Leonard Nimoy

Actor


The Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Foundation Presents

02:26

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About
About this interview

Leonard Nimoy expresses how he felt at being Emmy-nominated: "I cried. I thought, whoa. Wow. What a thrill. Particularly because the nominations are done by your fellow actors, and I thought: they're getting it, they can see what I'm doing.... it just really moved me deeply." 

In his four-hour interview, Nimoy (1931-2015) reminisces about growing up in the inner city of Boston, including the mix of nationalities in his neighborhood and his stage debut at the age of eight at a community theater. He discusses his acting ambitions and his move to Hollywood, making television appearances on such series as The Pinky Lee Show and Matinee Theater. He chronicles his life as a struggling actor, including working on Western series such as Wagon Train and Gunsmoke. He also discusses working on several series produced by syndication giant Ziv Television Programs, among them West Point, Sea Hunt, and Highway Patrol. He recounts auditioning for The Lieutenant, a series produced by Gene Roddenberry, which led to his casting on Star Trek. Backtracking to his 1950s experiences, he notes his time in the army (assigned to mount army-produced shows) and describes his role (and meager pay) for his first starring feature film Kid Monk Baroni, as well as his first work in a sci-fi role in the serial Zombies of the Startosphere. He also talks about his work as an acting teacher. Regarding Star Trek, he speaks in great detail about his character "Mr. Spock" and gives the origin of such Vulcanisms as the Vulcan salute and nerve pinch, both of which he invented. He describes a typical workweek on the series, alludes to the restrictive budget and strict adherence to schedule, describes Gene Roddenberry's vision for the series, gives his impressions of his fellow cast mates, and looks back on several notable episodes. Regarding the creation of the "Mr. Spock" character, Nimoy reveals: "[During a scene once,] Spock had one word to say and the word was 'fascinating.' And we're looking at this thing on the screen and I got caught up in that energy and I said, 'fascinating!' And the director gave me a brilliant note which said: 'Be different. Be the scientist. Be detached. See it as something that's a curiosity rather than a threat.' I said, 'fascinating.' Well, a big chunk of the character was born right there." He also reflects on receiving an Emmy nomination for every season of the series. Nimoy then speaks frankly about his work as a series regular on Mission: Impossible, which he ultimately found unfulfilling. He discusses later career highlights including his work as narrator/host of In Search of... and star of such television movies as A Woman Called Golda and Never Forget. He notes his second career as a director, initially with an episode of Rod Serling's Night Gallery, and his graduation to such popular feature films as Star Trek III and IV and Three Men and a Baby. Karen Herman conducted the interview on November 2, 2000 in Beverly Hills, CA.

All views expressed by interviewees are theirs alone and not necessarily those of the Television Academy.

"The camera can capture thought in a way that's quite surprising and shocking. You can become very simple and minimal in your work and communicate a lot with just a finger or an eyebrow, or a look, or a glance."

People Talking About ...
Highlights
Leonard Nimoy on his creation of the Vulcan nerve pinch
02:08
Leonard Nimoy on his Star Trek character "Mr. Spock"
04:28
Leonard Nimoy on directing the feature film Three Men and a Baby
03:04
Leonard Nimoy on working with Star Trek co-star William Shatner (in comparison to pilot episode co-star Jeffrey Hunter)
01:00
Leonard Nimoy on his creation of the Vulcan salute and its use in the Star Trek episode "Amok Time"
01:51
Full Interview

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Chapter 1

On his early years growing up in Boston; on his first acting experience, age eight, at a community theater; on appearing in and listening to radio
On his memories of selling newspapers on Pearl Harbor day; on getting the acting bug; on his disappointing experience studying at the Pasadena Playhouse; on setting himself up in Hollywood with the help of actress Ruth Roman
On his appearance on TV's The Pinky Lee Show and earliest memories of watching television; on being a struggling actor; on other early TV exposure on: Lights, Camera, Action and Matinee Theater

