how many star trek movies did leonard nimoy direct

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Movies Directed By Leonard Nimoy

List of all movies directed by Leonard Nimoy, listed alphabetically. These popular films directed by Leonard Nimoy include trailers of the movies when available. This collection includes some of the best movies directed by Leonard Nimoy, so use the list to find some movies you haven't already seen. From Leonard Nimoy's studio films to Leonard Nimoy's independent films, this Leonard Nimoy filmography includes movies from all genres.

The list you're viewing is made up of movies like Three Men and a Baby and Funny About Love.

Leonard Nimoy has had the pleasure of working with tremendous talent, including Matt Damon and Orson Welles .

Funny About Love

Holy Matrimony

Star Trek III: The Search for Spock

• # 97 of 178 on The Best Alien Movies Of All Time, Ranked
• # 176 of 399 on The Best Movies Of The 1980s, Ranked
• # 596 of 769 on The Most Rewatchable Movies

Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home

• # 87 of 178 on The Best Alien Movies Of All Time, Ranked
• # 137 of 399 on The Best Movies Of The 1980s, Ranked
• # 627 of 769 on The Most Rewatchable Movies

The Good Mother

Three Men and a Baby

• # 100 of 399 on The Best Movies Of The 1980s, Ranked
• # 21 of 112 on The Greatest Movie Remakes Of All Time
• # 126 of 149 on Movies That Should Never Be Remade

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Leonard Nimoy

Birth Name: Leonard Simon Nimoy

Birth Place: Boston, Massachusetts, United States

Profession Actor, director, producer, author, photographer

Subject (person only)

Screenwriter, executive producer.

Leonard Nimoy Directs The Search for Spock

In 1984, Leonard Nimoy had directed a few television episodes, but never a motion picture. Yet the actor who gained fame playing Spock on Star Trek and its first two feature films was — if you’ll pardon the pun — a logical choice for directing The Search for Spock .

Ralph Winter, an associate producer of the third Star Trek film, told Enterprise Incidents in 1985 ( My Star Trek Scrapbook has the full interview ) that Nimoy was primarily selected because of his familiarity with the material.

Moreover, “I think it was bound to spark interest at the box office,” he said, “getting one of the cast of the family of Star Trek to be involved creatively in putting the show together.”

I think it turned out very nicely and Leonard knows about Vulcans and mysticism and everything that is involved with that little culture on film. Leonard knew about that and wanted to bring to life a lot of things that had been glossed over or never really developed before.

Not a one-take director

Charles Correll, director of photography, remembered Nimoy as a “casual director” in an interview with Cinefantastique that was published in June 1987.

He trusted me and he was very explicit about what he wanted. He let the cast do what they were used to.

Nimoy’s style wasn’t to drill the actors, but rather to shoot the same scene several times and pick the version he liked best.

He is not a one-take director. He had a tendency to do it a few times, maybe six, and print them. He does the same scene the same way and chooses the best.

Ending on Vulcan

Nimoy recalled in an interview with Starlog ( My Star Trek Scrapbook has the whole thing ) that there was some trepidation on the part of the executives. They weren’t sure about the story ending on Vulcan.

“I felt very, very strongly about that final sequence,” said Nimoy. “I wanted to end the film by bringing Spock to Vulcan and going through the ritual.”

Not being so familiar with Star Trek , the executives didn’t understand what that sequence would mean to the audience. They were worried about it and tried to convince me to substitute a different ending. They wanted to end with the dramatic escape from the Genesis Planet, getting Kirk and Spock on board the Klingon Bird of Prey, reviving Spock in the sickbay, doing a little tag scene and going home.

Nimoy argued — “vehemently” — against the notion and got his way. “I didn’t discuss the film with them again until I showed them my first cut.”

Classic tragedy

Reception to Nimoy’s directing abilities was largely positive, although some fans were appalled by the death of Kirk’s son and — perhaps more so — the destruction of the Enterprise .

Nimoy defended both decisions in the same Starlog interview.

He explained that the death of David Marcus had its roots in classic tragedy. It is the vengeance of fate wreaked upon the flawed character who created the problem. David had to pay the price for the pain and suffering he inflicted — internationally or not — by putting the Genesis device into operation prematurely.

The demise of the Enterprise was equally justifiable, according to Nimoy. “We didn’t destroy the Enterprise for cheap or inflammatory reasons, but because therein lay drama.”

As Nicholas Meyer said about killing Spock in Star Trek II , “We’re not playing games here. This isn’t a red herring, like they do on TV. Spock is really dead.” Destroying the Enterprise was the same.

Perhaps more than Nimoy could have imagined at that point. Just like Spock returned from the dead, so would the Enterprise , at the end of the next movie.

Movie Reviews

Tv/streaming, great movies, chaz's journal, contributors, black writers week, leonard nimoy.

Find on IMDB

Find on Wikipedia

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Odie henderson.

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To Be Takei (2014)

Hava Nagila: The Movie (2012)

Donald liebenson.

Star Trek (2009)

Roger ebert.

Spock Prime

The Pagemaster (1994)

Dr. Jekyll/Mr. Hyde

Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country (1991)

Funny About Love (1990)

Directed by

Star Trek V: The Final Frontier (1989)

The Good Mother (1988)

Three Men and a Baby (1987)

Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home (1986)

Mr. Spock, Directed by

Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1979)

Video Games

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The new Star Trek game puts you in the captain's chair, with all its attending burdens.

Home Entertainment Guide: February 2022

The latest on Blu-ray and streaming, including Encanto, Eternals, House of Gucci, and Criterion editions of The Piano and Miller's Crossing.

SDCC 2020: The Psychology of Star Trek vs. Star Wars

A recap of a panel that analyzed philosophical and ethical similarities and differences between the two biggest sci-fi franchises of all time.

A Lit Fuse: The History of the Mission: Impossible Franchise

If all blockbuster-sized entertainments were even half as ambitious and ingenious as these films have been, moviegoers would be infinitely better off.

What are Your Favorite "Star Trek" Moments?

Writers at RogerEbert.com share their favorite "Star Trek" moments in honor of the original TV series' 50th anniversary.

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The latest on Blu-ray and DVD, including " The Invitation," "Sing Street," "Louder Than Bombs," "Keanu" and "Hardcore Henry."

Comic-Con 2016: Celebrating 50 Years of "Star Trek"

A report from Comic-Con 2016 on the various ways to celebrate the 50th anniversary of "Star Trek."

Comic-Con 2016: World Premiere of "Star Trek Beyond"

A report from Comic-Con 2016 on the world premiere of "Star Trek Beyond."

True Heroism: How “Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country” Reflects Today

In light of this week's "Star Trek Beyond," our writer looks back at the last cinematic journey of the original crew.

Thumbnails 3/6/15

New era of multicultural television; Birdmen of Tinseltown; Ten required movies for 'Mad Men' cast and crew; Nimoy's photos changed my life; Nick Kroll is leaving because he can.

#247 March 4, 2015

Sheila writes : Before directing the Oscar-nominated (and Oscar-winning) "Whiplash," writer/director Damien Chazelle made a short film called "Whiplash," an excerpt from the larger story, with J.K. Simmons in the same role that just won him an Oscar. Miles Teller's role is played by Johnny Simmons. You can view the short film on Youtube (clip below). It's 17 minutes long, but it still gives a glimpse of the feature it would eventually become.

Leonard Nimoy: 1931-2015

An obituary for actor/filmmaker Leonard Nimoy.

Zombies in the Outfield and Cats in the Owner's Box; the Top Ten Odd and Overlooked Baseball Movies

Ten of the oddest baseball movies ever, just in time for the playoffs.

Far Flungers

My homages to ray harryhausen: age 9 to 19.

Ray Harryhausen told us, time and again, the story of how he saw the original "King Kong" (1933) on the big screen when he was just a kid, of how he was inspired by Willis O'Brien's pioneering special effects, and of how that led him to his grand career in the field of stop-motion animation. In some sense, Harryhausen inspired me in the same way that O'Brien did him. I'm not exaggerating when I say that he changed my life.

#166 May 8, 2013

Marie writes: the great Ray Harryhausen, the monster innovator and Visual Effects legend, passed away Tuesday May 7, 2013 in London at the age of 92. As accolades come pouring in from fans young and old, and obituaries honor his achievements , I thought club members would enjoy remembering what Harry did best.

#145 December 5, 2012

Marie writes: Intrepid club member Sandy Kahn has found another Hollywood auction and it's packed with stuff! From early publicity stills (some nudes) to famous movie props, costumes, signed scripts, storyboards, posters and memorabilia...

The Captains: The Shat talks Trek

"The Captains" is available on Netflix, EpixHD.com, Amazon Instant Video, Vudu and DVD. It will screen on HBO Canada March 21.

Stardate 65630.8 (1 March 2012)

What made "Star Trek" the most "durable and profitable franchise" in entertainment history? In his documentary, writer-director-producer William Shatner makes a convincing argument that it was "The Captains" -- they set the tone and they brought the theatricality and Shakespearean linguistic grace to TV.

"The Captains," appeared in October, 2011, in Canada, had one-night screenings here and there across North America, and helped launch EpixHD.com. That all seems in keeping with Shatner's impressive role as a new-media barnstormer. No, he's not making political speeches, but he's on Google+ and Facebook, and he's traveling around North America promoting and preserving what may be his most lasting legacy, his role as Captain James T. Kirk. He's even returned to Broadway in a one-man show covering his career before, during and beyond "Star Trek." (Yes, "returned.")

In Hollywood, people joke about the William Shatner School of Acting. He's corny. He's melodramatic. And he has a sizable ego. But he's really not a bad actor. We forget that before "Star Trek," Shatner seemed destined to become a fine stage actor. He first made the trip to Broadway from his native Canada in 1956 with a small part in "Tamburlaine the Great" in 1956. The production had two Tony nominations. He scored the starring role in "The World of Suzie Wong," which ran for two years. Both he and the female lead won Theatre World Awards for their work. In 1962, he was one of the main performers in "A Shot in the Dark," for which Walter Matthau won a featured actor Tony. All that momentum got sidetracked when he went Hollywood.

