Leonard Nimoy Now On His Eternal Mission

Above, a bust of Leonard Nimoy as Spock at the 2013 Son of Monsterpalooza. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Actor Leonard Nimoy passed away today at age 83 from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. He was best-known as the Vulcan first officer "Mr. Spock" on the 1960s television series (and movies) Star Trek.

He passed away at home. I had read a few days ago that he had been hospitalized.

While he was known as Spock, Nimoy also appeared in television's Mission Impossible and the syndicated show In Search Of as host and many movies since the 1950s (including one with Jack "Jimmy Olsen" Larson in 1952's Kid Monk Baroni).

Back around 1976, I had the opportunity to see Nimoy perform on stage in a rather campy production (as the title character) of Sherlock Holmes at the now-gone Shubert Theater in Century City. It was a joy seeing the man at work.

Nimoy appeared as "Spock-prime" in the two recent J. J. Abrams Star Trek movies. No doubt, the next Star Trek movie will honor Nimoy in some fashion.

While the title "television icon" is often given to some celebrities who may be undeserving, it certainly fits Leonard Nimoy.

LLAP.