Chapter 2

On his appearance on Matinee Theater (continued); on working in live TV; on guest appearances in series produced by syndication giant Ziv Television Programs: West Point and Sea Hunt, by which he earned a living
On a significant guest appearance on Wagon Train in the episode "The Estaban Zamora Story" (acting with Ernest Borgnine); on his penchant for playing ethnic roles; on his guest appearances on Bonanza and a television movie revival (acting with character actor Ben Johnson); on why villains were not allowed to smoke on Ziv Television Programs' syndicated shows, due to sponsorship
On the plot of a Gunsmoke episode he guest-starred in, "Treasure of John Walking Fox"; on series star Vic Morrow helping him to get work on Combat!; on auditioning and winning a guest part on The Lieutenant, which led him to be cast on Star Trek; on taking a small part on Get Smart

Chapter 3

On his guest appearances on the series: Dragnet, M Squad, Broken Arrow, and Highway Patrol (and the cost cutting techniques of shows he did in those days)
On appearing on The Man From U.N.C.L.E. and shadowing director Joseph Sargent to learn how to direct for television (per producer Norman Felton); on appearing on The Outer Limits episode "I Robot" in the 1960s and the remake in the 1990s
On serving in the Army in the mid-50s, becoming an "entertainment specialist" to Army-produced shows; on getting an agent and landing the feature film Kid Monk Baroni , in which he played the title role (a boxer); on his family's take on his choice of profession

Chapter 4

On appearing in his first sci-fi role, in the 1952 serial Zombies of the Stratosphere; on how appearing in a stage production of "The Three Musketeers" for children got him the job on a feature film version of radio-TV's Queen for a Day; on the Hollywood blacklist and how he became involved in teaching as an indirect result
On teaching acting, circa the late 1950s; on how he prepares for a role, and the importance of subtext
On the intimacy the camera can provide to an actor; on how being an actor informed his directing; on getting cast on Star Trek; on Star Trek producer Gene Roddenberry's description of "Spock"; on "Spock's" make-up

Chapter 5

On his make-up as Star Trek' s "Mr. Spock"; on the reaction of the network to the "Spock" character; on the premise of Star Trek; on how the series was useful as a platform for its writers; on what he was told about lead Jeffrey Hunter's departure following the initial pilot
On the character of "Mr. Spock" and developing his traits
On precedent of a "Spock"-like character in The Day the Earth Stood Still; on being influenced in his minimalist "Spock" characterization by something he saw Harry Belafonte do on stage in the '50s; on abandoning an actor's "emotion" as a requirement for playing "Dr. Spock" and how playing him affected him personally; on his typical workweek on Star Trek;  on Star Trek's "transporter"

Chapter 6

On Star Trek's bridge set; on the show's restrictive budget; on Lucille Ball complimenting him; on the directors of Star Trek and the tight adherence to schedule; on his unfulfilled interest in directing for Star Trek; on comparing Star Trek's short shooting schedule to that of "sister series" Mission:Impossible
On Star Trek creator/producer Gene Roddenberry involvement during the show's run and vision for the series; on Star Trek writer/producer Gene L. Coon and his idea of the Klingons; on associate producer Robert H. Justman; on the interrelationship between McCoy, Spock, Capt. Kirk; on working with the show's ensemble
On working with Star Trek co-star William Shatner; on Star Trek's popularity and the network's mismanaging of its timeslot, which hastened its cancellation

Chapter 7

On the Star Trek episode "The Devil in the Dark"; on "Vulcanisms": the mind meld, the Vulcan nerve pinch, the Vulcan salute (and its use in the episode "Amok Time"); on his favorite and least favorite Star Trek episodes; on being Emmy-nominated for each of the three seasons of Star Trek
On the legacy of Star Trek; on being cast in Mission:Impossible, and how ultimately he found the job unfulfilling; on the premise of Mission:Impossible and on the character he played, master-of-disguise "Paris"; on the cast of Mission:Impossible— Peter Graves, Greg Morris, Peter Lupus, Sam Elliot, and Lesley Ann Warren; on his favorite episode of Mission:Impossible; on the television movie Assault on the Wayne
On becoming a director at Universal Studios; on feeling typecast as a heavy while at Universal in the early 1970s; on being replaced on creator/producer Gene Roddenberry's pilot Questor (aka The Questor Tapes) in the mid '70s; on directing the Rod Serling's Night Gallery episode "Death on a Barge"; on hosting In Search Of...

