Forty years ago, “Star Trek” morphed from a unique-but-under appreciated, canceled program to a powerhouse franchise spawning a dozen (and counting) films, more than a half-dozen (and counting) TV series, hundreds of books, innumerable video games, millions of dollars in merchandise and countless copycats.
Leonard Nimoy, aka Mr. Spock, arguably had a larger role in that pop culture sci-fi explosion than anyone other than series creator Gene Roddenberry. Nimoy died Friday morning at his home in the Bel Air neighborhood of Los Angeles. He was 83 and succumbed to end-stage chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, which he said was caused by smoking, even though he quit 30 years ago.
Spock was an alien America didn’t have to be afraid of. As a Vulcan who lived among humans, he symbolized integration at a time when America was torn over civil rights. He was the moral and logical center in a dramatic series that fed off danger and intergalactic chaos. He was the cool, detached guy we all want to be when everything around us is going to hell.
And by simply raising an eyebrow he could make people laugh. When he told people to “Live long and prosper,” it seemed to presage the spirit of John Lennon’s “Give peace a chance.”
It’s possible no other actor in entertainment was more associated with an iconic role. Nimoy was Spock and Spock was Nimoy and seeing him in another show or movie felt a little wrong.
And it almost didn’t happen. It was the 1960s when the groundbreaking program was given a prime-time slot on NBC. But kids were in bed and adults had bigger things to worry about — Vietnam, civil rights, assassinations, and rebellious youth, for starters. The show was canceled after three years, and the cast found other gigs, including Nimoy who joined the cast of “Mission Impossible. ”
Then came the ’70s and syndication and a cultural shift. After so many years of ugly reality, America was looking for escape and flocked to cable channel reruns of “Star Trek” in family-friendly time slots. And kids like me with no memory of “Star Trek” asked: “What is this awesome TV show with the aliens, and the ray guns, and the cool guy in the captain’s chair, with his chill buddy with the pointy ears who can knock someone out by pinching their shoulder?”
Suddenly, we wanted phasers and communicators and tricorders, and the outfits and the dolls (er, action figures). Toy companies responded. Older nerds came up with the convention concept. Sci-fi was flourishing and, naturally, Hollywood followed, especially after the success of “Star Wars.” There was money to be made from kids who wanted to see the cast reunite on the big screen. A pop culture phenomenon was born.
And Nimoy was key. He played Spock as a character so stoic and smart he couldn’t help but set up the show’s best moments. We laughed at the awkwardness of Nurse Chapel’s fawning lust for him and loved his banter with the emotional and gruff Dr. McCoy. We marveled as he calmly solved life-or-death problems as chaos exploded around him. We respected his ability to beat down some alien and not break a sweat.
And that was just on TV. Nimoy was even better in the movies, when he brought more nuance and emotion to the character. Spock’s death in the second film — heroically rescuing the Enterprise and his crewmates — was met with so much public outrage, it was said to have fueled the plot lines of the next three films.
With his new leverage, Nimoy got more involved in the “Star Trek” enterprise, directing the third and fourth films and cowriting the fourth and fifth. He and William Shatner’s Captain Kirk comprised perhaps the world’s first — and best — on-screen bromance with Spock’s dispassionate logic perfectly matched by Kirk’s unpredictability and swagger.
Appearing occasionally in later versions of TV spinoffs and the last two movies, Nimoy played Spock like everyone’s favorite uncle, who you knew was the smartest guy in the room but might only acknowledge you with a hint of a smile or a raised eyebrow. Leonard Nimoy was such a large part of so many childhoods it’s difficult to believe he wasn’t immortal and won’t just pop up somewhere in the future “Star Trek” universe. Maybe it’s cornball — in this case, that’s OK — but I hope his last words included the phrase “live long and prosper.”
Tony Hicks writes celebrity commentary for the Bay Area News Group. Contact him at Facebook.com/BayAreaNewsGroup.TonyHicks or Twitter.com/tonyhicks67
Leonard Nimoy, 1931-2015
Early years: Born to Russian immigrant parents in Boston where he was raised in an Italian neighborhood.
Education: He won a drama scholarship to Boston College but dropped out, moved to California and took acting lessons at the Pasadena Playhouse.
Early career: After service in the Army, Nimoy returned to Hollywood, working as taxi driver, vacuum cleaner salesman, movie theater usher and other jobs while looking for acting work.
Career highlights: In addition to his nearly career-long involvement with “Star Trek,” he hosted the syndicated TV series “In Search of … ,” (1967-82) and, recently, played role of William Bell in the Fox series “Fringe.” He also directed several films including “Three Men and a Baby,” starred in a number of theatrical plays, and published books of poems, children’s stories and his own photographs.
Personal: In 1954, he married Sandra Zober, and they had two children, Julie and Adam. They divorced, and in 1988 he married Susan Bay, a film production executive. Besides his wife, son and daughter, Nimoy is survived by his stepson, Aaron Bay Schuck. Services will be private.
Quote: Last year, Nimoy famously used Twitter to announce he had pulmonary disease. He linked it to smoking, a habit he said he quit 30 years before. In January, he tweeted: “Don’t smoke. I did. Wish I never had.”
