He Lived Long and He Prospered

RIP Leonard Nimoy.

The heartbreaking news of Leonard Nimoy’s death that has put the country in a state of tremendous sadness.

His iconic character Spock, from the Gene Roddenberry television series Star Trek, is an extremely important cultural icon for the science fiction genre.

For almost five decades, Star Trek has inspired generations of fans to “boldly go” and be a special part of the world in which they live.

Because of the positive influence of the long running franchise in their lives, “Trekkies” will be especially distraught with the news of Nimoy’s passing. Without a doubt, this year’s annual Star Trek conventions across the country will pay great tributes to the Vulcan known as Mr. Spock.

Nimoy’s past Star Trek co-stars reacted through social media yesterday, each having a heavy weight of grief. William Shatner, who played Captain James T. Kirk in the original series, said on his Twitter account: “I loved him like a brother. We will all miss his humor, his talent, and his capacity to love.” The duo remained very close following the show’s cancellation in 1969. There was a revival in the form of Star Trek: The Motion Picture in 1979 and it would be followed by five sequels throughout the 80’s and early 90’s.

Zachery Quinto, who plays the current version of Spock, posted a picture of Nimoy on his Instagram account with the caption: “my heart is broken. I love you profoundly dear friend. And I will miss you every day. May flights of angels sing thee to thy rest.” Quinto and Nimoy became close during the production of the Star Trek cinematic reboot in 2009.

On his Facebook page, George Takei, who played Sulu in the original series, posted: “Today, the world lost a great man, and I lost a great friend. We return you now to the stars, Leonard. You taught us to ‘Live Long and Prosper,’ and you indeed did, friend. I shall miss you in so many, many ways.”

Personally, I was in awe of Leonard Nimoy’s acting ability not only when he played Mr. Spock, but as well as during the other roles he had the opportunity to play. He was an important character in the sci-fi show Fringe, which was co-created by the Star Trek and Star Trek Into Darkness writers Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci and includes the director of both films, J.J. Abrams. I am a big fan of the show, and Nimoy’s portrayal of the mysterious billionaire William Bell was always a pleasure to watch.

Leonard Nimoy also did the voice work for the villain Sentinel Prime in Transformers: Dark of the Moon, the third film in the Transformers franchise. His voice is what elevated each character he played, giving it unique distinction but also being clearly identifiable as the voice of Leonard Nimoy.

Nimoy’s long life resulted with the prosperity of everyone he inspired as Mr. Spock.