Chapter 8

On producer Alan Landsburg's concept for In Search Of…; on starring with Ingrid Bergman in her final performance in A Woman Called Golda; on his disappointment with Star Trek—The Motion Picture; on getting hired to direct Star Trek III; on Star Trek: The Next Generation
On his experience directing the feature film Three Men and A Baby; on starring in the television movie Never Forget , and its reception
On his interest in photography; on the ups and downs of fame; on his proudest achievements (including his first Emmy nomination for Star Trek; his Broadway experiences; the reception of Star Trek IV, which he directed)
Shows

Assault on the Wayne

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Leonard Nimoy on the television movie Assault on the Wayne
00:45

Bonanza

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Leonard Nimoy on his guest appearances on Bonanza and a television movie revival (acting with character actor Ben Johnson)
02:24

Broken Arrow

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Leonard Nimoy on appearing on Broken Arrow
01:23

Combat!

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Leonard Nimoy on series star Vic Morrow helping him to get work on Combat!
01:16

Dr. Kildare

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Leonard Nimoy on getting cast on Star Trek (after submitting an episode of Dr. Kildare to show his "range" to producer/creator Gene Roddenberry)
03:03

Dragnet

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Leonard Nimoy on appearing on Dragnet, early in his career, and the show's impersonal use of a TelePromtper
01:43

Emmy Awards, The (Primetime and Daytime)

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Leonard Nimoy on being Emmy-nominated for all three seasons of Star Trek, yet never winning due to his belief that there's a prejudice against awarding performances in the science fiction genre
01:28
Leonard Nimoy on initially turning down the role that earned him an Emmy nomination in A Woman Called Golda
00:22
Leonard Nimoy on his reaction to being Emmy-nominated for Star Trek
00:26

Get Smart

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Leonard Nimoy on taking a small part on Get Smart, prior to his starring on Star Trek
01:17

Gunsmoke

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Leonard Nimoy on the plot of a Gunsmoke episode he guest-starred in, "Treasure of John Walking Fox"
02:30
Leonard Nimoy on fellow actor James Arness mentioning that he'd been cast on Gunsmoke
01:15
Leonard Nimoy on Marc Daniels directing him in his last TV guest role (on Gunsmoke) before they collaborated on Star Trek
00:31

Highway Patrol

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Leonard Nimoy on not shooting a master shot on the syndicated series of Ziv Television Programs circa 1950s-60s, as a cost cutting technique
02:23
Leonard Nimoy on his work on Highway Patrol and how the show was done economically
02:56

In Search Of

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Leonard Nimoy on getting hired as the host of In Search of...
01:18
Leonard Nimoy on the longevity of In Search of... and how the schedule allowed him to do stage work during the series run
01:56
Leonard Nimoy on the subject matter that msot appealed to him on In Search of...
00:35
Leonard Nimoy on In Search of… producer Alan Landsburg and the show's concept
00:49
Leonard Nimoy on the episode of In Search Of… that came out of his touring in a one-man show about Vincent van Gogh
01:03

Lieutenant, The

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Leonard Nimoy on auditioning and winning a guest part on The Lieutenant, which led him to be cast on Star Trek
02:30

Lights, Camera, Action!

