Leonard Nimoy is a veteran actor who found popularity through his role as Spock in the iconic Star Trek franchise. Ever since its inception, Nimoy portrayed the role diligently until his retirement in 2013 when he passed on the role to Zachary Quinto.
After the Star Trek franchise dialed down in the early 2000s, a rebooted film set in an alternate reality titled Star Trek was released in 2009. Nimoy decided to star in the film directed by J.J. Abrams but hardcore Star Trek fans had problems with the film. Leonard Nimoy’s simple response was quite a simple yet iconic line.
“Stay Home And Be Angry” – Leonard Nimoy
In 2009, the Star Trek franchise got a fresh start with the release of the film of the same name. Being a reboot (sort of) set in an alternate timeline, Star Trek allowed the franchise to reinvent itself while keeping all the original elements in it.
Leonard Nimoy reprised the role of Spock in the film alongside Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, and, many more portraying different characters. However, not everyone liked the new film. Having some radical ideas suited to a more modern approach, hardcore fans of the original series and the 1980s Star Trek wanted originality.
Having mixed reviews, the film was a success but also received equal backlash. In an interview with TrekMovie, Leonard Nimoy stated his opinion that the backlash was not needed at all. While talking about the 2009 film, Nimoy had a lot to say about J.J. Abrams and how the people were being unfair and simply rude!
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.
He further continued,
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.
Although Nimoy made his point very clear, he truly wanted the people to enjoy the film rather than just point out the inaccuracies. The veteran actor had a simple point to display that people should have watched the film with an open mind.
Not a fan of beating around the bush, Leonard Nimoy was on point with his statements and meant every word that he said.
Leonard Nimoy Is Not A Fan of Beating Around The Bush
Despite the 2009 film earning rave reviews, there was still a lot of unnecessary backlash for the film. Some may consider that the sequels ruined the franchise once again, in many ways Star Trek made the franchise relevant again.
What people did was go to the cinemas with feelings of nostalgia and originality. They were, however, greeted with differing ideas and alternating storylines for which they weren’t ready. Leonard Nimoy agreed with the statements and urged that people only keep an open mind.
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?
The actor further stated that Winona Ryder’s role as Spock’s mother was something that he didn’t have faith in. He was surprised by how subtle and emotional the scene was when Spock half-apologizes for not paying attention to his human side more!
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.
Veteran actor Leonard Nimoy continued to portray the role of Spock until 2013 with the release of the film Star Trek Into Darkness. The actor retired and stated that he wanted Zachary Quinto to have the stage and the spotlight.
In 2015, Leonard Nimoy passed away but left a lasting legacy for decades to come. Star Trek (2009) which started it all (once again), received a rating of 7.9/10 on IMDB and a whopping 94% on Rotten Tomatoes.
With high ratings and controversial reviews, Star Trek is available to stream on Paramount+ in the U.S.