#64 May 25, 2011

Marie writes: There's a glorified duck pond at the center of the complex where I live. And since moving in, my apartment has been an object of enduring fascination for Canadian geese - who arrive each Spring like a squadron of jet fighters returning from a mission in France, to run a sweeping aerial recon my little garden aka: playhouse for birds... (click to enlarge)

#61 May 4, 2011

Marie writes: Doug Foster is a filmmaker and artist who produces large scale digital film installations that often play with ideas of symmetry and optical illusion. His piece The Heretics' Gate is currently on view at "Daydreaming with... St. Michael's" - an exhibition taking place at St. Michael's church in Camden, London. Note: Foster's piece first appeared at the Hell's Half Acre exhibition at the Old Vic Tunnels in London in 2010."The Heretics' Gate" draws inspiration from Dante's Inferno, the first part of his epic poem The Divine Comedy. A twenty foot high, arched screen and a thirty foot long reflecting pool, are cleverly combined to deliver a mesmerizing and strangely ethereal vision of hell at the central focus point of the church's imposing gothic architecture. To learn more, visit: Liquid Hell: A Q&A With Doug Foster.NOTE: The exhibition is the latest installment in renowned British music producer James Lavelle's curatorial and collaborative art venture, "DAYDREAMING WITH..." - a unique and visceral new exhibition experience, inspired by the desire to marry music and visual art. The goal is to bring together some of the most acclaimed creative names working in music, art, film, fashion and design.

#23 August 11, 2010

From the Grand Poobah: Time passes twice now, first as real time, then as remembrance of things past, as I search my memory for my memoir. As my eyes lift up from my keyboard, they stare sightlessly straight ahead and old faces and places pass in review. So I take a photo of where I'm looking, in order to record what I see. When the picture was taken, Gene and I were in the Brown Derby at Disney World while taping an Oscar special; I'd like to say I have no idea of who came up with the idea for that composition, but I do, and it was yours faithfully, the Poobah.

(click to enlarge and read book spines; smile.)

Movie Answer Man

You're tuned to am 2387: all star trek, all the time.

Q. I believe the film did try to address the issue of why the characters "have to physically parachute to land on a platform." If I'm not mistaken, it is mentioned that the drill is interfering precisely with the function of the beam; the drill must therefore be disabled manually before the beam can be used. In this case, then, the logic may not be entirely puzzling.

A bewitching project

Eduardo Sanchez is working as a bartender and Dan Myrick is driving a blueprint truck and they're out of film school in Florida and going nowhere fast, and Ed says, "We've got that woods movie. We gotta do that woods movie." Nothing else was happening for them.

The Shat boldly goes on another trek

LOS ANGELES -- All right, now, we already know how Catherine Hicks felt about that tender little romantic moment in "Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home," the one where she shares a gentle kiss with Adm. James T. Kirk and after he says "Beam me up, Scotty," she leaps into his arms and travels with him to the 23rd century.

Interview with Leonard Nimoy

HOLLYWOOD - These are the biggest sound stages Paramount has, and just as well, too, because they're barely big enough to contain the awesome bulk of the Starship Enterprise. The ship is scattered about, of course; there's a wing on one sound stage and the space-drive mechanism in another, and here we are on a third stage, standing on the command deck of the great ship.

Leonard Nimoy

In 1954 he married Sandi Zober, an actress. Then Nimoy went into the Army and spent 18 months serving in Georgia, at Ft. McPhearson. He wrote, narrated and emceed GI shows for the Army's Special Services branch. During that time he directed and played "Stanley" in the Atlanta Theater Guild's production of "A Streetcar Named Desire."

After his discharge from the Army, Nimoy enrolled in the Pasadena Playhouse in California. He worked as a soda jerk, movie usher and cab driver to pay the bills while he studied acting. Eventually he left the playhouse, his sights on a film career, rather than theater.

Nimoy ran a drama studio in North Hollywood for three years and taught for a year at Synanon; by now he had two children, Adam and Julie.

Nimoy's film debut was in the movie, "Queen for a Day," in 1951. It was a theatrical film based on the popular television series of the early fifties. Next he did "Rubarb," where he played one of the baseball players whose team is inherited by a cat.

His first starring role was in 1952 as "Did Monk Baroni," a youth with a deformed face who becomes a winning boxer. It was then back to lesser roles for the films "Francis Goes to West Point," and "Zombies of the Stratosphere." He also had a small role in "Old Overland Trail," a B-Western by Republic Pictures.

In the 60's, Nimoy began to break into television. He made guest appearances on many series, including, Rawhide, The Virginian, Profiles in Courage, Dr. Kildare, and Outer Limits. Nimoy had a recurring role on the popular series, Sea Hunt, starring Lloyd Bridges.

Nimoy's first meeting with Gene Roddenberry came when he guest starred in an episode of The Lieutenant.

Finally came his big break in 1966 when he began his role as Spock on Star Trek. His first promotional trip for that show was when he was Grand Marshall of Medford, Oregon's annual Pear Blossom Festival. It was the first sign that he'd finally made it. This idea was confirmed after the Pear Blossom Parade when Nimoy signed autographs for a crowd of fans so large officials had to "rescue" him from the well-meaning autograph seekers. Then, when TV Guide featured his picture and article in their March 4, 1967 issue, he was sure of it.

Given this new popularity, Nimoy won roles in several stage roles, "Monserrat, "Visit to a Small Planet," and "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof."

Trying another talent, in 1967 Nimoy released his first record album, based on the Star Trek character of Mr. Spock. Leonard Nimoy Presents Mr. Spock's Music from Outer Space, the album produced a hit single, "Visit to a Sad Planet." The sales of these records were so good, he made a second album, The Two Sides of Leonard Nimoy, with Spock's character on one side and Nimoy as himself on the other. The album contained songs and poetry set to music. Nimoy went on to release three more albums, these primarily folk music and his own renditions of popular songs. Nimoy also made five narrative albums in the 1970s, including readings from "War of the Worlds" and "The Martian Chronicles."

When Star Trek ended in 1969, Nimoy joined the Mission: Impossible team as a regular, replacing Martin Landau. He stayed with the show for two years.

In 1971, Nimoy starred in "Fiddler on the Roof," and then third billing in "Catlow," the same year. In 1974, he did a TV movie called, "The Alpha Caper" and "The Missing are Deadly," in 1975. In 1975, Nimoy returned to college and earned a master's degree in education at Antioch College.

In 1977 Nimoy played Martin Dysart in the play "Equus," on the New York stage. In 1978, he starred in a remake of "Invasion of the Body Snatchers," where he played a psychiatrist who had an unusual way of making his patients face their deepest fears. Then he went on from 1978-1981 to tour the country in his one-man play, "Vincent." The play was written and directed by Nimoy, based on the play "Van Gogh" by Phillip Stephens. After more than 150 performances, "Vincent" was finally videotaped and broadcast on the A&E cable network.

In 1978, work began on the first Star Trek feature film. With some reluctance, Nimoy returned as Spock. The film was released on December 7, 1979. Nimoy went on to co-star in the next five Star Trek films, as well as a two-part episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation, entitled, "Unification."

Nimoy's first experiences with directing a feature film came with "Star Trek III: The Search for Spock" and "Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home." That was only the beginning. Since then, he has gone on to direct "Three Men and a Baby," in 1987, "The Good Mother," in 1988, and "Funny About Love."

The television mini-series "A Woman Called Golda," and "Marco Polo" were good parts for Nimoy and helped show that he could do more than be Mr. Spock.

In 1986, Nimoy separated from his wife of 32 years and eventually obtained a divorce. Nimoy has since remarried.

One of his hobbies is black and white photography. Utilizing this talent, Nimoy published several volumes of poetry, illustrated with his photos. The first of these books was called, "Why Not You and I?"

In 1991, Nimoy starred in and produced the film, "Never Forget," for the Turner Network, which deals with a true case of a Holocaust survivor suing a neo-Nazi organization who claimed the extermination of Jews in World War II was a myth.

Filmography:

1951 "Queen for a Day" 1951 "Rhubarb" 1952 "Kid Monk Baroni" 1952 "Francis Goes to West Point" 1953 "Old Overland Trail" 1954 "Them!" 1958 "Satan's Satellites" 1963 "The Balcony" 1966 "Deathwatch" 1967 "Valley of Mystery" 1971 "Catlow" 1978 "Invasion of the Body Snatchers "(remake) 1979 "Star Trek The Motion Picture" 1982 "Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan" 1984 "Star Trek III: The Search for Spock" (also directed) 1986 "The Transformers" 1986 "Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home" (also directed) 1987 "Three Men and a Baby" (director) 1988 "The Good Mother" 1989 "Star Trek V: The Final Frontier" 1990 "Funny About Love" (director) 1991 "Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country " (also executive producer) 1994 "Holy Matrimony" (director)

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EXCLUSIVE: Interview With Leonard Nimoy

| May 4, 2009 | By: Anthony Pascale 145 comments so far

TrekMovie interview with Leonard Nimoy  

For my interview with Leonard Nimoy, it started off with him asking me a question…

Leonard Nimoy: You saw the movie, did you have some thoughts about it?

TrekMovie.com: Quite a few.

Nimoy: Good ones?

TrekMovie: [sarcastic] It’s OK

Nimoy: [laughs]

TrekMovie: You probably didn’t read my 4000 word review, but I did effuse over the film. …Maybe you you agree with this. The thought I came away with is that this feels like 1982 again to me. It feels like when Nick [Meyer] and Harve [Bennett] came in and said "let’s shake things up."… They kind of created a new bedrock, a look and tone, that flowed through a series of films. You changed things up in the second one, but certainly that series in the 80s was more based on the 82 film [ Wrath of Khan ], than on the 79 film [ The Motion Picture ].

Nimoy: I think that’s fair…the second Star Trek movie put the franchise back on track. The first one derailed us, it didn’t do us any good. Perhaps some people made some money. The second one put us back on track and what happened, unintentionally, we didn’t realize that we were at the beginning of a trilogy. That the three films, II, III and IV, told a story that had and arc to day and they hung together in an interesting way. III was obligatory, we had to get Spock back and IV was the completion of that cycle. After that, the films became somewhat of ‘toss something in the air and see what happens.’ And were not so grounded in continuity. But I think this film — I am not saying it is going to start a trilogy — but I think it is doing just exactly what you are describing. It creates a whole new way of looking at Star Trek. A fresh revitalizing of the franchise.

TrekMovie: In a sense your character is an embodiment of the single timeline from "The Cage" through to episode you did on The Next Generation ["Unification"]. And they tie into that in this film, with you left on Romulus and all that. But you go back and what they have done is this kind of alternative timeline. What do you think of this notion of going back, but also kind of creating this open-ended new Star Trek future?

Nimoy: Well the alternative timeline gives them license to escape from canon concerns. I can’t see people saying ‘they shouldn’t do that because…’ or ‘that doesn’t tie in to such and such’ because it is a different time and place. Am I right about that?

