1996 - CONFESSIONS OF A FORMER VULCAN

"I want to be the best actor I can possibly become, and I am working very hard to perfect my talents." (Speaking to the US Press, 1966)

By Nazzaro

After the airing of the episode 'pon far' of Star Trek TOS Leonard Nimoy's fanmail jumped up to 10,000 letters a week. In 1949 when he had begun his career in show business, Leonard literally walked up and down LA's Sunset Boulevard knocking on any door that said 'Agency' besides working at an ice cream parlour, driving cabs, selling vacuum cleaners and delivering newspapers to make ends meet.

The early films Leonard Nimoy had parts in are mentioned. Gene Roddenberry is quoted having said of Nimoy: "If I ever do a science fiction show, I'm going to put pointy ears on him and use him." The history of Star Trek and its development is summarized.

LN: "Star Trek endures because it is a good world. There's a clarity of purpose: to preserve life, give it dignity, and respect differences."

Star Trek The Motion Picture "It was strange, it was complicated and it was somewhat schizophrenic for a while. Jumping back into Spock's skin wasn't easy, particularly because there were writing issues. The script I originally read for the film did not even contain the Spock character, so it was a case them describing to me what Spock would be doing in the next draft of the script. That took a little time and a little fine-tuning to finally get it to function, but I was never totally satisfied with that film." Harve Bennett had called Leonard telling him about the new Star Trek picture 'The Wrath of Khan' suggesting Spock would die. "That's about right. I was not anxious to go back, because I had been disillusioned on the first picture, and secondly it was known that the next picture was going to be done on a very tight budget, so I felt as if they were going to try to get one last squeeze out of the cow. I really wasn't anxious to participate in that but when Harve said what he did about the death scene I thought, 'Well, maybe this is the way to finish it!' It worked extremely well, and I had a good time doing the second film... the actual death scene was difficult, and I didn't enjoy playing it. The scene was well written, and I thought we played it well but it was still very difficult to do." Suggesting that Spock's death would not be the end hints were added in the end of the picture. "It was OK with me. I could understand that the audience was really depressed about it, and then I thought, 'I don't know what they are going to do about the follow-up in the next film, but it might be interesting to explore what that could be about.'"

Directing Star Trek III and acting in it in the same time: "I was really surprised. I had no idea how to play at the same level, so I had a lot to learn. I guess I was very naive, but I was very surprised at the mixed emotions that the cast had about me doing the job."

"If you have to be a sex symbol, it's nice to be a sex symbol for smart people. Isaac Asimov once referred to Spock as a security blanket with sexual overtones, and I found that encouraging."

Nimoy is now working on "Deadly Games" and on a comic book series "Primortals" and planning to take part in the remake of "I – Robot" (Outer Limits).

Later this year the second autobiography will be published in Britain. Smiling he said to an interviewer that he was considering calling it "Maybe I Am Spock After All". ;)