Best known for playing Spock in the Star Trek TV series and the follow on Star Trek movies, beloved and legendary actor Leonard Nimoy died today at the age of 83.
Nimoy died on Friday morning at his home in the Bel Air section of Los Angeles. He was 83, reports The New York Times.
His wife, Susan Bay Nimoy, confirmed his death, saying the cause was end-stage chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
Mr. Nimoy announced that he had the disease last year, attributing it to years of smoking, a habit he had given up three decades earlier. He had been hospitalized earlier in the week.
Nimoy was best known for playing the iconic Star Trek character Mr Spock, and after appearing in the TV series and films that followed, the actor returned to the role in JJ Abrams’ directed Star Trek reboot in 2009, and then again in Star Trek Into Darkness (2013).
Most recently Nimoy had been seen as Walter’s friend Dr William Bell in the TV series Fringe, and in total the actor has appeared in over 130 TV shows and films. He dabbled in the horror genre by appearing in TV series The Twilight Zone, The Outer Limits and Night Gallery. He also appeared in horror sci-fi films Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978), Them! and The Brain Eaters.
Nimoy’s passing is a huge loss to the movie and TV world, and friends and colleagues have been expressing their sadness at such a loss. Here is a sample of some of the Tweets and messages issued today:
“I loved him like a brother. We will all miss his humor, his talent, and his capacity to love.” -William Shatner https://t.co/U8ZN98tVYp
— William Shatner (@WilliamShatner) February 27, 2015
my heart is broken. i love you profoundly my dear friend. and i will miss you everyday. may flights… https://t.co/WPJmt1X4ox
— Zachary Quinto (@ZacharyQuinto) February 27, 2015
So lucky to have worked with Nimoy. a few months ago, spent 7 hours with him 1 on 1. I asked all I could think of, and he answered.
— Roberto Orci (@realboborci) February 27, 2015
Star Trek actor George Takei, to CNN: “Leonard was a very dear friend. One extraordinary thing about him I remember: When Star Trek was going to be done as an animated series, they cast Leonard, Bill Shatner, Majel Barrett and Jimmy Doohan only for the voice acting on that. And when he discovered that Nichelle Nicholls and Walter Koenig and I were not cast because of budgetary considerations, he said, Star Trek is about diversity, and if the two people that represent diversity to most, Nichelle and George, then I’m not interested in doing it. … That was an extraordinary thing for an actor, to give up a gig on behalf of other actors. And because Leonard was so necessary to the project, they cast Nichelle and me and offered Walter an opportunity to write a script. He was really an amazing man.”
Leonard Nimoy brought us one of the greatest, noblest characters in the history of American storytelling. Someone find the Genesis planet.
— Seth MacFarlane (@SethMacFarlane) February 27, 2015
“Of all the souls I have encountered in my travels, his was the most… Human.” Farewell, Leonard Nimoy – Actor, Director, Pop culture icon.
— KevinSmith (@ThatKevinSmith) February 27, 2015
RIP Leonard Nimoy. So many of us at NASA were inspired by Star Trek. Boldly go… https://t.co/qpeH5BTzQc pic.twitter.com/nMmFMKYv1L
— NASA (@NASA) February 27, 2015
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