Person
Leonard Nimoy
Boston, Massachusetts, USA
Leonard Simon Nimoy (March 26, 1931 – February 27, 2015) was an American actor, film director, poet, musician and photographer. Nimoy's most famous role is that of Spock in the or…
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Leonard Simon Nimoy (March 26, 1931 – February 27, 2015) was an American actor, film director, poet, musician and photographer. Nimoy's most famous role is that of Spock in the original Star Trek series 1966–1969, multiple films, television and video game sequels. Nimoy began his career in his early twenties, teaching acting classes in Hollywood and making minor film and television appearances through the 1950s, as well as playing the title role in Kid Monk Baroni. In 1953, he served in the United States Army. In 1965, he made his first appearance in the rejected Star Trek pilot, "The Cage", and would go on to play the character of Mr. Spock until 1969, followed by seven further films and a number of guest slots in various sequels. His character of Spock generated a significant cultural impact and three Emmy Award nominations; TV Guide named Spock one of the 50 greatest TV characters. Nimoy also had a recurring role in Mission: Impossible and a narrating role in Civilization IV, as well as several well-received stage appearances. 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. Nimoy was born to Yiddish-speaking Orthodox Jewish immigrants from Iziaslav, Ukraine. His father, Max Nimoy, owned a barbershop in the Mattapan section of the city. His mother, Dora Nimoy (née Spinner), was a homemaker. Nimoy began acting at the age of eight in children's and neighborhood theater. His parents wanted him to attend college and pursue a stable career, or even learn to play the accordion—which, his father advised, Nimoy could always make a living with—but his grandfather encouraged him to become an actor. His first major role was at 17, as Ralphie in an amateur production of Clifford Odets' Awake and Sing!. Nimoy took Drama classes at Boston College in 1953 but failed to complete his studies, and in the 1970s studied photography at the University of California, Los Angeles. He has an MA in Education and an honorary doctorate from Antioch University in Ohio. Nimoy served as a sergeant in the U.S. Army from 1953 through 1955, alongside fellow actor Ken Berry and architect Frank Gehry.
Filmography
Movies and shows, newest first
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2025
Sally
Movie Self (archive footage)
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2024
Piece by Piece
Movie Spock (voice) (archive sound) (uncredited)
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2024
Tolkien: The True Story of the Rings
Movie Self - Actor (archive footage)
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2022
Way of Tomorrow: The Evolution of Science Fiction Movies
Movie Self - (archive footage)
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2022
765874: Unification
TV show Spock
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2021
The Center Seat: 55 Years of Star Trek
TV show Self (archive footage)
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2021
Star Trek: Prodigy
TV show Spock (voice)
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2021
Emily @ the Edge of Chaos
Movie Sigmund Freud (voice)
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2019
Everything You Wanted to Know About Sudden Birth (but were afraid to ask)
Movie Self (archive footage)
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2018
My Brother Vincent
Movie Self
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2017
Star Trek: Discovery
TV show Spock (archive footage)
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2016
Star Trek: Inside the Roddenberry Vault
Movie (archive footage)
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2016
For the Love of Spock
Movie Self (archive footage)
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2016
50 Years of Star Trek
Movie Self
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2016
Star Trek Beyond
Movie Ambassador Spock (archive footage)
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2016
The Shannara Chronicles
TV show Spock (archive footage)
More credits
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2014
To Be Takei
Movie Self
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2014
Leonard Nimoy's Boston
Movie Self
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2013
Star Trek: The Next Generation - Unification
Movie Spock
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2013
The Prime Ministers: The Pioneers
Movie Levi Eshkol (voice)
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2013
Leonard Nimoy's Oral History
Movie Self - Interviewee
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2013
Star Trek Into Darkness
Movie Ambassador Spock
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2013
Star Trek: The True Story
Movie Self
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2012
Hava Nagila: The Movie
Movie Self
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2012
Zambezia
Movie Sekhuru (voice)
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2011
Transformers: Dark of the Moon
Movie Sentinel Prime (voice)
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2011
Classic TV Bloopers Uncensored
Movie Spock (archive footage)
- 2011
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2009
Star Trek: Evolutions
Movie Narrator
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2009
Star Trek: Evolutions
TV show
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2009
The Evolution of the Enterprise
Movie Self
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2009
Land of the Lost
Movie The Zarn (voice)
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2009
Bring Back... Star Trek
Movie Self
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2009
Star Trek
Movie Ambassador Spock
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2009
Star Trek: The Captain's Summit
Movie Self
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2009
Late Night with Jimmy Fallon
TV show Self
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2008
Shatner's Raw Nerve
TV show Self
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2008
Fringe
TV show Dr. William Bell
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2008
The Real Story
TV show Himself
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2007
The Big Bang Theory
TV show Mr. Spock (voice)
