Remembering Star Trek Legend Leonard Nimoy On His 89th Birthday

Just four days after William Shatner celebrated his 89th birthday, Star Trekfans are celebrating the life of Leonard Nimoy who also would have turned 89 today (March 26th). Just like Shatner, it was Nimoy’s iconic role on The Original Series – as Vulcan science officer Spock – that made him a known name around the world and a legend of the sci-fi genre.

Unlike Shatner though, Nimoy’s association with Trek actually goes back to the original pilot “The Cage” in 1966. The network was so impressed with his performance that he was retained for the series proper with his role expanded to secondary lead behind Captain Kirk, and the rest is screen history. Following the conclusion of TOS in 1969, Nimoy reprised Spock for the animated series (1973-4) and then numerous movies between 1979 and 1991.

And now, on what would’ve been his 89th birthday, tons of fans are paying tribute, as you can see below:

Famously, Nimoy was the only original cast member J.J. Abrams brought back for the rebooted film franchise, with the actor playing Spock – now designated Spock Prime, to differentiate him from Zachary Quinto’s alternate version – in 2009’s Star Trek and 2012’s Star Trek into Darkness. This was to be his last turn in the role, as Nimoy passed away from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in February 2015. 2016’s Star Trek Beyond was dedicated to his memory.

Nimoy’s legacy in theStar Trek universe remains keenly felt following his death, with Spock being played by a third actor in the form of Ethan Peck on Star Trek: Discovery season 2. The Nimoy family approved of Peck’s casting as well – just as Nimoy had a hand in hiring Quinto. The great man thankfully lived long enough to see that he’d created an immortal character in Spock, so he would no doubt be touched to know that the Vulcan was continuing to live long and prosper.

Source: wegotthiscovered.com