Leonard Nimoy
Name: | Leonard Nimoy |
Also Known As: | |
Occupation: | Actor, Director, Musician, Photographer, Writer |
Medium: | Television and Film |
Works: | Star Trek |
Official Website(s): | Leonard Nimoy Photography TheRealNimoy @ Twitter |
Fan Website(s): | |
On Fanlore: | Related pages |
Leonard Nimoy was an American actor, renowned for his portrayal of Spock in Star Trek: The Original Series and in subsequent films. He directed two of the TOS films and had writing credits on two as well.
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. He frequently signed-off his tweets with "LLAP", a shortened version of Spock's iconic greeting of, "Live long and prosper".
He reprised his role as Spock for the last two times in Star Trek (2009) and Star Trek Into Darkness; he was the only member of the TOS cast to do so.
Nimoy also played the character of William Bell during the first two seasons of Fringe, which aired between 2008 and 2010.
Nimoy passed away on February 27, 2015.[1]
Some Nimoy Roles That Inspired Fanworks
Nimoy had a very long acting career on the stage, as well as television and film. These are just a small fraction of them for which fans created fanworks:
- Star Trek: The Original Series
- Star Trek: The Animated Series
- the Star Trek feature films: Star Trek: The Motion Picture, The Wrath of Khan, The Search for Spock, and others
- Mission Impossible
- A Woman Called Golda
- Marco Polo (1982 TV series) and Vincent, the stage play
- Vincent (TV Movie 1981)
- Catlow
- Baffled!
- Sherlock Holmes (1976 play)
- Invasion of the Body Snatchers
- Assault on the Wayne
- Zombies of the Stratosphere
Nimoy and Fandom
In late 1968, Nimoy agreed to participate in a contest advertised on the back cover of issues of TV Digest magazine. "Eight lucky ladies to have breakfast with Mr. Spock (star of Star Trek)." Winners were announced on 30th January, 1969, on KSTP-TV's Dialing for Dollars program, hosted by Jim Hutton. Fans were invited to fill in a coupon, "or reasonable facsimile". Prizes included the 9.00am breakfast at the "2 Crowns" restaurant at the Hilton Hotel, Minnesota, plus albums, flowers and the opportunity to ride on Nimoy's float in that year's "Saint Paul Winter Carnival Parade". Greg Morris (Barney Collier of Mission: Impossible), was among other celebrities who appeared at the parade. [2]
"Breakfast with Mr. Spock", winners announced 30th January, 1969
In Tolkien fandom, Nimoy is known for recording The Ballad of Bilbo Baggins in 1967, and even performing it on television. In fact, he spoke in interviews about being impressed with Tolkien's work, causing his own devotees to pick up The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings if they hadn't already. References to Middle-earth, hobbits, and elves were often found in Nimoy fanzines, both as a result of this connection and because most fans at this time were fantasy and SF devotees. Ruth Berman and Dorothy Jones Heydt pointed out that Nimoy himself could be cast as Aragorn if a live-action film were made.
Nimoy also participated in the 2005 documentary Ringers: Lord of the Fans.
Nimoy and His Family in Fanart
artist is Diane Marchant, from The Nimoyan #2, a Nimoy family portrait -- note: this example shows the result of part of the cover exposed to sunlight (1971)
the artist is Karen Flanery, from The Nimoyan #1 (1971) - "Sandi, look what followed me home! Can we keep him?" - cartoon with Nimoy and his wife, a reference to "The Falcon" which was a Mission Impossible episode
artist is Karen Flanery, from Leonard Nimoy Association of Fans Yearbook (1972)
artist is Christine Myers, portrays Nimoy and his wife, Sandie, from All That He Is (1986)
Nimoy and Fanart Depicting Him With Fans
artist is Karen Flanery, from The Nimoyan (1969)
artist is Janet Morterano,, from The Nimoyan #1 (1969)
Karen Flanery, from Karen & Leonard: A Monochromatic Romance (1975)
Karen Flanery, from Karen & Leonard: A Monochromatic Romance (1975)
Karen Flanery, from Karen & Leonard: A Monochromatic Romance (1975)
Karen Flanery, from Karen & Leonard: A Monochromatic Romance (1975)
Karen Flanery, from Karen & Leonard: A Monochromatic Romance (1975)
Nimoy with Other Star Trek PTB
the artist is Ev Turner, from The Nimoyan #4 (1973) - "and they are still getting it all together" portrays Leonard Nimoy, DeForest Kelley, and Gene Roddenberry going over scripts for bringing Trek back to the screen
Karen Flanery, from Don't You Just Love Leonard Nimoy? - "Look, we'll send you to a plastic surgeon -- point your ears, and when it's all over -- we'll pay to have them put back to normal!" (Gene Roddenberry and Nimoy in an imagined setting.) (1970)
from Star Trek Today #6 (1975), artists are Burt Libe and Cara Sherman
Tom Howard is the artist, from Lifestar #3 (1997), portrays Nimoy and DeForest Kelley reading a fan's story ("You Left WHAT on Board" by Cheryl Hendry) in script form on stage at Space Trek IV, St. Louis, 1986
Fan Clubs
- Leonard Nimoy Association of Fans (1967-?)
- Leonard Nimoy's Enterprise (1968-?)
- U.S.S. Nimoy (1968-1969)
- The Nimoyan Fellowship (1968-1970)
- Leonard Nimoy and Star Trek Fan Club of Concerned Fans (1969-?)
- The British Friends of Leonard Nimoy (early 1970s)
- The Nimoy Nest (1971-?)
- The Nimoy Factor (fan club) (1972-?)
- Spotlight on Leonard Nimoy (fan club) (1982-?)
- The Nimoy Tribe
- The Nimoy Paradise
- The Nimoy Yeomanry
Fanworks
References
- ^ Twitlonger by Nimoy's granddaughter, Dani (accessed February 27, 2015)
- ^ Twin Cities Music Highlights: Winter Parade (accessed July 2, 2019)