Leonard Nimoy is a legendary Hollywood actor who enjoyed a plethora of major roles in the industry during his career. However, not one of them comes close to his iconic rendition of Spock in the Star Trek saga.
A role that he took up for the first time ever during the 1979 motion picture, Nimoy became synonymous with the half-human, half-Vulcan character with pointed years. At the same time, Spock had his fair share of naysayers when he was first sought to be introduced in Star Trek: The Motion Picture.
So much so that Nimoy was told by network executives that they would either have to change the appearance of the character, or simply do away with him!
Leonard Nimoy was told by NBC executives that Spock will need to undergo a comprehensive physical change
Leonard Nimoy passed away at the age of 83, in February 2015. However, his work as Spock means that he will be well-remembered by Star Trek fans for an eternity to come. That makes it even weirder that the character itself was not initially met with delight, as far as executives of NBC were concerned.
In a detailed interview with John Blackstone back in 2009, Nimoy had revealed exactly what he was told by NBC executives when the character was first considered:
They will not accept in their homes a character who looks devilish with these pointed ears. So get rid of the pointed ears, or get rid of the character.
As it turns out, the problem was not the characterization or the actor. Instead, it was down to how Spock looked, although the criticism was quickly forgotten. This was after NBC was flooded with a range of fan mail that not only praised Spock but also wanted him to be given a much bigger role in the overall franchise.
Leonard Nimoy earned three Emmy nominations due to Star Trek’s Spock
Leonard Nimoy as Spock | Paramount
The pointed ears were seen as a concern because a number of Star Trek viewers came from conservative Bible Belt families, and perceived the character as being devilish. Of course, eventually, Spock stayed on and became a part of the original series while also featuring in all of the first six Star Trek movies.
Further, Nimoy not only became an iconic face with respect to the franchise, but his dedication also eventually led to him taking over the directorial duties for Star Trek III: The Search for Spock (1984), and Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home (1986).
This eventually led to a celebrated career as a director as well, as he most notably directed the comedy-classic that is Three Men and a Baby. However, his directorial credits also include projects such as Holy Matrimony, Funny About Love, and The Good Mother. Hence, needless to say, not only did Leonard Nimoy know exactly what he was doing with the role of Spock, but he eventually also proved his filmmaking prowess.
All Star Trek movies thus far are available to be watched on Paramount.