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Leonard Nimoy on appearing on the TV show Lights, Camera, Action
01:43

M Squad

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Leonard Nimoy on James Coburn oversleeping for a call on M Squad
01:40

Man From U.N.C.L.E., The

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Leonard Nimoy on playing a Russian on The Man From U.N.C.L.E.
00:54
Leonard Nimoy on producer Norman Felton, who let Nimoy shadow director Joseph Sargent on The Man From U.N.C.L.E. to learn how to direct for television
01:24
Leonard Nimoy on working with William Shatner on The Man From U.N.C.L.E. previous to Star Trek, but not interacting much with him
00:27

Mission: Impossible

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Leonard Nimoy compares the shooting schedule of Star Trek to "sister series" Mission:Impossible
00:56
Leonard Nimoy on being cast as master-of-disguise "Paris" in Mission:Impossible, and how ultimately he found the job unfulfilling
02:02
Leonard Nimoy on his Mission:Impossible character "Paris" and his lack of three-dimensionality
01:23
Leonard Nimoy on the cast of Mission:Impossible— Peter Graves, Greg Morris, Peter Lupus, Sam Elliot, and Lesley Ann Warren
02:13
Leonard Nimoy on his favorite episode of Mission:Impossible
00:41
Leonard Nimoy compares his two '60s series: Star Trek and Mission:Impossible in terms of approach to the written word
00:39
Leonard Nimoy on having more "down time" on Mission:Impossible versus Star Trek during shooting
00:57

NBC Matinee Theater

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Leonard Nimoy on appearing on Matinee Theater and the workweek on this daily "live" anthology
01:54
Leonard Nimoy on getting a small role on a Matinee Theater episode (with Vincent Price, directed by Boris Sagal) and getting fired from another episode
02:08

Never Forget

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Leonard Nimoy on starring in the television movie Never Forget
02:34

Night Gallery

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Leonard Nimoy on directing the Rod Serling's Night Gallery episode "Death on a Barge"
02:03

Outer Limits, The (1963-65)

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Leonard Nimoy on appearing on The Outer Limits episode "I Robot" in the 1960s and the remake in the 1990s
01:54

Outer Limits, The (1995-2002)

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Leonard Nimoy on appearing on The Outer Limits episode "I Robot" in the 1960s and the remake in the 1990s
01:54

Pinky Lee Show, The

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Leonard Nimoy on his appearance on TV's The Pinky Lee Show, describing the show
02:30

Queen for a Day

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Leonard Nimoy on how appearing in a stage production of "The Three Musketeers" for children got him the job on a feature film version of radio-TV's Queen for a Day
02:24

Questor Tapes, The

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Leonard Nimoy on being replaced on creator/producer Gene Roddenberry's pilot The Questor Tapes in the mid '70s
01:17

Sea Hunt

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Leonard Nimoy on his guest appearances on Sea Hunt, and how this series compared budget and salary-wise to other series produced by syndication giant Ziv Television Programs
01:43

