Remembering Leonard

The first time I met Leonard Nimoy was in Italy, at an Italian Star Trek convention.

I had wanted to see him the entire time that I was there, but my schedule never worked out so that I was free while he was with the fans. Desperately, I asked Julie Caitlin Brown (who was there overseeing his stay) if there was any way she could arrange an opportunity for me to have just a minute to say hi.

It turned out, much to my astonishment, that Leonard not only knew who I was, but was a fan of my work. I hope that doesn’t come across as self-aggrandizing because it’s not meant to. But he was, and I couldn’t have been happier.

I sat down with him for ten minutes in his dressing room and we chatted about his photography and angels and all sorts of things. Then he had to leave and I wound up being drafted to be part of the flying wedge of security that had to power him through a mob of about a hundred Italian Star Trek fans who were waiting for him at the exit door. So that was exciting.

The last time I saw him was at Dragon*Con, where I had the honor of presenting him with the Julie Award. He was sitting at the table nearest the stage, and with him were Bill Shatner and Kate Mulgrew. The part I remember most distinctly was when I said, “Thanks to Leonard Nimoy, Mister Spock is so beloved a character, that when he showed up in the ice cave in the recent movie, his appearance prompted the entire audience in the theater I was in to cheer and roar with approval…even though his being there made no story sense whatsoever.” Leonard almost fell over, he was laughing so hard, but the even better reaction was Shatner. I could read his lips as he was saying, “I told you! I told you that made no sense!”

I knew, as everyone else did, that he was having heart troubles. It’s ironic that that would be what took him considering that Nimoy had one of the biggest hearts of any individual I’ve ever encountered. I knew him a little; I would have loved to know him much better.

21 comments on “Remembering Leonard

  1. Over the weekend I read an excerpt of a comment by Walker Koenig about Nimoy. Back when they were making the original series, Koenig and George Takai chanced to find out the Nicelle Nichols was making less money than either of the two of them. They didn’t think much of that situation so they took it to Nimoy. Nimoy then went to the people who had the actual power to make salary decision and got Nichols’ salary raised to match theirs.

    At first I didn’t realize the moral courage involved in this. Then I remembered that this was back before Spock was such a cultural icon and Nimoy was incurring at least some risk that he might get to act out a beautiful death scene for Spock 15 years earlier than when he wanted to. I’ve read various people refer to Nimoy as a mensch. If I understand the meaning of that term, then I don’t think that I’ve ever heard a single story that would contradict it.

  2. I took a half-day off work on Friday and was therefore half-way through a workout at my gym when this news broke. Like most gyms nowadays, the number of TVs in the gym rival the number of actual exercise machines, so needless to say I became aware of the news fairly soon after it broke.

    I remember being on a particularly diabolical machine when I looked up to see that all-too-familiar graphic on the screen of the CNN-dedicated set with various pictures of Nimoy on it, both in-character and out. I uttered an apparently very audible, “oh no” and got up to walk over and stand in front of the set in question. I stood there for about 5 – 10 minutes taking it all in, surprised at how much it affected me as, even though I’m not a hater, I never was a die-hard fan of the show. Still, it was like something mythological and larger than life had just left the world and left it poorer for it.

    I was then a little startled (though in retrospect, not surprised) to find myself almost bumping chest first into the crowd that had gathered behind me in front of the set as I took the news in. I looked around and there were maybe all of three people still working on their machines, and even they had their eyes glued to various TV sets broadcasting the news.

    It always amazes me when somebody who embodies a larger than life character like this suddenly dies. Even though none of us in the gym knew him, we still kind of “knew him”, if you know what I mean. Through the pervasive influence of pop culture, he did take up space in our lives, and his sudden absence is felt is a tangible loss.

    Plus, he just sounded like a really great guy too boot. The world is a little less bright from here on out.

  3. Although ‘The Captain’s Summit’ documentary was made in 2009, I only watched it about two years ago. And as Mr Spock would often say, I found it ‘fascinating’.

