by his two children, a stepson, six grandchildren, one great-grandchild and his older brother.

Image Courtesy of ACE/INFphoto.com