Star Trek

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Leonard Nimoy on auditioning and winning a guest part on The Lieutenant, which led him to be cast on Star Trek
02:30
Leonard Nimoy on Marc Daniels directing him in his last TV guest role (on Gunsmoke) before they collaborated on Star Trek
00:31
Leonard Nimoy on working with William Shatner on The Man From U.N.C.L.E. previous to Star Trek, but not interacting much with him
00:27
Leonard Nimoy on getting cast on Star Trek (after submitting an episode of Dr. Kildare to show his "range" to producer/creator Gene Roddenberry)
03:03
Leonard Nimoy on his make-up as Star Trek's "Mr. Spock" and how it eventually gravitated toward a "cooler, more controlled" look
01:47
Leonard Nimoy on his discover that the original marketing campaign of Star Trek tried to de-emphasize Spock's "devilish" look
02:31
Leonard Nimoy on the "Spock" character's inclusion being questioned within a network television system that relied on the norm
01:28
Leonard Nimoy on the premise of Star Trek
01:44
Leonard Nimoy on how Star Trek was useful as a platform for its writers
00:31
Leonard Nimoy on what he was told about lead Jeffrey Hunter's departure following the initial pilot of Star Trek
01:16
Leonard Nimoy on his Star Trek character "Mr. Spock"
04:50
Leonard Nimoy on developing his Star Trek character "Mr. Spock" and an important "note" he received from a series director (which has been attributed to Joseph Sargent)
01:39
Leonard Nimoy in the precedent of the "Spock" character in Michael Rennie's "Klaatu" from The Day the Earth Stood Still
00:55
Leonard Nimoy on being influenced in his Star Trek "Mr. Spock" characterization by something he saw Harry Belafonte do on stage circa the 1950s
01:45
Leonard Nimoy on abandoning an actor's "emotion" as a requirement for playing "Mr. Spock" and how playing "Spock" effected him personally
01:27
Leonard Nimoy on his Star Trek character "Mr. Spock's" trademark eyebrow arching
00:40
Leonard Nimoy on his typical workweek on Star Trek
02:43
Leonard Nimoy on Star Trek's "transporter"
01:01
Leonard Nimoy on Star Trek's bridge set
01:02
Leonard Nimoy on Star Trek's restrictive budget
01:01
Leonard Nimoy on Lucille Ball saying hello in the commissary to him during the run of Star Trek (which was being produced by her studio Desilu)
00:27
Leonard Nimoy on the directors of Star Trek and the tight adherence to schedule
01:50
Leonard Nimoy on how he and William Shatner expressed interest in directing for Star Trek, but the opportunity wasn't offered
00:52
Leonard Nimoy on being firm with script notes despite the pressures of TV production on Star Trek
00:50
Leonard Nimoy compares the shooting schedule of Star Trek to "sister series" Mission:Impossible
00:56
Leonard Nimoy on Star Trek creator/producer Gene Roddenberry's involvement during the show's run and vision for the series
01:36
Leonard Nimoy on Star Trek writer/producer Gene L. Coon and his idea of the Klingons
01:34
Leonard Nimoy on Star Trek associate producer Robert Justman
01:04
Leonard Nimoy on "McCoy" and "Spock" representing the humanist and rational sides of "Capt. Kirk" on Star Trek
01:35
Leonard Nimoy on working with the ensemble cast of Star Trek: DeForest Kelley, James Doohan, Nichelle Nichols, George Takei, Walter Koenig
02:32
Leonard Nimoy on working with Star Trek co-star William Shatner (in comparison to pilot episode co-star Jeffrey Hunter)
01:00
Leonard Nimoy on Star Trek's popularity and the network's mismanaging of its timeslot, which hastened its cancellation
01:24
Leonard Nimoy on the Star Trek episode "The Devil in the Dark," and "Spock's" mind meld ability
02:11
Leonard Nimoy on his creation of the Vulcan nerve pinch
02:08
Leonard Nimoy on his creation of the Vulcan salute and its use in the episode "Amok Time"
01:51
Leonard Nimoy on his favorite and least favorite episodes of Star Trek
01:27
Leonard Nimoy on being Emmy-nominated for all three seasons of Star Trek, yet never winning due to his belief that there's a prejudice against awarding performances in the science fiction genre
01:28
Leonard Nimoy on the legacy of Star Trek
01:16
Leonard Nimoy compares his two '60s series: Star Trek and Mission:Impossible in terms of approach to the written word
00:39
Leonard Nimoy on having more "down time" on Mission:Impossible versus Star Trek during shooting
00:57
Leonard Nimoy on how the quality of the screenplay for the feature film Star Trek—The Motion Picture mirrored the poor quality of the writing on the third and last season of the original Star Trek series
02:02
Leonard Nimoy on an idea he came up with to inject some humor into the final scene of Star Trek—The Motion Picture, which was not used
01:22
Leonard Nimoy on the video release of Star Trek—The Motion Picture (1979), which included previously cut material
00:21
Leonard Nimoy on the "death" of Spock in the Star Trek feature films and on getting an opportunity to direct two of them
00:33
Leonard Nimoy on his reaction to being Emmy-nominated for Star Trek
00:26
Leonard Nimoy on his satisfaction with the positive response to the feature film Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home
00:59

Star Trek: The Next Generation

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Leonard Nimoy on appearing on Star Trek: The Next Generation
00:27
Leonard Nimoy on initially being asked to produce the series Star Trek: The Next Generation
01:09

Wagon Train

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Leonard Nimoy on a significant guest appearance on Wagon Train in the episode "The Estaban Zamora Story"
01:54

