Actor Leonard Nimoy has died due to complications fromend-stage chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. He was 83.
A working actor since the early 1950s, Nimoy turned in performances in everything from Mission: Impossible to Fringe. But his defining role was Spock, the ultra-logical half human, half Vulcan first introduced on the original Star Trek series in 1966. With his pointy ears, jet-black bowl cut, and unforgettable catchphrase "Live long and prosper," Spock was the rare character to eclipse the series that spawned him, becoming an independent pop-culture icon in his own right.
Nimoy spent much of his career playing Spock, reprising the beloved character in seven consecutive Star Trek movies, and gamely spoofing his own persona in TV shows like The Simpsons, Futurama, and The Big Bang Theory. Nimoy's performance as Spock was so iconic that director J.J. Abrams brought him in to play "Spock Prime" in his 2009 Star Trek reboot, in time-warp encounters with the younger James Kirk (Chris Pine) and the younger Spock (Zachary Quinto). Nimoy's final film was 2013's Star Trek Into Darkness, where he reprised the beloved character for the last time. —Scott Meslow
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