Leonard Nimoy, who lived long and prospered alongside his alien alter ego Mr. Spock, died Friday at his Los Angeles home.
The creator of television’s most beloved pointy-eared, hyper-logical half-Vulcan, was 83.
The death of the “Star Trek” star was confirmed by his wife, Susan Bay Nimoy, and his son, Adam — and sparked an outpouring of tributes from Hollywood heavyweights to superfans like President Obama and NASA.
“I loved him like a brother,” William Shatner, who played Capt. James T. Kirk on “Star Trek,” wrote on Facebook. “We will all miss his humor, his talent, and his capacity to love.”
Once a heavy smoker, Nimoy was battling chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder (COPD), which makes it difficult to breathe, when he died.
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“I quit smoking 30 yrs ago,” Nimoy tweeted last week. “Not soon enough. I have COPD. Grandpa says, quit now!! LLAP.”
“LLAP” is short for “live long and prosper,” which was Spock’s best-known “Star Trek” catchphrase.
In one of his last Tweets, Nimoy tried to prepare his family, friends and fans for his exit.
“A life is like a garden,” he wrote. “Perfect moments can be had, but not preserved, except in memory. LLAP.”
“Star Trek” ran from just 1966 to 1969. But it was long enough for Nimoy to immortalize Spock as Kirk’s unflappable sidekick who could disable a Klingon was a “Vulcan Nerve Pinch” and read minds with his “Vulcan Mind Meld.”
Drawing on his Jewish roots, he gave Spock a signature hand gesture derived from one used by rabbis during benedictions.
But Nimoy did not always have an easy time living with Spock. He became an alcoholic during the original “Star Trek” run and chafed for years at being so closely associated with Spock.
The titles of Nimoy’s two autobiographies in 1975 and 1995 reflected this inner conflict. They were titled “I Am Not Spock” and “I Am Spock.”
Nimoy managed to carve out a Spock-free acting career. He played Golda Meir’s husband opposite Ingrid Bergman in the TV drama “A Woman Called Golda” and Vincent van Gogh in “Vincent,” a one-man stage show on the life of the troubled painter.
He also played genius multimillionaire William Bell in the Fox series “Fringe.”
Nimoy also directed several films, including the hit comedy “Three Men and a Baby.” And he hosted the syndicated TV series “In Search of …,” which probed mysteries like the legend of the Loch Ness Monster and the disappearance of aviator Amelia Earhart.
But through it all, Nimoy never stopped being Spock. And he saw the logic in bringing Spock back to life in movies, sequels, cartoons and spinoffs time and again.
In time — and after many weekends spent with adoring fans at “Star Trek” conventions — Nimoy fully embraced the Vulcan.
“Of course the role changed my career — or rather, gave me one,” he once said. “It made me wealthy by most standards and opened up vast opportunities. It also affected me personally, socially, psychologically, emotionally.”
People identified with Spock, because they “recognize in themselves this wish that they could be logical and avoid the pain of anger and confrontation,” Nimoy said.
“How many times have we come away from an argument wishing we had said and done something different?” he asked.
Nimoy eventually became comfortable enough to spoof Spock on TV shows like “Futurama,” “Duckman” and “The Simpsons” and in commercials.
“Star Trek,” a 23rd century science fiction adventure created by Gene Roddenberry and set aboard starship Enterprise, rarely scored more than modest TV ratings.
But it became an enduring cultural touchstone even outside the sci-fi community. And when the cast returned for “Star Trek – The Motion Picture,” in 1979, it was a huge hit and five sequels followed.
“Star Trek” was influential both for its special effects, primitive as they look today, and its bold statements on social issues ranging from interracial relationships to feminism and imperialism.
Nimoy was born in Boston, the son of immigrants from what’s now Ukraine. He caught the acting bug when he was cast in a local production of Clifford Odets’ “Awake and Sing” as the son in a Jewish family.
His first marriage to Sandra Zober ended in divorce. He is also survived by a daughter, Julie.
“He was an extraordinary man, husband, grandfather, brother, actor, author-the list goes on – and friend,” his granddaughter, Dani, posted on Twitter. “Thank you for the warm condolences. May you all LLAP.”
Funeral plans were still being finalized. But Trekkies consoled themselves by sharing links to Spock’s funeral scene from the 1982 film “The Wrath of Khan,” where his body is launched into space while bagpipes play.
“Of my friend I can only say this: Of all the souls I have encountered in my travels, his was the most human,” Kirk says in his eulogy.