TrekMovie: There is a strange irony with some fans. What you say is of course true and that is what Bob [Orci] and Alex [Kurtzman] would say. And in a way, by doing this, they preserve everything you guys ever did, because they are not changing any of that. If they had however said this movie takes place during the events of say "Balance of Terror" but everything looked different, then you could go ‘that is a total violation’ but what they are saying is, ‘no we are over here’ [on another timeline]. Some Trek fans appreciate that, but others would like to see something set right in there and try to get it close. But they are a smaller group of fans, but there are concerns over…

Nimoy: How small is that group?

TrekMovie: I would say 15% [number based on polls indicating the ‘purist’ element of fandom here at TrekMovie]

Nimoy: I don’t want to speak for JJ [Abrams] and Bob and Alex, they are certainly capable of speaking for themselves. There is no way in the world that a Star Trek film will please every Star Trek follower or fan, no way. And to try to would be a death sentence, you just can’t. You twist yourself into pretzels over ‘what are they going to say about this’…for god’s sake what are people going to say about Uhura and Spock having the relationship they have in this movie? What? I thought it was wonderful and touching and effective. I saw JJ quoted very recently on fan complaints of the kind you are referring to and what he said was something like "stay home and be angry" so just don’t see the movie, if that is what your life is about and that is the way you want to envision your relationship to Star Trek and the world, fine. This is a movie. It is a movie! You want to go see it — chances are you are going to enjoy yourself if you open your mind to it. If you go to see it to find fault and to point out the things you think are inconsistencies, chances are you won’t have a good time and you would have wasted your time and money so why bother? But if you go to it with an open mind, I think chances are very very good you will see very well made and interesting movie. The characters are all accessible. I think they are all well portrayed by very talented and intelligent actors. I’m impressed with every single one of them. I was shocked to see Winona Ryder so effective as Spock’s mother — I didn’t think it would work, I couldn’t envision her in the role. This really works — that wonderful scene between see and Zachary when he semi-apologizes for negating his human side and asks that she not take it as an insult, is so wonderful. They are both wonderful. I can’t see any reason to worry anymore about the people who are going to say this isn’t right. I am not worried about it.

TrekMovie: I think most people aren’t worried now, but two years ago there were legitimate reasons to be asking questions…You, yourself, didn’t immediately come on board until after reading the script.

Nimoy: Yes, of course. And then there is the whole Shatner thing, and "if he is not in the movie it is not Star Trek and I wont see it, etc, etc."…OK, OK, it’s over. It’s all done, it is behind us.

TrekMovie: Speaking of Bill, you guys just had a nice get together [at the charity Horse show], what was that like?

Nimoy: We always have a lot of fun together, we finish each other’s sentences. We are like brothers, we are brothers. I consider Bill a very very close friend of mine and he feels the same way. We always enjoy each other. We get together for dinners every once in a while and I admire Bill. I admire his energy. I admire what he has done with his career. And there is nothing negative in our relationship.

TrekMovie: It seems like Chris [Pine] had a good time and hopefully we can put all that Bill vs. JJ nonsense behind us, because I don’t think it was ever as serious as people thought it was.

Nimoy: No. I think they were both playing it, frankly. I know Bill likes to play the press.

TrekMovie: I think some of this just doesn’t play well in print. Like back in 2007 in at the Trek convention in Vegas, you may have been there, when on stage Bill called JJ an a–hole. It is hard to convey his sense of humor when you just read it.

Nimoy: I wasn’t there for that so I can’t comment. Bill says JJ never offered him a role, JJ says he did, I am not passing judgment, it’s over.

TrekMovie: Well there is always the sequel. In our last interview you said you were open to it and I think recently you said it…

Nimoy: Never say never

TrekMovie: But you used to say ‘never’

Nimoy: Yeah, yeah, I know…I am older and wiser.

TrekMovie: In fact you have already said ‘yes’ to JJ…

Nimoy: I said I would take his call…oh for Fringe , yes. We shot the first piece and I will do a couple of episodes [next year]. It was very brief. Olivia walks into a room, doesn’t know where she is, looks around and she is in a strange place. I come in. She says "where am I and who are you?" and I answer, very very briefly and I introduce myself as William Bell and that is pretty much what the scene is about.

TrekMovie: Didn’t Bill try hard to get you onto Boston Legal ?

Nimoy: He asked me if I would do it and I said no…I said no because I thought it was ‘stunty’ and I didn’t want to do a stunt thing. Same thing with Heroes . They asked me to do a role in Heroes as well and I said no.

TrekMovie: To play Sylar’s father?

Nimoy: I guess so, yeah.

TrekMovie: In one of our first interviews you had talked about seeing Mission Impossible III , right after Comic-Con…in talking about Mission you noted that modern films are much more complex these days. So in looking at this film, at the plot and the time travel, and how it is spanning over many years, how do you feel about the complexity of this film?

Nimoy: In January I bumped into an acquaintance who said "how is the Star Trek movie?" and I said "I think it is great" and he said "did you direct it?" cause he really didn’t know, and I said "I wouldn’t know how." Which is true. The technology is so advanced over what we were doing when I was directing, I’d have to take a training course. I’d have to sit down with people and say "how do you do these shots?" I could learn how to do it, but going in I wouldn’t know how. It is extremely complex and sophisticated now. The budgets are multiples of what we had to work with originally, even in the movies, and light years over what we had on the series. It is a different world. And I have said this about JJ and I think this is the rock bottom core about what is going on here — there are some directors who can do that very very big canvas, like a Michael Bay for example, stuff that is big and bombastic. There are some directors who can do intimate, inter-character relationship moments. And not a lot of directors can do both, and I think JJ can. He has a sense of the action and the vision of the size and the scope of the thing, and he also gets down and in touch with the very very essence of what is going on with characters, and he does it extremely well.

TrekMovie: The scene you had with Zach [Quinto], did you say that was your first day on the job? That very emotional scene?

Nimoy: Yeah, that made it difficult. I hadn’t found my legs yet as an actor in the movie. I was OK. I don’t think it created a problem, but it took some focusing to get grounded in that scene. I think it worked out fine, I think the scene is very good. [laughs] but at the time I wish it came later in the schedule.

TrekMovie: In my viewing it seems to me that you have consciously evolved the character since the way you played him on The Next Generation . Was that flowing from the script or from yourself?

Nimoy: Both. I think the script suggested that Spock is further along in his life. And I think what I brought to it. I am further along in my life than the last time I played Spock. I am much more comfortable with what my life is all about and I think so is Spock. And I think he is able to talk to someone else about their life and offer some guidance and some philosophy.

TrekMovie: There is so much talk about you and Zach and how you guys are like adopted father and son. He says he made the role his own, which is true…Once you mentioned that he did something that blew you away. I am curious now that I have seen the film, what was it that you went ‘oh that is really interesting’?

Nimoy: His relationship with Uhura, he played something that I was quite touched by. So did she for that matter. They both were terribly available for each other. I was really affected by his final moment with the Vulcan council when he rejected their invitation to go to the Vulcan Institute, and the way he said "live long and prosper."

TrekMovie: He almost said it as if there was a word that was supposed to come after, like "you bastards."

Nimoy: Or go f–k yourselves, to be specific

TrekMovie: but you were OK with that?

Nimoy: It caught me by surprise, but I thought it was terribly effective.

More TrekMovie Star Trek Interviews coming all week This week is all interviews all the time at TrekMovie.com. We have exclusive interviews with most of the stars and JJ Abrams so keep tuning in, we will be posting a couple per day all week long. Next up, Zachary Quinto.

Ah, Nimoy. Good to see thou again. I will indeed have an “open mind” about everything in this movie.

Great interview. Can’t wait for Thursday night!

CAN’T WAIT !! 2ND ??

I’m looking forward to the film. Trekmovie.com has done a good job moderating my expectations. I would have liked to see a canon TOS film but now I’ll be happy with something that has the right tone and feel and, of course Leonard Nimoy.

I can’t picture Nimoy saying the f word. LOL

Ha ha ha, the “go f–k yourselves” part is fantastic. Nimoy is amazing!

is the two spocks picture new. first?

Only 3 more sleeps until the big day! It’s exciting!

That was a great interview, can’t wait to see the movie on Thursday in IMAX!

It’s a shame Nimoy didn’t get to direct more Treks.

His TSFS and TVH captured the magic and warmth of the TV series and it’s characters better than any of the others, IMO.

Nimoy’s involvement gives this franchise relaunch a much needed flavour of style and class!

As long as this film’s heart is The Great Bird’s philosophy, it will become a megahit and fast favorite. I am worried sick (literally!) about the alternate timeline and the destruction of what we hold dear, but I’m keeping an open mind. As a humanist, I relish in the fact that we likely have a new excellent chapter to our mythology. No religion can teach our children like Trek can, and I am so damn excited to have a new epic from whuch to glean truths.

man I wish we had a vid of this whole conversation, it sounds like it was a blast to do, Anthony Pascale your a very lucky bastard.

Fab interview! Thanks :)

Man! What a great week to be an open-minded Trekker! It’s hard to believe it’s almost here.

Awesome interview, Anthony, great work.

Three more days!

TrekMovie, this has been an incredibly journey, and what a wonderful way to top it all off.

Will there be a dry Trekkie eye in the house when we see the great man himself on screen in the ears again?

Mine just may not be….

I’m just delighted that Nimoy is still enjoying himself and doing work he’s proud of. The man deserves it.

There is no “destruction” of what we hold dear.

They are creating this “alternate timeline” specifically so that they DON’T destroy what has come before….

I love Nimoy’s comments and agree completely with his analysis of the movie and how we need to go in with an open mind. In the beginning I was apprehensive, but now that I’ve seen it, it truly is great!

Getting ready to watch Karl Urban on Attack of the Show on G4TV

Great interview Anthony!! =D

who doesn’t love leonard nimoy? such a great attitude, both on screen and off.

it will be interesting to see how quinto’s new take on the character works out. it sounds like it has the potential to work out very well or very poorly.

though to be honest, even if the rest of the movie is total garbage, it’ll be worth it just to see nimoy play spock again.

wow, just imagine if that/those NBC network exec(s) had gotten their way and axed Nimoy way back when.

That would be an alternate timeline I wouldn’t want to see . . . .

I am so glad Roddenberry persevered and they didn’t!

And since he was there from the very beginning, I trust him!! I look forward to this movie BIGTIME!

But I will say this:

Star Trek – Of God’s and Men also showed Kirk’s mother (pregnant) and destroyed Vulcan. And went back in time. And to all those who so heavily criticized it, I would have them read the above sentiments from Mr. Nimoy again.

Star Trek LIVES (so enjoy it !)

oh and @10 – agreed. nimoy should have directed more trek. maybe he didn’t want to, but if he did i’m surprised he wasn’t given more opportunities.

