Leonard Nimoy: an appreciation

Leonard Nimoy passed away on February 27th 2015. As we write this he is being laid to rest in a ceremony in Los Angeles. For everyone who was unable to be there, we at Den Of Geek would like to take a moment to appreciate all that he and his work meant to the geeks of the world whose lives he touched both personally and professionally.

Although Nimoy had a varied career that saw him work as an actor, director, singer, and photographer, there's no question that he will forever be associated with the role of Spock, which he played on the original Star Trek TV series. Like many actors who pass through the franchise, his life and career was dominated by just three short years he spent acting in the show. It ran from 1966 to 1969 and gave way to numerous movies and spin-offs in which he also appeared – not to mention the public appearances he made as a representative and ambassador of the show, surely too numerous to count.

Playing the half-Human, half-Vulcan Spock he was, in many ways, the embodiment of Star Trek's humanist ideals. A living representation of the idea that peace was possible between all people, no matter how different their origins. As well as using Spock as the lens through which humanity was examined, the conflict between the character's emotional human side and his rational Vulcan side was at the heart of Star Trek's most relatable moments. A misfit who was accepted, respected and even loved by those around him, he became an inspiration and hero for viewers who saw the world a little differently or felt out of place in society.

Nimoy's position in the show clearly demanded much of him, but it was a weight he was up to carrying. It's little wonder that Spock became the show's break-out character, his image and attitudes spreading far beyond the boundaries of the TV show. He became an icon, and while it was a title Nimoy wore uneasily at times he eventually grew to enjoy his enduring association with the character and the opportunities – both personal and professional – that it would afford him.

It's testament to Nimoy's range and performance that choosing the best moment of his Star Trek career is difficult. Throw a dart at the original Star Trek and you'll hit something that has become part of geek culture's canon, from his fight with Kirk in "Amok Time," his evil, bearded alternate-universe self in "Mirror, Mirror," or the Vulcan salute and nerve pinch (both of which he conceived). Arguably his greatest moment – Spock's death scene in Star Trek II: The Wrath Of Khan - resonated with audiences precisely because they held him so close in every previous appearance (even "Spock's Brain").

While we should be careful not to attribute the qualities of Spock to Nimoy himself, it's no secret that he became a champion of the pacifist philosophies associated with his character, and it's particularly telling that he spent his final years signing online missives with the Vulcan creed, "Live Long and Prosper." While Gene Roddenberry came up with the idea for Spock, you could argue that it was Nimoy's performance that truly created him, giving the character a subtle warmth that offset Spock's potentially cold logic and - through impeccable comic timing – imbuing him with a wry sense of humour.

The character of Spock might be beloved of sci-fi geeks everywhere, but that was far from Nimoy's only contribution to pop-culture. As a director, he was responsible for what remains the most accessible and enjoyable Star Trek movie - Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home– but he also turned his hand to more obviously comic material, directing 1987's biggest hit, Three Men And A Baby. As a voice actor, he appeared in Transformers: The Movie playing Galvatron (an alter-ego of franchise villain Megatron), and he narrated documentaries, including early IMAX favourite Destiny in Space. After Star Trek ended he replaced Martin Landau in the cast of the original Mission Impossible series having missed out on a place the original cast due to his commitments to the role of Spock, and he even appeared in another sci-fi classic: 1978's Invasion Of The Body Snatchers.

Nimoy also holds the record for what are arguably the funniest celebrity cameos in The Simpsons, with his self-skewering appearances in "The Springfield Files" and "Marge Vs. The Monorail" setting a bar that has proven near-impossible for guests to clear in the 18 years since. Likewise, his final appearances as Spock in JJ Abrams' rebooted version of Star Trek helped pass the torch to a new generation of actors taking over the franchise with good-natured humility.

Nimoy's fame and popularity allowed him to express his creative desires in a number of ways, including the publication of several volumes of poetry and a Kabbalah-inspired photographic study of female nudity (The Shekhina Project). Perhaps the most offbeat portion of his career was a brief foray into pop music between 1967 and 1970, during which he released five albums containing covers, original material and spoken word pieces.

Although considered something of a footnote for years, his musical catalogue was rediscovered by a new generation of fans thanks to John Peel's 1996 documentary Funk Me Up Scotty, and the arrival of the internet helped his singing attain a certain level of camp popularity. Irony aside, his Hobbit-inspired single "The Ballad of Bilbo Baggins" is genuinely catchy and a moment of geek brilliance, not to mention a helpful reminder that the sixties really were as crazy as everyone says.

As with any career as long and varied as Nimoy's, it's hard to look back without missing out something. Perhaps the most important thing to remember is that he spent his final years still connecting with his fans, using Twitter to reflect on his life and career, share his art and spread his philosophies. Although he had earned a peaceful retirement, he seemed almost to decline the offer of one, preferring to stay active and engaged to the last.

Given that he was lucky enough to live a life large enough to encompass Star Trek and still have room for more, it seems almost trite to point out that Nimoy's time on this planet matched the salutation his character gave others - to live long and prosper. For a man so beloved of seemingly all who met him and the millions who never did, it's hard not to feel that no amount of living and prospering would've been enough to repay him.

Leonard Nimoy: a man and icon, human and alien, role model and friend. We'll miss you.