West Point

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Leonard Nimoy on his guest appearances on West Point, a series produced by syndication giant Ziv Television Programs
02:37

Woman Called Golda, A

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Leonard Nimoy on working with Ingrid Bergman on A Woman Called Golda
01:32
Leonard Nimoy on initially turning down the role that earned him an Emmy nomination in A Woman Called Golda
00:22
Leonard Nimoy on calling Ingrid Bergman about six months after the production of A Woman Called Golda and on being informed of her death
00:49
Topics

Advertising and Sponsorship

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Leonard Nimoy on why villains were not allowed to smoke on Ziv Television Programs' syndicated shows, due to sponsorship
01:42

Bloopers

View Topic
Leonard Nimoy recalling that Lloyd Bridges accidentally swore on live TV
00:28
Leonard Nimoy on James Coburn oversleeping for a call on M Squad but stardom was around the corner
01:40

Characters & Catchphrases

View Topic
Leonard Nimoy on his Star Trek character "Mr. Spock's" trademark eyebrow arching
00:40
Leonard Nimoy on being influenced in his Star Trek "Mr. Spock" characterization by something he saw Harry Belafonte do on stage circa the 1950s
01:45
Leonard Nimoy on his Star Trek character "Mr. Spock"
04:28
Leonard Nimoy on his make-up as Star Trek's "Mr. Spock" and how it eventually gravitated toward a "cooler, more controlled" look
01:47
Leonard Nimoy on his Star Trek character "Mr. Spock's" inclusion being questioned within a network television system that relied on the norm
01:28
Leonard Nimoy on his discovery that the original marketing campaign of Star Trek tried to de-emphasize his character "Mr. Spock's" "devilish" look
02:30
Leonard Nimoy on his creation of "Mr. Spock's" Vulcan salute and its use in the episode "Amok Time"
01:51
Leonard Nimoy on his creation of "Mr. Spock's" Vulcan nerve pinch
02:08
Leonard Nimoy on the Star Trek episode "The Devil in the Dark," and "Spock's" mind meld ability
02:11

Classic TV series episodes

View Topic
Leonard Nimoy on his creation of "Mr. Spock's" Vulcan salute and its use in the episode "Amok Time"
01:51
Leonard Nimoy on the Star Trek episode "The Devil in the Dark," and "Spock's" mind meld ability
02:11

Creative Influences and Inspiration

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Leonard Nimoy on Star Trek producer Gene Roddenberry's description of "Spock" and Nimoy's admiration for Lon Chaney in immersing himself into characters
00:57

Drama

View Topic
Leonard Nimoy on his creation of "Mr. Spock's" Vulcan salute and its use in the episode "Amok Time"
01:51
Leonard Nimoy on the Star Trek episode "The Devil in the Dark," and "Spock's" mind meld ability
02:11

Fame and Celebrity

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Leonard Nimoy on the ups and downs of fame
01:17

Hollywood Blacklist

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Leonard Nimoy on actor Jeff Corey's blacklisting, and how Nimoy became involved in teaching as an indirect result
00:42

Pop Culture

View Topic
Leonard Nimoy on his Star Trek character "Mr. Spock's" trademark eyebrow arching
00:40
Leonard Nimoy on being influenced in his Star Trek "Mr. Spock" characterization by something he saw Harry Belafonte do on stage circa the 1950s
01:45
Leonard Nimoy on his Star Trek character "Mr. Spock"
04:28
Leonard Nimoy on his make-up as Star Trek's "Mr. Spock" and how it eventually gravitated toward a "cooler, more controlled" look
01:47
Leonard Nimoy on his Star Trek character "Mr. Spock's" inclusion being questioned within a network television system that relied on the norm
01:28
Leonard Nimoy on his discovery that the original marketing campaign of Star Trek tried to de-emphasize his character "Mr. Spock's" "devilish" look
02:30
Leonard Nimoy on his creation of "Mr. Spock's" Vulcan salute and its use in the episode "Amok Time"
01:51
Leonard Nimoy on his creation of "Mr. Spock's" Vulcan nerve pinch
02:08
Leonard Nimoy on the Star Trek episode "The Devil in the Dark," and "Spock's" mind meld ability
02:11