Hey Anthony. That was one hell of an Interview. Great job. So to all the nay sayers. Spock prime said it himself. Have an open mind and go and you just may enjoy the Movie. Trek Minus 3 days and 35 minutes.

I seen the remastered Cage this weekend with Majel barret Roddenberry and i was thinking that they have come full circle. From the First Pilot to The new Movie after 40 plus years. Not to many actors can say they have played a part off and on for over 40 years and Nimoy is one of them. I wished Majel could have lived to see the new Movie. But I think her and Gene will be watching from heaven.

Anthony: Thank you! What a wonderful interview!

The movie of course will relaunch Star Trek.

But you’ve relaunched fandom in a positive way. Thank you! You’ve created the equivalent of the good fanzines (and prozines) we had in the 70’s. You’re like better than Starlog. :) Way better.

Great Interview.

An older Spock, with his knowledge of our ‘colorful metaphors’ would have said it just like Nimoy did.

truly fantastic interview with a great man.

Nimoy: “stay home and be angry” so just don’t see the movie, if that is what your life is about and that is the way you want to envision your relationship to Star Trek and the world, fine. This is a movie. It is a movie!

Thank you Mr. Nimoy!!!!

Three more days….

Anthony, that was a damned fine interview. I am stoked for this. Reserved two tickets online for the Friday show @ 7:30 p.m. in Auburn, AL. Even went to Target today and bought a phaser, which I’ve effectively used to shoot all three Dachshunds in the keister several times before dinner. LOL My wife thinks I’m nutz.

(Well, she’s right.) :-)

Nimoy is wonderful. I slightly disagree on the canon requirement – there should be attention to it. And with all this wonderful movie magic, not incorporating it is a human failing. Looking forward to this next level of Star Trek and hope for more.

Can’t wait! I can’t tell you all how happy I am that L. Nimoy is in this movie! It will be quiet an emotional experience seeing him in Trek again!!! I was there from the beginning!

What I wouldn’t give to see Mr. Nimoy giving the finger and saying “go f**k yourselves.” ….a little too human ;)

Always good to hear from Mr. Nimoy. Great article!

Tickets bought for the whole family for Thursday-check.

Mind opened to new movie-check.

Over any anger about not seeing the old TOS on the screen-check.

Completely blown away by the fact that I have been coming to this site for three years to find out any little tid-bit about the movie and all of the friendships I have made with people here-check.

What a long strange trip it has been. Thanks Anthony.

Oh, and having Leonard Nimoy quote me and actually do a little bit of a comic routine based on something I posted on this very site at the convention that is mentioned in this article……………………………..

That is something as a Trek fan I will always remember and it was because of this site.

Timmy Lives!

Not to get to far off topic. I just read a review on Yahoo and they gave Trek 2 and a half out of 4 stars. I think there just being jerks.

WHATEVER anyone says (canon-philes etc), i am sure this movie will be good star trek, and not just that, but better than any other film coming out over the next few months. its star trek, but more well made in a visual sense, making the sci-fi side more believable. it has a different take on the original characters through an alternate timeline therefore respecting canon…i do wish some people would stop worrying SO much about canon and just enjoy the film when it comes out though, there have been enough assurances to alleviate worries surely?…its going to be GOOOOOOODD.

Fantastic interview. I can’t wait to see what comes up next. T-3 days. Although, I see it on Friday and I will be really ready for it. It is unfortunate that this movie comes at the end of the most stressful week of my life. At the same time, I’m sure it will be a refreshing end to the chaos. Considering all that I have to do in the next few days, I actually pray time goes slower. But since I know it won’t, I at least have something to look forward to.

The moment I heard Nimoy was in the movie because he liked the script and story I thought this movie would have a good chance of turning out great. From the 28 minutes I have seen so far, it seems both Nimoy and I were right. ;)

PS: anthony, I don’t know how your work, but if there is an audio file of this or other interviews I’d love to get my hands on it. As the interview itself says: some things don’t translate to print. Either way though, great interview!

I’m voting Anthony Pascale for President in 2012. No matter how much I enjoy the Star Trek flick, I don’t think it will be as much as I’ve enjoyed following all the news on this site over the past year or so.

Amazing job, Anthony, and thank you!

Wow. What a great interview.

Let me just say this:

“I LOVE YOU ANTHONY!!” ♥

(In a non-weird way.)

I’ll keep coming back here even after I see the movie Saturday!

I love Leonard Nimoy! Thank to TrekMovie for this interview.

Also I dearly love the first Star Trek Movie (esp. Robert Wise’s director’s cut).

The Human Adventure is (still) Just Beginning!

Nice interview.

Nimoy rocks the quadrant.

Great interview. What became of the young boy who’s family was invited to attend the premiere by Nimoy? I wonder if they actually were there and if he liked the movie? Hopefully an article is forthcoming on that so we can get a review from the younger generation.

Great interview Anthony! You always do a great job!

There’s a new clip out on facebook!

http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=77973268742&ref=nf

Leonard Nimoy Agreed To Return For Star Trek III Under One Condition

Leonard Nimoy had a love/hate with his role as Spock in the "Star Trek" franchise. When his autobiography "I Am Not Spock" was published in 1975, he was trying to make clear that Spock wasn't his sole identity. "The last year of 'Star Trek' [the series], the writing deteriorated badly," Nimoy said in an interview with the Television Academy Foundation . "I was so glad when it was over. I really was unhappy in that final season, but sad, sad because I knew what it could be if it was well-written and well-produced, and it wasn't." When the plan for "Star Trek: The Motion Picture" was being developed, all of Nimoy's old feelings of worry and disappointment came back, thanks in part to what was viewed as a lackluster script.

"I was not enamored with the first movie. I thought it was really not 'Star Trek,' it was something else. They were trying to do something else with 'Star Trek,'" he told John Blackstone in a 2005 interview . "And we did it and I thought, Well, that's done, we did the 'Star Trek' movie. And of course it didn't quite work out that way, we were just beginning."

To everyone's surprise, "Star Trek: The Motion Picture" ended up making over $80 million, which guaranteed another film (via Box Office Mojo ). When the producers suggested a Spock death scene for the next film, Nimoy was delighted, assuming it would be the last film. But when " The Wrath of Khan " breathed new life into the franchise, Nimoy used its popularity to his advantage before agreeing to resurrect Spock for the next movie.

Leonard Nimoy would only return to the third film if he could also direct it

"They called me in for a meeting and said 'we'd like to know if you'd like to be involved in another "Star Trek" movie,' and I said 'yes, I'd like to direct it.' And that's how that started," Leonard Nimoy told the Television Academy Foundation . In his second autobiography "I Am Spock," Nimoy admitted that he made the bargain that he'd only return for the third film if he could direct it, because he wanted a challenge. He and William Shatner had both asked — and been turned down — to direct episodes of the "Star Trek" series, so he felt certain this was the leverage he needed.

"Star Trek III: The Search For Spock" is much more of a group effort than the first two films, which was exactly what Nimoy was going for. "I think I was influenced by my experience on 'Mission: Impossible,' where each character had a specific job to complete in any given adventure," Nimoy wrote in "I Am Spock," via StarTrek.com . "We worked, very consciously, to define special moments for each of the Enterprise bridge crew." And it worked, lending a camaraderie and unity among all the characters that was largely absent from the first two films.

"The Search for Spock" was well-received, and Nimoy went on to direct "Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home." Nimoy directing also had another effect — paving the way for William Shatner to direct the next film, " Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country ," and countless other actors on the many series that were to come.

Leonard Nimoy

• Born March 26 , 1931 · Boston, Massachusetts, USA
• Died February 27 , 2015 · Bel Air, Los Angeles, California, USA (end-stage chronic obstructive pulmonary disease)
• Birth name Leonard Simon Nimoy
• Height 5′ 11¾″ (1.82 m)
• Leonard Simon Nimoy was born in Boston, Massachusetts, to Dora (Spinner) and Max Nimoy, who owned a barbershop. His parents were Ukrainian Jewish immigrants. Raised in a tenement and acting in community theaters since age eight, Nimoy did not make his Hollywood debut until he was 20, with a bit part in Queen for a Day (1951) and another as a ballplayer in the perennial Rhubarb (1951) . After two years in the United States Army, he was still getting small, often uncredited parts, like an Army telex operator in Them! (1954) . His part as Narab, a Martian finally friendly to Earth, in the closing scene in the corny Republic serial Zombies of the Stratosphere (1952) , somewhat foreshadowed the role which would make him a household name: Mr. Spock, the half-human/half-Vulcan science officer on Star Trek (1966) one of television's all-time most successful series. His performance won him three Emmy nominations and launched his career as a writer and director, notably of Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home (1986) , the story of a humpback whale rescue that proved the most successful of the Star Trek movies. Stage credits have included "Fiddler on the Roof", "Oliver", "Camelot" and "Equus". He has hosted the well-known television series In Search of... (1977) and Ancient Mysteries (1994) , authored several volumes of poetry and guest-starred on two episodes of The Simpsons (1989) . In the latter years of his career, he played Mustafa Mond in NBC's telling of Aldous Huxley 's Brave New World (1998) , voiced Sentinel Prime in the blockbuster Transformers: Dark of the Moon (2011) , and played Spock again in two new Star Trek films, Star Trek (2009) and Star Trek Into Darkness (2013) . Leonard Nimoy died on February 27, 2015 in Bel Air, Los Angeles, California, of end-stage chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. He was 83. - IMDb Mini Biography By: Ed Stephan <[email protected]>
• Spouses Susan Bay Nimoy (January 1, 1989 - February 27, 2015) (his death) Sandi Nimoy (February 21, 1954 - 1987) (divorced, 2 children)
• Children Child Adam Nimoy Julie Nimoy
• Parents Dora Nimoy Max Nimoy
• Relatives Melvin Nimoy (Sibling) Madeleine Nimoy (Grandchild) Jonah Nimoy (Grandchild)
• Deep baritone voice
• Mr. Spock on Star Trek (1966) and eight of the Star Trek films
• His final Tweet, posted four days before his death, was "A life is like a garden. Perfect moments can be had, but not preserved, except in memory. LLAP" (Live Long and Prosper).
• The "Vulcan nerve pinch" concept on Star Trek (1966) was invented by Nimoy when he and the series' writers were trying to figure out how an unarmed Spock could overpower an adversary without resorting to violence.
• Spoke Hebrew and Yiddish fluently. According to William Shatner 's memoir of Nimoy, Leonard later in his life was concerned about losing his fluency in Yiddish because of a lack of practice. So Nimoy found a Yiddish speaking psychiatrist and made an regular appointment with her so he could spend an hour each week speaking the language.
• Was the only actor to appear in every episode and both pilots of Star Trek (1966) .
• Suffered from tinnitus (ringing in the ears), along with Star Trek (1966) co-star William Shatner . Nimoy's right ear and Shatner's left ear were affected. Their hearing was apparently damaged during the filming of the episode Arena (1967) , when they were both close to a special effects explosion.
• [on working with William Shatner on the original Star Trek (1966) series] Bill was very passionate about the work. Unfortunately, Bill was passionate about everything.
• 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.
• [on being asked to executive-produce the proposed sequel series Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987) ] I thanked him and wished him well with the project, but explained it simply couldn't work. I felt the original Star Trek (1966) 's success was due to many factors: the themes, the characters, the chemistry between the actors, the timing (the future-embracing 1960s)... There was simply no way, I told him, that anyone could duplicate all those things and be successful with a second Star Trek show. And so I opted out... While my argument sounded perfectly rational at the time, my ego was certainly involved. When I said to Frank Mancuso and the assembled execs, "How can you hope to capture lightning in a bottle again?", part of me was *really* saying, "How can you ever hope to do it without *us*?"... You know, crow isn't so bad. It tastes like chicken.
• My folks came to the US as immigrants, aliens, and became citizens. I was born in Boston, a citizen, went to Hollywood and became an alien.
• [on the death of Spock] I thought everything was managed in excellent taste. I feel proud. When it was first suggested to me that Spock would die, I was hesitant. It seemed exploitative. But now that I've seen how it was accomplished, I think it was a very good idea.
• Star Trek (1966) - $1,250 /episode (first season)
• Zombies of the Stratosphere (1952) - $500

