R.I.P. Leonard Nimoy (1931-2015)

It’s with heavy hearts that we salute Leonard Nimoy, who passed away today at the age of 83. Nimoy is forever etched in our memory as the half-Vulcan, half-human Spock in the original Star Trek series, for which he received three Emmy nominations. He would also star in the first six Star Trek motion pictures, directing two of them.

In 1971, he starred with Yul Brynner in the western comedy Catlow, which he stated was one of the happiest moments of his life. Nimoy spent many years starring in stage productions and a wide array of television projects. In 1991, he produced and starred in the television movie, Never Forget, a true story about a lawsuit against a group of Holocaust deniers, saying, “If every project brought me the same sense of fulfillment that Never Forget did, I would truly be in paradise.”

Although he announced his retirement from acting in 2003, he returned in 2009 as the mysterious Dr. William Bell in the hit sci-fi series, Fringe, a role that he periodically returned to through 2012. That same year, Nimoy reached an all-new audience by providing the voice of Spock as a guest star on the hit comedy, The Big Bang Theory. Fans and cast members still mention that episode, “The Transporter Malfunction,” as a favorite. Nimoy has often been referenced in the sit-com as the character of Sheldon Cooper (played by Jim Parsons) idolizes Nimoy, as shown in this memorable clip:

With today’s passing, let’s hope that Sheldon can indeed grow another Leonard Nimoy. He will be missed.