Representation on Television

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Leonard Nimoy on his penchant for playing ethnic roles in his early TV career
01:05

Studio and Network Management

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Leonard Nimoy on his guest appearances on Sea Hunt, and how this series compared budget and salary-wise to other series produced by syndication giant Ziv Television Programs
01:43

Television Industry

View Topic
Leonard Nimoy on his guest appearances on Sea Hunt, and how this series compared budget and salary-wise to other series produced by syndication giant Ziv Television Programs
01:43
Leonard Nimoy on why villains were not allowed to smoke on Ziv Television Programs' syndicated shows, due to sponsorship
01:42
Leonard Nimoy on the ups and downs of fame
01:17

Underrepresented Voices

View Topic
Leonard Nimoy on his penchant for playing ethnic roles in his early TV career
01:05
Leonard Nimoy on Star Trek producer Gene Roddenberry's description of "Spock" and the concern that "Spock's" initial skin coloring of red might read black on black and white TV sets
00:57
Professions

Actor

View Profession
Leonard Nimoy on bringing character traits to small parts, as he did on Get Smart, prior to his starring on Star Trek
01:17
Leonard Nimoy on the shift in acting styles in the 1950s, when he began to teach acting
02:20
Leonard Nimoy on how he prepares for a role, and the importance of subtext
02:29
Leonard Nimoy on the intimacy the camera can provide to an actor
01:10
Leonard Nimoy on staying in character between takes, and his experience in film vs. TV
01:31

Directors

View Profession
Actor Leonard Nimoy on how he and co-star William Shatner expressed interest in directing for Star Trek, but the opportunity wasn't offered
00:52

Hosts

View Profession
Leonard Nimoy on the longevity of In Search of... and how the schedule allowed him to do stage work during the series run
01:56

Producers

View Profession
Leonard Nimoy on producer Norman Felton, who let Nimoy shadow director Joseph Sargent on The Man From U.N.C.L.E. to learn how to direct for television
01:24
Genres

Commercials

View Genre
Leonard Nimoy on why villains were not allowed to smoke on Ziv Television Programs' syndicated shows, due to sponsorship, circa 1950s-60s
01:42

Sci-Fi/Supernatural Series

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Leonard Nimoy on his Star Trek character "Mr. Spock"
28:46
Leonard Nimoy on Star Trek's set, actors, and behind-the-scenes staff
25:10
Leonard Nimoy on being Emmy-nominated for all three seasons of Star Trek, yet never winning due to his belief that there's a prejudice against awarding performances in the science fiction genre
01:28
People

Lucille Ball

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Leonard Nimoy on Lucille Ball saying hello to him in the commissary during the run of Star Trek (which was being produced by her studio Desilu)
00:27

Ingrid Bergman

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Leonard Nimoy on working with Ingrid Bergman on A Woman Called Golda
01:32
Leonard Nimoy on calling Ingrid Bergman about six months after the production of A Woman Called Golda and on being informed of her death
00:50

Ernest Borgnine

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Leonard Nimoy on a significant guest appearance on Wagon Train in the episode "The Estaban Zamora Story" (and working with Ernest Borgnine)
01:54

Lloyd Bridges

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Leonard Nimoy recalling that Lloyd Bridges accidentally swore on live TV
00:28

James Coburn

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Leonard Nimoy on James Coburn oversleeping for a call on M Squad
01:40

Gene Coon

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Leonard Nimoy on Star Trek writer/producer Gene Coon and his idea of the Klingons
01:34

Jeff Corey

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Leonard Nimoy on actor Jeff Corey's blacklisting, and how Nimoy became involved in teaching as an indirect result
00:42
Leonard Nimoy on teaching acting with actor Jeff Corey
02:32

Marc Daniels

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Leonard Nimoy on the directors of Star Trek and the tight adherence to schedule
01:50