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‘Star Trek III’ at 40: The Story of How (and Why) Leonard Nimoy Brought Spock Back After Being Killed Off In ‘The Wrath of Khan’

Where to stream:.

• Star Trek III: The Search For Spock

Stream It Or Skip It: ‘Star Trek: Prodigy’ Season 2 On Netflix, Where The Ragtag Group Of Teen Starfleet Trainees Join Janeway On A Dangerous Mission

‘star trek: strange new worlds’ renewed for season 4 at paramount+, bill maher applauds william shatner for controversial ‘star trek’ interracial kiss, patrick stewart was asked to wear a wig at his ‘star trek’ audition — a wig that flew by itself from heathrow to lax.

Star Trek is an enormous and expanding universe, but if there is one specific thing, one icon that projects the essence of this franchise with the power of a starship at warp, it’s Mr. Spock and his pointy ears. Like John Wayne on a horse or Charlie Chaplin falling down, Leonard Nimoy’s stern visage is one of the key texts of the moving image. And after Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan , the geniuses in charge had killed the character. Illogical.

Now 40 years old, Star Trek III: The Search For Spock course-corrected the franchise, and brought the best first officer in the galaxy back to life. The movie is certainly the weakest of the arc that connects the second, third, and fourth films, but it is by no means anything other than a blast. If you remember it as mostly being the glue between The Wrath of Khan (the awesome showdown with Ricardo Mantalbán) and Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home (the one with the whales) you owe yourself a second ride with the crew of the USS Enterprise, motivated to break all the rules to save one of their own. 

The New 4K “Director’s Edition” of ‘Star Trek: The Motion Picture’ on Paramount+ Boldly Goes Where No Other Cuts Have Gone Before

How the movie came to be is a little amusing. Though Leonard Nimoy is remembered now as a warm, older representative of interstellar kindness who, toward the end, signed off his tweets as “Grampa,” there was a period where the Boston-born actor, director, photographer and philanthropist had a reputation as being a bit of a grump. In 1975, the Star Trek star published a memoir called I Am Not Spock , that many interpreted to mean “hey, don’t confuse me with that dorky TV show.” (It wasn’t really the case: the book’s title was inspired by an encounter with a confused child who met him at an airport, and contains imagined dialogues between Nimoy and his famous screen character.) Prior to production on Star Trek: The Motion Picture , a puzzling movie that can now be recognized for its greatness , Nimoy and Paramount were in a bit of a legal war over the studio’s licensing of Spock’s image for a series of Heineken ads . (The corporation got paid, Nimoy did not.) After a drawn-out case, Nimoy agreed to appear in Star Trek II conditional on the character getting a big death scene. His wish was granted, and that sacrificial moment is—with Spock announcing that the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few or the one—without question the most touching and memorable moment in the entire 58-year-old history of Trek . 

The legend goes that Nimoy’s attitude toward wearing the ears again thawed during the making of the movie. The producers were able to convince him to shoot a little insurance: an insert of Spock gripping Dr. McCoy’s face and uttering the word “remember.” A final shot of Spock’s coffin (a refitted photon torpedo tube) on the new planet Genesis, then-roiling with regenerative molecules, was just enough ammunition for fans to argue that Spock would definitely be coming back. When Leonard Nimoy was given the chance to direct the next movie (his first feature film, though he had experience on television) the phasers were officially charged. 

The resultant work, Star Trek III: The Search For Spock , is the dorkiest look at Cartesian dualism put to film. The mission is this: get the mind of Spock, temporarily dumped in his old Frenemy’s noodle, and the body of Spock, luckily regrowing on the weird (and unstable) man-made planet, and bring them both to the sacred Mount Seleya on Vulcan so an old Priestess could mumble some hocus pocus and make everything right again.

To make the movie more interesting, of course, there has to be some complications. First up, Starfleet has cordoned off Genesis, but that just means Captain Kirk and his buddies have to steal their old ship. Second, there are some pesky Klingons (led by Christopher Lloyd and including…John Larroquette?) who want the secrets of Genesis, and are ready to kill anything in their path. Then there’s the planet itself, a scientific failure about to blow up, and on it are Lt. Saavik and Kirk’s son David, trapped there doing recon work. Also: a rapidly aging Spockling who, even though I first saw this when I was a very young boy, I somehow intuited that he got it on with Saavik to survive the throes of his pon faar , a fearsome time in which normally logical Vulcans turn to absolute brutes if they can not find a mate. (Don’t look for court-ready evidence of this in the movie, but follow-up Trek novels offer more hints that this is what happened.) 

It’s a fairly simple story, but there’s a lot to treasure. It’s well-known that throughout the masterpiece of Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan , Kirk and Khan are never “on stage” together, they only communicate through screens. Well, in this one, Kirk never knows his enemy’s name. He calls Christopher Lloyd’s Commander Kruge “Klingon Commander” right up to the end. 

And what an end! It’s William Shatner pounding Doc Brown in the face with his boot shouting “I have had ENOUGH of YOU!!!!!!” Hardly the classic dialogue from Spock’s death scene, but somehow perfect. There’s also a hilarious scene in a space station bar where it is implied that Dr. McCoy has an ongoing flirtation with a kitschy Jetsons -like waitress . It’s one of the few moments of high camp in the entire franchise, and it’s wonderful. Also, Star Trek III has some terrific sartorial choices, like Sulu’s not-quite-jacket/not-quite-cape that he wears during a scene in which they break McCoy out of the brig. 

The big finish, featuring the Vulcan ritual of Fal-Tor-Pan, is shot in a surreal, stage-like manner. The background actors include more beefy guys and willowy women than you typically think of as residents of the science-forward desert planet. Though it is somewhat dependent on the measure of your emotional investment in these characters, the concluding resurrection is surprisingly cathartic. It’s just plain nice to see the gang back together again. 

It is amusing, though, that the film’s stated message is that, no, the needs of the few or the one actually outweigh the needs of the many. When Kirk and Spock have this exchange, I always wait for one of them to add a “sometimes.” It never comes. I guess they just got swept up in the emotion of the moment, because this sentiment is hard to defend!

Anyway, Nimoy came back to direct Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home , and stuck around for two more movies, made a memorable appearance on Star Trek: The Next Generation , then was the connective tissue for J.J. Abrams’s 2009 Star Trek reboot and sequel, Star Trek Into Darkness . Clearly he turned his opinion around a bit. Indeed, in later years he wrote a second memoir, with a very funny title: I Am Spock . The choice was logical. 

Jordan Hoffman is a writer and critic in New York City. His work also appears in Vanity Fair, The Guardian, and the Times of Israel. He is a member of the New York Film Critics Circle, and tweets at @JHoffman about Phish and Star Trek.

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Why Leonard Nimoy Directed Star Trek III: The Search for Spock

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Why star trek needed spock to survive beyond two movies, how leonard nimoy got to direct star trek iii: the search for spock, leonard nimoy faced challenges directing the search for spock, how the star trek cast reacted to leonard nimoy directing star trek iii.

On the 40th anniversary of Star Trek III: The Search for Spock , the film directed by Leonard Nimoy enjoys a much better reputation than it originally did. For a long time when discussing the films starring the cast of Star Trek: The Original Series , fans claimed "the even-numbered movies are good, the odd-numbered ones are bad." Yet, how the first film Leonard Nimoy directed turned out is why Star Trek continues to be a relevant and important storytelling universe today. One reason Leonard Nimoy directed Star Trek III: The Search for Spock was, likely, public relations.

After Spock died in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan , allowing Nimoy to direct the third filmboth kept the beloved actor involved and gave fans hope their favorite Vulcan would return. But aside from that, Nimoy's first film as a director is a wonderful film and entry into the Star Trek universe. It's the movie that feels more strongly like an episode of the series in terms of narrative, and because it was strictly shot on sets. It's a movie in which nearly every member of the recurring cast has a worthwhile, necessary part. James Horner's score is truly immaculate, eclipsing his impressive work on The Wrath of Khan . Yet, most of what makes Star Trek III work is because of Nimoy's direction and his collaborative nature.

Star Trek: Leonard Nimoy and Gene Roddenberry Feud Explained

While Gene Roddenberry and Leonard Nimoy both believed in the cooperative future of Star Trek, a feud between the two men damaged their relationship.

When Gene Roddenberry was creating Star Trek in 1964 and 1965, Leonard Nimoy was one of two actors to survive from the first pilot to the second . However, Spock was the only character to return to the USS Enterprise once Captain Pike left and James Kirk took over. He was never meant to be Star Trek 's central character , but it happened anyway. Fans loved him, and Nimoy's dedication as an actor is why. Along with writers like Dorothy D.C. Fontana, Gene L. Coon and others, Nimoy helped shape the character. While this caused some tension with the series' other star, Wiliam Shatner, their shared commitment to the work never impeded it.

Nimoy was so influential that when Star Trek returned in animation, he was able to get most of The Original Series cast back as voice actors . The first film was financially successful, but it was both a production boondoggle and disappointing to fans. Nimoy was also a little sour on the gig, in large part because of Paramount's relentless merchandising of his likeness without fair compensation, according to The Center Seat - 55 Years of Star Trek . When producer Harve Bennett asked him if he wanted a meaty death scene, Nimoy jumped at the chance. Almost everyone involved believed Star Trek II would be the final chapter in the story anyway.

