Star Trek’s Leonard Nimoy dead at 83
RIP, Spock… Star Trek‘s Leonard Nimoy has died at the age of 83, The New York Times reports.
Wife Susan Bay Nimoy confirmed Leonard passed away from end-stage chronic obstructive pulmonary disease at their home this morning. The iconic actor was hospitalized earlier in the week after suffering chest pains. He confirmed last year that he was suffering from lung disease, which he attributed to many years of smoking. (Even though he quit the habit three decades ago.)
The Boston-born actor is unarguably best-known for playing Spock on the original Star Trek series and through many films. He later wrote two autobiographies, I Am Not Spock (1977) and I Am Spock (1995).
“I went through a definite identity crisis. The question was whether to embrace Mr. Spock or to fight the onslaught of public interest,” he said in the first book. “I realize now that I really had no choice in the matter. Spock and Star Trek were very much alive and there wasn’t anything that I could do to change that.”
He continued to embrace the role up until the final years of his life — as demonstrated by a cameo role as the older Spock in J.J. Abrams’ Star Trek franchise and appearances at Trekkie conventions.
He was also an acclaimed photographer, poet, stage actor, producer and activist. He leaves his wife and two adult children.