James Doohan

View Person Page
Leonard Nimoy on working with the ensemble of Star Trek: DeForest Kelley, James Doohan, Nichelle Nichols, George Takei, Walter Koenig
02:32

Sam Elliot

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Leonard Nimoy on the cast of Mission:Impossible— Peter Graves, Greg Morris, Peter Lupus, Sam Elliot, and Lesley Ann Warren
02:13

Norman Felton

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Leonard Nimoy on producer Norman Felton, who let Nimoy shadow director Joseph Sargent on The Man From U.N.C.L.E. to learn how to direct for television
01:24

Peter Graves

View Person Page
Leonard Nimoy on the cast of Mission:Impossible— Peter Graves, Greg Morris, Peter Lupus, Sam Elliot, and Lesley Ann Warren
02:13

Jeffrey Hunter

View Person Page
Leonard Nimoy on what he was told about lead Jeffrey Hunter's departure following the initial pilot of Star Trek
01:16
Leonard Nimoy on working with Star Trek co-star William Shatner (in comparison to pilot episode co-star Jeffrey Hunter)
01:00

Ben Johnson

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Leonard Nimoy on Ben Johnson who he worked with on a Bonanza  television movie revival
02:24

Robert Justman

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Leonard Nimoy on Star Trek associate producer Robert Justman
01:04

DeForest Kelley

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Leonard Nimoy on working with the ensemble of Star Trek: DeForest Kelley, James Doohan, Nichelle Nichols, George Takei, Walter Koenig
02:32

Walter Koenig

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Leonard Nimoy on working with the ensemble of Star Trek: DeForest Kelley, James Doohan, Nichelle Nichols, George Takei, Walter Koenig
02:32

Alan Landsburg

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Leonard Nimoy on In Search of… producer Alan Landsburg and the show's concept
00:49

Peter Lupus

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Leonard Nimoy on the cast of Mission:Impossible— Peter Graves, Greg Morris, Peter Lupus, Sam Elliot, and Lesley Ann Warren
02:13

Greg Morris

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Leonard Nimoy on the cast of Mission:Impossible— Peter Graves, Greg Morris, Peter Lupus, Sam Elliot, and Lesley Ann Warren
02:13

Vic Morrow

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Leonard Nimoy on series star Vic Morrow helping him to get work on Combat!
01:16

Nichelle Nichols

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Leonard Nimoy on working with the ensemble of Star Trek: DeForest Kelley, James Doohan, Nichelle Nichols, George Takei, Walter Koenig
02:32

Joseph Pevney

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Leonard Nimoy on the directors of Star Trek and the tight adherence to schedule
01:50

Gene Roddenberry

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Leonard Nimoy on Star Trek creator/producer Gene Roddenberry's involvement during the show's run and vision for the series
01:37

Ruth Roman

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Leonard Nimoy on setting himself up in Hollywood with the help of actress Ruth Roman
01:35

Boris Sagal

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Leonard Nimoy on getting the acting bug, cast by director Boris Sagal in "Awake and Sing"
02:53

Joseph Sargent

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Leonard Nimoy on developing his Star Trek character "Mr. Spock" and an important "note" he received from a series director (which has been attributed to Joseph Sargent)
01:39
Leonard Nimoy on the directors of Star Trek and the tight adherence to schedule
01:50

William Shatner

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Leonard Nimoy on working with William Shatner on The Man From U.N.C.L.E. previous to Star Trek, but not interacting much with him
00:27
Leonard Nimoy on how he and William Shatner expressed interest in directing for Star Trek , but the opportunity wasn't offered
00:52
Leonard Nimoy on working with Star Trek co-star William Shatner (in comparison to pilot episode co-star Jeffrey Hunter)
01:00

George Takei

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Leonard Nimoy on working with the ensemble of Star Trek: DeForest Kelley, James Doohan, Nichelle Nichols, George Takei, Walter Koenig
02:32

Lesley Ann Warren

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Leonard Nimoy on the cast of Mission:Impossible— Peter Graves, Greg Morris, Peter Lupus, Sam Elliot, and Lesley Ann Warren
02:13

All Interviews

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