In an interview for the same documentary, Nimoy began to regret the decision to kill Spock in a heroic blaze of glory. The experience of working on The Wrath of Khan was so different from the prior film, the cast began to have fun again. Harve Bennett, a keen producer , also may have realized this. Nimoy said he approached him on the day they shot the death scenes to ask if he had any ideas about something they could add to the scene that might give Spock a pathway to return . Nimoy improvised the idea of doing a mind-meld on an unconscious Doctor McCoy and cryptically saying "Remember." Bennett also later asked ILM to add the final scene on the Genesis planet showing Spock's casket as a tease.

William Shatner Joins Leonard Nimoy's Family in Remembering the Star Trek Legend

Leonard Nimoy's family is joined by William Shatner in paying tribute to the Star Trek star on what would have been his 93rd birthday.

Perhaps annoyed with the decision to bring Spock back to life, Meyer declined to return for another sequel. At the same time, Nimoy decided he wanted to "get serious" about directing, according to The Fifty-Year Mission - The First 25 Years by Edward Gross and Mark A. Altman. He asked to direct, but in the interview for The Center Seat , it wasn't as easy as it may have seemed.

Then head of Paramount, Michael Eisner, heard the rumor that Nimoy demanded Spock death in his contract to return for Star Trek II . Nimoy denied this was ever the case and met with Eisner to explain it. During the meeting, Eisner told Nimoy he couldn't have him direct Star Trek III because the alleged death clause in the contract meant the actor "hate[d] Star Trek ." Nimoy said he told the executive to get his contract from The Wrath of Khan and read it. Whether he read it or not, eventually Eisner, Bennett and the rest of the producers soon realized he was their only choice.

Gene Roddenberry was an executive consultant on the film, saying in The Fifty-Year Mission he had misgivings about Nimoy directing. He thought Nimoy "didn't have the broad background of experience" needed, but realized "he does know the show" and they wouldn't have to "break a new director in." Neither Robert Wise nor Meyer were Star Trek fans when they signed on to their respective films. While he hadn't directed films, Nimoy was a longtime stage director and directed episodes of television, including T.J. Hooker starring Shatner.

How Star Trek's Vulcans Evolved Beyond Gene Roddenberry's Creation

While the in-universe history of the Vulcans in Star Trek is epic, the behind-the-scenes saga of their creation and development is equally important.

Harve Bennett wrote the script for Star Trek III , apparently getting the idea from a fan poem written from Kirk's perspective. "I left you there. Why did I do that?" the poem read. Bennett then conceived the story that brought the characters together to steal the USS Enterprise to go get Spock. Nimoy's contributions to the story went uncredited. He was responsible for much of Vulcan "lore" from the katra (essentially his soul in McCoy's body) and closing the film on Mount Selaya on Spock's home planet. He and Benett also changed the story at Shatner's suggestion to allow Kirk to take more of a leadership role.

In his interview for The Center Seat , Nimoy said he felt like producers were looking over his shoulder on The Search for Spock . He was a novice at feature film direction and working on a restrictive budget and schedule. Robin Curtis replaced Kirstie Alley as Saavik, and the villains of the film were originally Romulans. Nimoy suggested Klingons instead, and Bennett agreed with him after revisiting Star Trek: The Original Series episodes. The studio even hired Marc Okrand to create a realistic Klingon language . However, Nimoy's biggest frustration as a director came not from the cast or crew, but the studio's approach to marketing the film.

Both Nimoy and Bennett wanted to keep the destruction of the original USS Enterprise a secret. The ship was going to be decommissioned anyway, which Roddenberry called a "20th Century concept" in The Fifty-Year Mission . Still, when it came time to market the film, the explosion was put in the trailer and the film was marketed as "the final mission" for the Enterprise. In the commentary for The Search for Spock , both Nimoy and Bennett discuss how much they hated that decision because it perhaps turned the fans against the movie. First, they lost Spock, then they knew they were losing the beloved starship .

The Real Enemy in Star Trek III: The Search for Spock Is Starfleet

Forget the Kruge and the Klingons, the real villain in Star Trek III: The Search for Spock is Starfleet for standing in the way of protecting its own.

In the special features for The Wrath of Khan , William Shatner reveals the "Remember" scene was a surprise to him. He seemed to believe the concept was conceived of before shooting and simply not in the script. There was a longstanding "favored nations clause" in Shatner's contracts as well. Nimoy directed Star Trek III and IV , which meant that Shatner would direct Star Trek V . Still, Shatner and Nimoy were "thick as thieves" on the set, according to publicist Eddie Egan in The Fifty-Year Mission . Even the negotiations with Shatner about rewrites to the script weren't adversarial. Bennett found "merit in much of what he said."

The rest of the cast were also hesitant about seeing their peer behind the camera and running the production. However, Nimoy's demeanor and collaborative nature won them over. James Doohan, Walter Koenig and Nichelle Nichols all praised their time working with him. It went so well that The Voyage Home shoot was cited by many of them as their favorite working experience in various interviews. Similarly, Nimoy found his new role to be a creatively enriching challenge. He knew the characters and the universe so well, while also trusting his colleagues, that there was very little friction or conflict on set .

After 40 years, Star Trek III: The Search for Spock is a better movie than some fans may remember. The film marks the first time that Starfleet was, essentially, an antagonist, and it reinforces the idea these characters are more family than crew. There are sacrifices, including the death of Kirk's son, a deeply cynical move . Still, the film is enjoyable, well-shot and has that ephemeral quality of "feeling like Star Trek ." This is largely down to Nimoy's direction. It's also the film that cemented Star Trek wasn't finished but just getting started on its journey through pop culture.

Star Trek III: The Search for Spock Is Available to Own on Blu-ray, DVD, digital and is streaming on Max.

Star Trek III: The Search for Spock

Admiral Kirk and his bridge crew risk their careers stealing the decommissioned U.S.S. Enterprise to return to the restricted Genesis Planet to recover Spock's body.

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How nearly refusing ‘star trek iii’ reinvigorated leonard nimoy’s career.

'For the Love of Spock,' a documentary about the actor's life, hits theaters and VOD Friday.

By Aaron Couch

Aaron Couch

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In 1982’s  Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan , Leonard Nimoy and William Shatner delivered the finest scene in Trek history : the death of Spock.

The twist devastated audiences, whose love for Spock was stronger than ever. For Paramount, getting Nimoy to return for a third installment was imperative. But, the actor was hesitant to wear the pointy ears again unless he could stretch himself as an artist. He wanted to direct.

“There was a lot of resistance from Paramount,” his son and director of the documentary  For the Love of Spock  Adam Nimoy tells Heat Vision . “They were not that keen on the idea. They were worried. He was holding out because he wanted to challenge himself.”

Paramount finally relented because of the leverage Nimoy had (there would be no Spock unless  Nimoy was behind the camera). Nimoy went on to direct both  Star Trek III: In Search of Spock  (1984) and its sequel  Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home (1986), launching a new era of his career and becoming the most successful  Trek star-turned-director ever, earning respect as a business mind from giants like then-Paramount head Michael  Eisner  and then-head of production Jeffrey  Katzenberg .

Now  For the Love of Spock , out Friday, sheds light on how the enigmatic actor was able to do the near impossible in Hollywood: balance art and commerce. He was serious about his craft but also savvy about money — a self-taught businessman whose respect for work and the value of a dollar was formed growing up as the son of Depression-era Russian immigrants.

“This was a guy who came from Boston with nothing at 18 years old. He was a workaholic,” says Adam Nimoy , who in the documentary chronicles the countless personal appearances (from state fairs to store openings) his father would make as Spock during the run of the original series — all a way of “making this hay while the sun was shining.”

By the time In Search of Spock came around, Nimoy had practiced a lifetime of penny pinching, allowing him to do something practically unheard of: delivering a blockbuster under budget.

“He was very, very conscious about where the dollars were going,” says Adam Nimoy. “I think that really impressed Eisner and Katzenberg where they said, ‘OK, we are ready to go. We’re doing another one.'”

The next one, Star Trek IV , would go on to be the top-grossing of the original six Trek films at the domestic box office and is still a fan favorite, with its story of the Enterprise crew traveling back to the 1980s a breath of fresh air for the franchise.

“They made a conscious effort to loosen up with it and have fun with it and work with the characters. Less action and more of the thematic idea of what Star Trek is, which is a positive view of the future. A Prime Directive view of the future, even though they took a couple of whales with them,” says Adam Nimoy. 

The elder Nimoy would follow up Trek IV with something different, the comedy  Three Men and a Baby (1987), which was a smash at the box office, earning more than $167 million against an $11 million budget. But that success all goes back to his early years, when even though he was on a network television show, he still kept track of every dollar.

“Sometimes it drove my mother insane, and his business manager would say, ‘Dude, lighten up. You have the money. You can spend a little money. Let Sandy go and buy some clothes for God’s sake,’ ” says his son.

For the Love of Spock is in theaters and available on VOD now. 

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“I would definitely consider it”: William Shatner Was Open to a Kirk-Picard Team-up With Patrick Stewart If Star Trek Doesn’t Repeat a Leonard Nimoy Mistake

The legendary actor refused to make his return to the iconic role a gimmick.

• William Shatner played the role of Captain James T. Kirk in Star Trek: The Original Series.
• While he reprised his role in the films, he has yet to make an appearance in the new generation series like his successor Patrick Stewart.
• Shatner mentioned that he would consider reprising his role as long as it was not stunt like Leonard Nimoy's appearance in the Star Trek reboot.

William Shatner is known for his role as Captain James T. Kirk in the Star Trek franchise. Starring in the original series, the actor played the enthralling Captain for three seasons and a slate of films before leaving the chair for a new leader in The Next Generation .

While Patrick Stewart has since reprised his role from TNG in Picard , Shatner has yet to make an appearance in a new-generation show. The actor mentioned that he would consider it if the makers avoided making it a gimmick as they did with Leonard Nimoy in JJ Abrams’ Star Trek reboot.

William Shatner Considered A Kirk-Picard Team-Up In A New-Gen Star Trek Show

William Shatner became a household name after he starred in the original Star Trek series. Though the show only lasted three seasons, it developed a cult following, prompting Paramount to commission a revival, which came in the form of original films. Shatner’s career took off to new heights with a new string of successful films.

