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Leonard Nimoy, whose portrayal of "Star Trek's" logic-driven, half-human science officer Spock made him an iconic figure to generations, died Friday. He was 83.
The Los Angeles Times and New York Times confirmed his death with his wife, Susan Bay Nimoy.
The cause of death was chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, she told the New York Times.
Nimoy's career in show business spanned more than six decades and included stints as a stage actor, television guest star, series regular and movie veteran. He also directed a handful of films, including the box-office hit "Three Men and a Baby" in 1987. He was a singer (of sorts), a published poet and an accomplished photographer.
But his lasting claim to fame remains Spock, a native of the planet Vulcan whose pointed ears, unemotional manner and frequently uttered "fascinating" endeared him to millions.
He felt a close connection to the character.
"Spock is definitely one of my best friends. When I put on those ears, it's not like just another day. When I become Spock, that day becomes something special," he told Starlog in 1989.
Still, as an actor, he wrestled with the typecasting that came with his close association with Spock. He titled a 1975 memoir "I Am Not Spock." Though the book was less a rejection of the character than what he went through to develop him, fans took umbrage.
Twenty years later, he called another memoir "I Am Spock."
He maintained a sense of humor about being confused with a 23rd-century space voyager.
"I had an embarrassing experience once, many years ago," he told The New York Times in 2009. "I was invited to go to Caltech and was introduced to a number of very brilliant young people who were working on interesting projects. ... And they'd say to me, 'What do you think?' Expecting me to have some very sound advice. And I would nod very quietly and very sagely I would say, 'You're on the right track.' "
To the stars
Leonard Simon Nimoy was actually born in Boston, far from Vulcan, on March 26, 1931. (His longtime "Trek" colleague, William Shatner, was born four days earlier in Montreal.) His parents were Russian immigrants, and he was raised in an Orthodox Jewish family.
He incorporated some of his religious heritage into the "Star Trek" character, most notably the hand gesticulation accompanied by the phrase "Live long and prosper." It was adopted from a blessing given by a Jewish priestly class called the kohanim. Nimoy credited writer Theodore Sturgeon for the phrase "Live long and prosper," a variation of a spoken blessing.
Nimoy continued to use the phrase long after his "Star Trek" days: On Twitter, he would close his tweets with the abbreviation "LLAP."
Leonard Nimoy, whose portrayal of "Star Trek's" logic-driven, half-human science officer Spock made him an iconic figure to generations, died Friday. He was 83.
Leonard Simon Nimoy was actually born in Boston, far from Vulcan, on March 26, 1931. (His longtime "Trek" colleague, William Shatner, was born four days earlier in Montreal.) His parents were Russian immigrants, and he was raised in an Orthodox Jewish family.
June 12 - 14, 2015
"Boldly going for 23 years!"
Touch down onto the Canadian Prairies and the official Star Trek Capital of Canada for a weekend of extra-terrestrial family fun.
The Town of Vulcan, AB is recognized around the solar system and throughout the alpha-quadrant for its coincidental relationship to Star Trek and Mr. Spockâs home planet. Vulcan has embraced the "space culture" with green aliens on road signs, and Star Trek tributes all down the main street.
Explore Space Tourism, Vulcan-style, as you search for UFOs and other cosmic phenomena, across miles of dark sky in Vulcan County. Explore the science fact and science fiction of this unique town on the Canadian Prairies.
About Vulcan
Vulcan's famous name came from a Canadian Pacific Railway surveyor, who had a penchant for Roman mythology. In 1910, the surveyor named the town Vulcan after the Roman God of Fire because it was to rest on the highest elevation point.
Schedule of Events
Spock Days - Star Trek Convention will have three special guests:
Star Trek Voyager actors, Robert Picardo "The Doctor" and Ethan Phillips "Neelix", and Senior Illustrator Rick Sternbach.
Take part in various events such as costume and stunt contests. Check out what's new at the festival here.