5 Things You Didn’t Know About Leonard Nimoy

2 minute read

Leonard Nimoy, known for his role as “Mr. Spock” on Star Trek, died Friday morning at 83, his family confirmed. Here, a few fun tidbits you might not have known about the actor and his role on the hit sci-fi show.

• During the filming of Star Trek, William Shatner would repeatedly steal Nimoy’s bicycle during lunch breaks to get to the front of the commissary line, he said in an interview.

• Spock’s Vulcan greeting, the three-pointed hand gesture, was inspired by the Hebrew letter “shin,” which he saw men use as a blessing during a synagogue service he attended with his father as a young man.

• The Boston native once said the worst job he ever had was selling newspapers in the city in the winter.

• On the subject of heroes, he once cited actor John Garfield (nominated for an Oscar for Body and Soul and Four Daughters). He also especially admired Meryl Streep for her performances in Sophie’s Choice and The Deer Hunter.

• His favorite artist was Vincent Van Gogh. Nimoy said he identified with the artist when he was a struggling actor because they both believed “they had something to offer” and “wanted to give it.” He did a one-man film play about the artist.

Read next: This Is How the New Spock Said Goodbye to the Old Spock

See Leonard Nimoy's Long and Prosperous Life in Photos

LEONARD NIMOY;MARIANNA HILL
Leonard Nimoy in The Outer Limits in 1964.ABC/Getty Images
Leonard Nimoy
Leonard Nimoy with wife Sandra Zober attend an event in Los Angeles,Calif. in 1966.Michael Ochs Archives—Getty Images
Leonard Nimoy
Leonard Nimoy, circa 1968.Silver Screen Collection/Getty Images
Star Trek
Leonard Nimoy as Mr. Spock and William Shatner as Captain James T. Kirk in season 3 of Star Trek in 1968.CBS/Getty Images
Mission: Impossible
Leonard Nimoy as Paris and Lee Meriwether as Tracey in Mission Impossible in 1969.CBS/Getty Images
Catlow
Leonard Nimoy in Catlow, 1971.Silver Screen Collection/Getty Images
THE ALPHA CAPER, (from left): Henry Fonda, Leonard Nimoy, 1973.
Leonard Nimoy in The Alpha Caper in 1973Everett
NASA's space shuttle Enterprise rolled out of the Palmdale manufacturing facilities and was greeted by NASA officials and cast members from Star Trek in 1976. From left: NASA Administrator Dr. James D. Fletcher; DeForest Kelley, who portrayed Dr. "Bones" McCoy on the series; George Takei (Mr. Sulu); James Doohan (Chief Engineer Montgomery "Scotty" Scott); Nichelle Nichols (Lt. Uhura); Leonard Nimoy (Mr. Spock); series creator Gene Roddenberry; an unnamed NASA official; and, Walter Koenig (Ensign Pavel Chekov).NASA
THE UNEXPLAINED, (from left): host Leonard Nimoy, Travis Walter (who claims to have spent 5 days abo
Leonard Nimoy hosts The Unexplained in 1976.Everett
STAR TREK III: THE SEARCH FOR SPOCK, Leonard Nimoy, 1984, (c)Paramount/courtesy Everett Collection
Leonard Nimoy as Mr. Spock in Star Trek III: The Search for Spock in 1984.Paramount/Everett
The Big Bang Theory
Leonard Nimoy guest stars in The Big Bang Theory.CBS/Getty Images
Leonard Nimoy guest stars on FringeFox
5th Annual TV Land Awards - Show
Leonard Nimoy and Luke Wilson, presenters during 5th Annual TV Land Awards - Show at Barker Hangar in Santa Monica, Calif. in 2007.Chris Polk—FilmMagic/Getty Images
Leonard Nimoy guest stars as Mr. Spock in Star Trek in 2009.Paramount

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