“Why isn’t the suit aerodynamic”: The DC Director William Shatner Had Trouble Working With Before Star Trek Success

While the actor last appeared in the film Star Trek: Generations , which also starred Sir Patrick Stewart as Captain Jean-Luc Picard from The Next Generation , Shatner has yet to be seen in a new-generation show or film. Unlike his co-star Leonard Nimoy and successor Stewart, Shatner has one condition to return to the franchise.

Shatner mentioned in an interview with THR that he would consider returning as Stewart did in Picard if it was not a gimmick like Nimoy’s appearance in JJ Abrams’ Star Trek . He said,

Leonard [Nimoy] made his own decision on doing a cameo. He’s there for a moment, and it’s more of a stunt that Spock appears in the future. If they wrote something that wasn’t a stunt that involved Kirk, who’s 50 years older now, and it was something that was genuinely added to the lore of Star Trek, I would definitely consider it.

Leonard Nimoy played the elder Spock in Star Trek and the sequel Star Trek: Into Darkness , while Zachary Quinto played a younger Spock. The actor had his final appearance as Spock in the sequel.

William Shatner Regretted His Star Trek Directorial Film

William Shatner, along with Leonard Nimoy, are two of the most influential figures in science fiction and have had a significant impact on pop culture history. Shatner has been associated with the franchise for multiple decades and has even co-written some novels in the series.

“The fights that went on… were big”: William Shatner Claims Star Trek: TNG Writers Openly Dissed Gene Roddenberry, Called His Work ‘Claustrophobic’

Shatner turned director with the controversial Star Trek V: The Final Frontier . The film was reportedly a failure at the box office and nearly killed the franchise despite having a great opening. Shatner mentioned that he regretted many things about the film and blamed himself for its failure. He said to THR,

I failed. In my mind, I failed horribly. When I’m asked, ‘What do you regret the most?’ I regret not being equipped emotionally to deal with a large motion picture. So in the absence of my power, the power vacuum filled with people that didn’t make the decisions I would’ve made.

While the veteran actor has since directed multiple documentaries, including ones based on Star Trek , none have been as high-profile as the fifth feature film in the original series.

Star Trek: The Original Series is available to stream on Paramount+.

Leonard Nimoy William Shatner

Written by Nishanth A

Nishanth A is a Media, English and Psychology graduate from Bangalore. He is an avid DC fanboy and loves the films of Christopher Nolan. He has published over 1,000 articles on FandomWire. When he's not fixating on the entire filmography of a director, he tries to write and direct films.

Copyright © 2024 FandomWire, LLC. All rights reserved.

“It didn’t do us any good”: Star Trek Legend Leonard Nimoy Never Forgave a Movie That “Nearly Derailed” the Franchise

T he 1979 film, Star Trek: The Motion Picture,  was quite disappointing for fans of the original series. Although the film kicked off the cinematic run of the franchise, it has been regarded as one of the weaker contenders in the entire series. So much so, that some believe it to have almost ruined the film series’s start altogether.

Leonard Nimoy’s Distain Towards Star Trek: The Motion Picture

In 2005, Leonard Nimoy gave an in-depth interview with TrekMovie , where he touched on the topic of Star Trek: The Motion Picture.  He specifically talked about how the film fits in with the rest of the series. He talked about how Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan ended up becoming the real beginning of the series because of the performance of the 1979 project.

The second Star Trek movie put the franchise back on track. The first one derailed us, it didn’t do us any good. Perhaps some people made some money. 

Patrick Stewart: One Marvel Star “Wouldn’t engage with any of us on a social level”, Made it Difficult to Communicate in $67M Star Trek Bomb

Although many did watch it and the film made an impressive amount of money, it was unable to truly establish the essence of the franchise. Not until the second part came around in 1982.

Lenord Nimoy Excludes Star Trek: The Motion Picture  From The Trilogy

Lenord Nimoy then talked about Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan in more detail, mentioning how he believed this project to have been the true start of the Star Trek trilogy . When they were making the second film, it was almost obligatory. After making a film of a successful story, it is only natural to make another part.

“I think I stole them”: Marina Sirtis Stole 2 Star Trek Props, One of Which She Ended up Wearing 18 Years Later in ‘Picard’

The second one put us back on track and what happened, unintentionally, we didn’t realize that we were at the beginning of a trilogy. That the three films, II, III and IV, told a story that had and arc to day and they hung together in an interesting way. III was obligatory, we had to get Spock back and IV was the completion of that cycle.

The Star Trek franchise is available for streaming on Paramount+. 

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Star trek: strange new worlds should bring back a forgotten starfleet rank.

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Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 3 Will Be “Our Best Season So Far”, Says Anson Mount

I really need star trek: strange new worlds season 3 to fix their spock's brother mistake, i want strange new worlds to break star trek canon & save captain pike.

• Star Trek: Strange New Worlds can bring back and diversify yeomen, offering a respected place in Starfleet.
• Yeomen can build on Yeoman Nguyen's story and introduce a more inclusive, complex position.
• The return of yeomen can set up the future of classic characters like Janice Rand and expand the list of current ranks in Star Trek.

Star Trek: Stange New Worlds should bring back the prominent rank featured in Star Trek: The Original Series and use the position to revitalize important and unexplored aspects of Starfleet. In Star Trek: The Original Series , yeomen were played by female actors and depicted a yeoman as an administrative type of rank in Starfleet. Despite the Star Trek timeline including many progressive themes, this lack of female representation was the norm when Star Trek premiered in the 1960s. Star Trek: Strange New Worlds could officially bring back and diversify yeomen and give them a respected place in Starfleet.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds started as a spin-off of Star Trek: Discovery but quickly became a staple in the modern Star Trek canon. Strange New Worlds often brings back classic Star Trek by reintroducing characters from The Original Series , including Captain Christopher Pike (Anson Mount) and Lieutenant James T. Kirk (Paul Wesley). Since both of these characters have yeomen assistants, including new (and possibly old) characters with the rank of yeoman seems like the logical next step for Star Trek: Strange New Worlds ' season 3 and beyond.

Anson Mount hypes Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 3, which he hints will take even bigger swings than the ambitious season 2 did.

How Star Trek: Bringing Back Yeomen In Strange New Worlds Can Work

The unused rank can be more than a one-episode plot device.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds included a brief segue into what a Star Trek yeoman is in the season 2 episode "Among the Lotus Eaters." Captain Pike discovers Yeoman Zac Nguyen, who had served on the USS Enterprise until the yeoman's apparent death on Rigel VII, is still alive. However, the episode doesn't reveal exactly what the position is commonly used for in Starfleet in relation to other lower ranks, like Cadets or Ensigns. Instead, Yeoman Nguyen serves mostly to further the plot of the episode and give Captain Pike more development.

Yeomen in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds could build on Yeoman Nguyen's story and introduce a more inclusive, complex position.

With at least a brief yeoman introduction under its belt, Star Trek: Strange New Worlds could easily bring in a yeoman to join the USS Enterprise crew. In doing so, the forgotten Starfleet rank could make a comeback and set up the future of classic characters who held the yeoman position in other Star Trek projects. Instead of being female clerical workers, yeomen in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds could build on Yeoman Nguyen's story and introduce a more inclusive, complex position beneficial to Starfleet's upper ranks.

Yeomen On Strange New Worlds Can Set Up Star Trek: TOS's Janice Rand

Star trek: the original series' janice rand deserves a new beginning.

By bringing back the Star Trek yeomen rank, Strange New Worlds can save Janice Rand (Grace Lee Whitney) and redeem the classic character whose unfair exit marks one of Star Trek 's darkest events. During Strange New World 's timeline, Rand would be the appropriate age for a Cadet, a position for students enrolled in Starfleet Academy. This way, Cadet Rand could have a fresh start aboard the USS Enterprise, and Strange New Worlds could offer a sneak peek into the future of the yeoman position .

Both Strange New World 's Lt. Spock (Ethan Peck) and Lt. Montgomery "Scotty" Scott (Martin Quinn) have benefited from the show's foreshadowing techniques , since their Star Trek: The Original Series counterparts have been major parts of some of Star Trek 's biggest events. Since Star Trek: Strange New Worlds often hints at future events that tie into older shows, adding yeomen back to Starfleet could expand the list of current ranks and diversify characters in upcoming Star Trek TV shows and movies .

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds

A spin-off of Star Trek: Discovery, Star Trek: Strange New Worlds is a television series that takes place before the events of the original series and follows Captain Christopher Pike as he mans the helm of the U.S.S. Enterprise. The show focuses on this previous crew of the Enterprise as they explore the galaxy with returning characters from Discovery.

Star Trek: The Original Series

*Availability in US

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Star Trek: The Original Series follows the exploits of the crew of the USS Enterprise. On a five-year mission to explore uncharted space, Captain James T. Kirk (William Shatner) must trust his crew - Spock (Leonard Nimoy), Dr. Leonard "Bones" McCoy (Forest DeKelley), Montgomery "Scotty" Scott (James Doohan), Uhura (Nichelle Nichols), Chekov (Walter Koenig) and Sulu (George Takei) - with his life. Facing previously undiscovered life forms and civilizations and representing humanity among the stars on behalf of Starfleet and the United Federation of Planets, the Enterprise regularly comes up against impossible odds and diplomatic dilemmas.

Leonard Nimoy’s Los Angeles Legacy

Join us as we explore two LA cultural institutions named after Nimoy: the Leonard Nimoy Event Horizon Theater at Griffith Observatory, and our very own Nimoy Theater.

Photo courtesy of the Ronald W. Mahan Collection

Let’s embark on a cosmic journey through the star-studded legacy of actor and philanthropist Leonard Nimoy. From his iconic role as Spock in  Star Trek to his numerous charitable projects, Nimoy's impact stretches far across the galaxy– including right here in Los Angeles. 

Leonard Nimoy Event Horizon Theater at Griffith Observatory

First stop: Griffith Observatory. Inside the Leonard Nimoy Event Horizon Theater , you can embark on a virtual journey through time and space. The theater offers free public events and daily film screenings, including showings of the short film  The Once and Future Griffith Observatory, narrated by Leonard Nimoy himself. This Los Angeles landmark serves as a celestial sanctuary, inspiring wonder and contemplation among patrons of all ages.

“By observing the sky and pondering our place in the universe, people gain a new perspective on their daily lives.” — Leonard Nimoy

UCLA’s Nimoy Theater

Next up: let’s explore the newly renovated Nimoy Theater, CAP UCLA’s tribute to Leonard Nimoy and home for the exploration and the expression of live performance.

Situated in the vibrant Westwood neighborhood of Los Angeles , The Nimoy is a 299-seat flexible performing arts venue with a distinct art deco style. The theater originally opened in 1940 as the UCLAN Theater. The space was intended for live performances and movie screenings, but this vision was quickly abandoned during the upheaval of World War II. During the war, the theater was used as a community hub where citizens would gather for newsreel screenings and neighborhood camaraderie.

