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Leonard Nimoy

Leonard Nimoy

Acting · Directing · Sound

Born March 26, 1931, Boston, Massachusetts, USA

Leonard Simon Nimoy (March 26, 1931 – February 27, 2015) was an American actor, film director, poet, musician and photographer. Nimoy's most famous role is that of Spock in the original Star Trek series 1966–1969, multiple films, television and video game sequels. Nimoy began his career in his early twenties, teaching acting classes in Hollywood and making minor film and television appearances through the 1950s, as well as playing the title role in Kid Monk Baroni. In 1953, he served in the United States Army. In 1965, he made his first appearance in the rejected Star Trek pilot, "The Cage", and would go on to play the character of Mr. Spock until 1969, followed by seven further films and a number of guest slots in various sequels. His character of Spock generated a significant cultural impact and three Emmy Award nominations; TV Guide named Spock one of the 50 greatest TV characters. Nimoy also had a recurring role in Mission: Impossible and a narrating role in Civilization IV, as well as several well-received stage appearances. Nimoy's fame as Spock is such that both his autobiographies, I Am Not Spock (1977) and I Am Spock (1995) detail his existence as being shared between the character and himself. Nimoy was born to Yiddish-speaking Orthodox Jewish immigrants from Iziaslav, Ukraine. His father, Max Nimoy, owned a barbershop in the Mattapan section of the city. His mother, Dora Nimoy (née Spinner), was a homemaker. Nimoy began acting at the age of eight in children's and neighborhood theater. His parents wanted him to attend college and pursue a stable career, or even learn to play the accordion—which, his father advised, Nimoy could always make a living with—but his grandfather encouraged him to become an actor. His first major role was at 17, as Ralphie in an amateur production of Clifford Odets' Awake and Sing!. Nimoy took Drama classes at Boston College in 1953 but failed to complete his studies, and in the 1970s studied photography at the University of California, Los Angeles. He has an MA in Education and an honorary doctorate from Antioch University in Ohio. Nimoy served as a sergeant in the U.S. Army from 1953 through 1955, alongside fellow actor Ken Berry and architect Frank Gehry.

Filmography

Appearances as themselves (73)
  • 2025Sally — Self (archive footage)
  • 2024Tolkien: The True Story of the Rings — Self - Actor (archive footage)
  • 2022Way of Tomorrow: The Evolution of Science Fiction Movies — Self - (archive footage)
  • The Center Seat: 55 Years of Star Trek — Self (archive footage)
  • 2019Everything You Wanted to Know About Sudden Birth (but were afraid to ask) — Self (archive footage)
  • 2018My Brother Vincent — Self
  • 201650 Years of Star Trek — Self
  • 2016For the Love of Spock — Self (archive footage)
  • 2014Leonard Nimoy's Boston — Self
  • 2014To Be Takei — Self
  • 2013Leonard Nimoy's Oral History — Self - Interviewee
  • 2013Star Trek: The True Story — Self
  • 2012Hava Nagila: The Movie — Self
  • 2009Bring Back... Star Trek — Self
  • Late Night with Jimmy Fallon — Self
  • 2009Star Trek: The Captain's Summit — Self
  • 2009The Evolution of the Enterprise — Self
  • Shatner's Raw Nerve — Self
  • The Real Story — Himself
  • 2007Cinemaville — Self
  • 2007Star Trek: Beyond the Final Frontier — Self - Host
  • 200640 Years of Star Trek — Self
  • 2006The Once and Future Griffith Observatory — Self
  • 2006William Shatner in Concert — Self
  • Bring Back... — Self
  • 2005Ringers: Lord of the Fans — Self
  • The Colbert Report — Self - Guest
  • Comedy Central Roasts — Self
  • 2003The Perils Of Peacemaking — Self
  • After They Were Famous — Self
  • HypaSpace — Self
  • 2002The Making of 'Atlantis: The Lost Empire' — Self
  • 2001Mind Meld: Secrets Behind the Voyage of a Lifetime — Self
  • 1999Y2K Family Survival Guide — Self - Host / Narrator
  • 1997The Harryhausen Chronicles — Self - Narrator (voice)
  • 1997Trekkies — Self
  • Muppets Tonight — Self
  • 1996Star Trek Story — Self
  • 1996Star Trek: 30 Years and Beyond — Self
  • The Daily Show — Self - Guest, Self - Narrator
  • 1996William Shatner's Star Trek Memories — Self
  • 1995The New Explorers: The Science of Star Trek — Self
  • 1994Star Trek: A Captain's Log — Self
  • 1994The Making of 'The Pagemaster' — Self (archive footage)
  • 1994William Shatner: Captain's Log — Self
  • Late Night with Conan O'Brien — Self - Guest
  • Late Show with David Letterman — Self - Top Ten List Presenter
  • 1992The Twenty-Five Year Mission Tour — Self
  • 1992Titanica — Self - Narrator (voice)
  • 1991Star Trek: 25th Anniversary Special — Self - Host
  • 1988The Star Trek Saga: From One Generation to the Next — Self
  • 1986Super Duper Bloopers — Self
  • 1985Hollywood's Funniest All-Star Bloopers — Self (archive footage)
  • 1982Night of 100 Stars — Self
  • Wogan — Self
  • Auf los geht's los — Self
  • Please Turn the Page — Self
  • The Captain and Tennille — Self - Guest
  • 1975Mitzi & 100 Guys — Self
  • Saturday Night Live — Self - Cameo (uncredited), Self (uncredited)
  • 1975The Star Trek Dream — Self
  • Film '72 — Self
  • The Barbara McNair Show — Self
  • Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In — Self (uncredited)
  • The Beautiful Phyllis Diller Show — Self
  • Malibu U — Self
  • The Carol Burnett Show — Self - Guest / Various Characters
  • The Hollywood Palace — Self - Singer
  • The Merv Griffin Show — Self - Guest
  • The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson — Self
  • The Mike Douglas Show — Self
  • Golden Globe Awards — Self - Presenter
  • Leonard Nimoy Demonstrates the Magnavision Videodisc Player — Self
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