    It was fascinating to see how William Shatner really felt about Leonard Nimoy directing the third Star Trek Movie. How there seemed to be resentment there, even to this day, about that and also at the fact that another Star Trek TV show had not been made starring the original cast. Apparently they had been promised that this would happen, but it never did. But I also saw through body language (for example how Mr Nimoy held Mr Shatner’s hand to assure him) how close they were and that they truly were friends.

    Similarly, Patrick Stewart and Jonathan Frakes also seemed to have such a relationship (Mr Frakes held Mr Stewart’s hand when Mr Stewart was confused about something) and from this you could tell that they were close friends too.

    The Captain’s Summit was the last place I saw Leonard Nimoy properly. And from there I can tell he was a great human being and an all round nice guy. May he rest in peace where ever he may be now. Hopefully in a better place.

    Oh, and Mr David, I found your story fascinating too. It’s nice to know that Mr Nimoy was also a fan of your work. I hope you are feeling better health wise and live on for many more years (and hopefully providing us with more of your excellent work).

  4. I never had the pleasure of meeting Leonard Nimoy, but he always struck me as a kind, gracious man. I’m convinced that he made Spock such a memorable character not from the logic and stoicism, but from the underlying warmth and humanity he brought to the character.

    And he wasn’t afraid to poke fun at himself either: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dULOjT9GYdQ Hah!

    1. Thanks for that YouTube video link! Given how everyone who’s met him describes him, that may be the greatest acting stretch of his entire career.

      While not actually featuring Nimoy nor any of the actual cast, this performance by the same quartet who was the “NBC Monologue Joke Explainer Barbershop Quartet” from Last Call with Carson Daly almost a decade ago is pretty good fun for any Trekker. (See also Part 2.)

  5. A genuinely good man.

    Did you know he was Jewish?

    He did NPR’s presentations for Hanukkah in the last several years.

    My sympathies to his family.

    RBC

    1. Yes, he based the Vulcan salute on the Priestly Blessing performed by Jewish Kohanim with both hands, thumb to thumb in this same position, representing the Hebrew letter Shin (ש), which has three upward strokes similar to the position of the thumb and fingers in the salute.

      1. Yes, and he actually was being a very naughty little Jewish boy in using that hand-sign, since everyone’s eyes are supposed to be closed when the rabbi does that during services. Little Lenny peeked…and the world gained a new pop-culture icon.

    1. You Shared that only with Friends, so those not on your Friends list can’t see it.

  6. I thought it was COPD, not heart troubles per se, that took him away from us.

    I wish it were heart trouble. COPD means that he was basically being waterboarded to death by his own body for years. 🙁

    D@mn the tobacco industry (especially given the marketing to children they still do in other nations as revealed a few weeks ago by John Oliver on his awesome Last Week Tonight HBO Sunday night show). D@mn them to hëll.

    1. I had read that it was complications of COPD, but at that point it really could be anything.

      I never met him, but I wish I had. I think he might’ve been signing autographs at the first SDCC I went to a decade ago, but you always think there will be a next time. Dammit.

  7. PAD told that story at Mysticon this past weekend and it made a lot of us feel better about a loss that, though far from unexpected, really threatened to put a somber mood on the gathering.

    BTW, it was a genuine pleasure to finally meet you in the flesh, sir. You are a gracious guest and the high point on any panel.

  8. I never had the pleasure of meeting Mr. Nimoy — I wish I’d had the chance. Thanks, Peter and others, for posting some of the stories and the memories.

    “He’s really not dead — as long as we remember him.”

  9. Having read both his autobiographies, I’m left wondering why he never bothered to mention his role as that alien, the one who helps save Earth from destruction.

    I know, it was just a cheesy Republic serial, but ZOMBIES OF THE STRATOSPHERE was fun nonetheless and was supposedly his screen debut.

  10. On Friday, March 6th, at 11:30 PM EST, on 90.1FM, WUSB, Stony Brook, NY, “Destinies-The Voice of Science Fiction” will remember Leonard Nimoy with excerpts from “I Am Spock” and “Star Trek: The Lost Years,” Nimoy singing “Once I Smiled,” explaining about the Yizkor (Jewish memorial) service and the time travel sequence in “Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home.”

    After the broadcast, the show will be archived for free at http://www.captphilonline.com/Destinies.html.

Comments are closed.