Photo from the collections of Margaret Herrick Library, Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences

In the decades that followed, The Nimoy changed ownership many times– it has been operated under several names including the Crest Theatre, Loew’s Crest, and Metro Theatre. During this time the space was largely used for film screenings and premieres. Fun fact: The Crest was one of the first venues in the US to show Stanley Kubrick’s 1964 classic Dr. Strangelove.

In the late 1980s, theater designer Joseph Musil restored the Crest with an Art Deco-inspired renovation. Musil added several stylized murals of Hollywood and Westwood landmarks that are still visible today.

Fast forward to October 2018, a pivotal moment for The Nimoy. Thanks to the generosity of Leonard Nimoy’s wife, Susan Nimoy, UCLA assumed ownership of the venue after it had been closed for several years, marking a new chapter in its storied history. 

Following an extensive refurbishment, The Nimoy proudly reopened its doors in September 2023, rechristened in honor of Leonard Nimoy’s legacy. The Nimoy’s transformation not only pays homage to a cultural luminary, but also reaffirms the theater's commitment to providing an exceptional artistic experience for patrons, blending tradition with modernity in a beautifully designed Art Deco-inspired space.

Interested in visiting this LA landmark? You can  learn more about The Nimoy or explore our calendar of  upcoming events .

Leonard Nimoy’s Lasting Legacy

The Nimoy Theater at UCLA and the Leonard Nimoy Event Horizon Theater are just two examples of recent cultural tributes to Leonard Nimoy. The next time you find yourself in the City of Angels, be sure to pay homage to one of sci-fi's greatest legends. Here's to Leonard Nimoy— may his memory continue to inspire us to boldly go where no one has gone before.

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Published Mar 6, 2016

Remembering Leonard Nimoy

February 27, 2016, was the first anniversary of the passing of Leonard Nimoy. It is possibly a universal reaction to death for those of us left behind to think of the last time we saw a late friend or loved one in person. That last interaction, that last vision, is often a meteor strike to our memory leaving an indelible and permanent mark. The last time we saw Leonard Nimoy in person was during his retirement appearance on October 2, 2011, and the Creation Entertainment’s Official 45th Anniversary Star Trek Convention in Rosemont, Illinois.

Leonard’s final in-person convention appearance began with emotional words from host Adam Malin, who introduced a special tribute video that had been assembled featuring all of the seven main actors of Star Trek (2009) , along with director J.J. Abrams, providing good wishes for Leonard’s retirement from both live convention appearances and acting. The best moment was in reaction to the question, “describe Leonard Nimoy in three words” when Karl Urban, mustering his best Dr. McCoy vibe, used the phrase “green-blooded, hobgoblin” as his answer. The audience roared with laughter because the affectionate joke was as much an emotional thank you to Leonard, to his character of Spock, and to DeForest Kelley - all in the same moment. More emotionally, Karl Urban also thanked Leonard for “over 40 years of absolutely magical work.”

Leonard had begun appearing at conventions during 1973 when he attended a New York City con held February 16th to the 19th that year, a surprise to the audience. When Leonard walked onto the stage for what would be his last in-person appearance almost 40 years later in 2011, there was thunderous applause, to be certain, but also a sense of palpable gratitude for being able to see him again once last time at a convention. Leonard’s family was gathered with him to enjoy the moment.

Leonard began a nearly hour-long presentation in which he shared his life story through words, pictures and even through his poetry. Images of Leonard’s life in the West End of Boston growing up and stories of how, while a cab driver, a conversation with passenger Senator John F. Kennedy provided him with needed inspiration to continue acting during his early days struggling to find work were a few of the highlights.

There was one moment that gave us something to look forward to, despite the focus on the past. Leonard mentioned something very cryptic near the end of his speech, saying that he while he was also retiring from acting, he had some commitments that he made previously, and that we may see him “pop up” again from time to time. We immediately looked at each other and thought the same thing: could that be a hint that Leonard was going to in the next Star Trek film again? We were thrilled to eventually see that with Leonard’s important cameo in Star Trek Into Darkness he was indeed trying to telegraph a message to fans that October day that endings are never really such a thing: there are always possibilities.

When the time arrived for Leonard to leave, he did so with grace and quietly, while fans in the sold-out room held up a sign that said what everyone was feeling, “We love you Leonard.” Creation Entertainment had made a cake in Leonard’s honor, and in a kind gesture, Leonard asked that the cake be shared with the audience of fans as he signed autographs.

To be certain, Leonard Nimoy wasn’t done giving to the world despite that retirement appearance. He would eventually share his struggles with COPD during his retirement, even making fans like us his honorary grandchildren on Twitter if they promised never to smoke or to quit. He made priceless, funny commercials with Zachary Quinto and humorous music video appearances for family members. A man so talented and unique as Leonard Nimoy could never truly retire. He cared too much about the world and the people in it to not continue having effects.

But, that October, 2011, day would be the last time most fans would get a chance to see Leonard in person, not on Skype or a movie screen. It was a special day during which we got to thank him for all that he gave us; and he got to thank fans for supporting his visions and artistry. It is the moment we first think of whenever we think of Leonard Nimoy now. An intimate gathering with 2,000 friends and the man who brought us all together. We more than miss you Leonard. As the sign we all held up in 2011 said, “We love you.”

Maria Jose and John Tenuto are both sociology professors at the College of Lake County in Grayslake, Illinois, specializing in popular culture and subculture studies. The Tenutos have conducted extensive research on the history of Star Trek, and have presented at venues such as Creation Conventions and the St. Louis Science Center. They have written for the official Star Trek Magazine and their extensive collection of Star Trek items has been featured in SFX Magazine. Their theory about the “20-Year Nostalgia Cycle” and research on Star Trek fans has been featured on WGN News, BBC Radio, and in the documentary The Force Among Us. They recently researched all known paperwork from the making of the classic episode "Space Seed" and are excited to be sharing some previously unreported information about Khan's first adventure with fellow fans. Contact the Tenutos at [email protected] or [email protected].

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This Was Anton Yelchin's Favorite Episode From Star Trek: The Original Series

J.J. Abrams' 2009 "Star Trek" feature film wasn't so much an adaptation of the 1966 TV series as it was a film version of how non-Trekkies view the franchise. To explain: on the TV series, Captain Kirk (William Shatner) is typically depicted as being judicious, stern, and decisive. Because of the few times Kirk solved problems with his fists, however, he has gained a (perhaps unfair) reputation for being a reckless cowboy, an insufferable lothario, and a flippant charmer. Abrams' version of Kirk (Chris Pine) rolled with those misconceptions, making a "high-octane" version of the character. Indeed, all the characters are now broader, more passionate versions of themselves. This is in addition to each of them being secret super-geniuses, deeply expert in at least one field of science, language, medicine, or engineering.

Case in point, Chekov (Anton Yelchin) knows how to operate a transporter in such a way that he can snatch crewmates right out of the air as they plummet through a planet's atmosphere below. Everything in the 2009 "Star Trek" is shifted into overdrive, with whirling cameras, shouting, fighting, and desperate last-minute escapes. Abrams turned "Star Trek" into an action movie. 

That said, many of the new cast members did their "Star Trek" homework, watching old episodes of the original series and using their forebears as models for the latest versions of their characters. Yelchin in particular closely emulated Walter Koenig, and was even careful to imitate Koenig's unique Russian accent, even if it wasn't wholly accurate. 

In 2009, TrekMovie interviewed the late Yelchin about playing Chekov, asking the actor — perhaps naturally — what his favorite episode of the original series was. Surprisingly, Yelchin was very fond of "Who Mourns for Adonais?," the episode wherein the Enterprise crew faces off against the Greek god Apollo.

Yelchin thought that 'Who Mourns for Adonais?' was 'fascinating'

"Who Mourns for Adonais?" (September 22, 1967) begins with the Enterprise being grabbed in space by a giant green human hand. Kirk and company beam down to a nearby planet to find Apollo (Michael Forest) living there. This appears to be the actual god Apollo of Greek myth, and he demands that the Enterprise crew worship him, just like he used to be worshiped back on Earth. Kirk, Chekov, and the others surmise that Apollo is actually an ancient alien that once visited Earth thousands of years ago, and the locals assumed he was a god. Kirk explains to Apollo that humans have outgrown the need for gods, and Apollo is sad. After Apollo ascends to join the other "gods," Kirk admits that even without the benefit of divinity, modern civilization still owes a lot to ancient Greek culture. The title is a reference to an 1821 Percy Shelley elegy about John Keats.

Yelchin probably liked "Adonais" because Chekov has a lot to contribute. He was part of the episode's landing party, and he was active and contributive. In Yelchin's words: 

"Probably the one with Apollo. I think is such an intelligent episode. It is an episode where the basic point is that humanity ... looking at it in terms of the '60s when men are their own gods, and look at where they brought their universe to. It was such a fascinating, touching, weird thing to have an episode. Where men come to a planet where a god wants to be a god again." 

No such heady concepts were included in the 2009 film, as it was, as mentioned, an action picture. But It's nice to see that Yelchin found some of the original Trek concepts to be interesting. 

'Amok Time' - a.k.a. the pon farr episode

Yelchin also liked "Amok Time," saying, "I also love the episode where Spock is PMSing and where Kirk has to fight Spock."

That's an indelicate way of describing pon farr, a Vulcan phenomenon where their bodies sexually activate once every seven years. While undergoing pon farr, Vulcans become unbearably horny, but also very angry and animalistic. They are moved to mate. In "Amok Time" (September 15, 1967) , Spock (Leonard Nimoy) undergoes pon farr and returns to Vulcan to marry his betrothed T'Pring (Arlene Martel). T'Pring finds that Kirk is a more appealing mate, however, and Kirk and Spock have to fight in a Vulcan gladiatorial arena for her hand. It's a notable episode of "Star Trek" because of the amount of Vulcan lore it introduced into the franchise, but many — like Yelchin — seem attached to the episode's silly, horny violence. 

Yelchin also admitted that he did more research than some of his co-stars. He read "The Star Trek Encyclopedia" by Mike and Denise Okuda, and watched every episode of the show. Chris Pine, it seems, began watching the series, but stopped partway through the first season. "I kept going. I loved it," Yelchin said. "I even watched the episodes that Chekov wasn't in. The ones that he was in I found interesting, like when they go to a bar in 'The Troubles With Tribbles' and they have a drink, I liked that." 

Yelchin also played Chekov in "Star Trek Into Darkness" in 2013 and in "Star Trek Beyond" in 2016, released posthumously .