It's hard to quantify just how much Leonard Nimoy and the character of Spock have meant to Star Trek. The actor, who passed in 2015, would've been 90 on March 26th, and his son took the opportunity to memorialize the life of his father and highlight a part of it that fans may not be familiar with.
We all know the life of the half-human and Vulcan, who became an ambassador of peace throughout the galaxy, and so does director Adam Nimoy. Rather than talk all about Spock, though, Nimoy spoke about his father's humble beginnings before acting:
Adam Nimoy's tribute to his father, Leonard, didn't just come on what would've been his 90th birthday, but also a day of great honor for the actor. The City of Boston declared that March 26th would be known as Leonard Nimoy Day in the city as an act of remembrance for all he accomplished in the city, in what ultimately led to his successful career in acting.
Leonard Nimoy attended Boston College before he moved out to Los Angeles, where he worked hard to conceal his distinct Boston accent. Had he not, who knows if he would've landed the role of Star Trek and helped Spock become one of the greatest science-fiction figures in pop culture. Nimoy portrayed his character for decades in both film and television, with one of his final performances as the character happening in J.J. Abrams Star Trek franchise.
Though it has been some time since Leonard Nimoy's passing, there are still many people who honor the character and show concern for the legacy of Spock. In fact, there was quite a stir when Star Trek: Discovery announced it would introduce a new actor to play Spock, even though Zachary Quinto played the role in the Abrams films. There was a small amount of controversy attached to Ethan Peck's casting as the Vulcan but, ultimately, audiences have warmed up to the portrayal and feel it does justice to the character Nimoy first introduced.
Adam Nimoy's latest tribute to his father is not his only one, as he crowdfunded a documentary about Leonard Nimoy called For The Love Of Spock. The documentary chronicled Leonard Nimoy's career and the burden that his public life had on his personal life, from Adam's perspective. The documentary was released in 2016, the same year Star Trek celebrated its 50th anniversary. Unfortunately, Leonard Nimoy didn't live to see his son's work, though the two began their process as collaborators on the project.
Fans that would love to belatedly celebrate Leonard Nimoy's 90th birthday can find just about every Star Trek appearance by the actor on Paramount+. There's no shortage of news as of late related to the classic Star Trek actors, such as William Shatner's recent admission about not ever actually watching the franchise. Read up on that and continue to check in for more updates on the franchise from television and movies.
