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 A nicely
made introduction shows how the interviewer is wakened by a friend telling
him he is allowed a 30 minute interview with Leonard Nimoy, but needs to get
quick sharp to Leonard's house. He's hardly got time to get up, hurry to the
car, the camera teams sets up the equipment and the interviewer
whispers:
"I am in Mr. Spock's garden!
Mr Spock
just made me
this coffee!"
then the interview begins. Leonard is
welcomed.
 A Star Trek clip is shown informing about Paramount's fears that
Spock might look too devilish for the viewer.
LN: The original idea that Gene Roddenberry had was that Spock should be
red, literally red. The problem was that in 1966 when we went in the air
there were still a lot of black and white TV sets operating and the red just
went totally black. So Spock became a black person and that wasn't the
intention. So we did away with the red and went to this yellowish look.
LN: The
easiest for the press was: Leonard Nimoy, he with the pointed ears. Spock,
the one with the funny ears. I got invitation to get to places and bring the
funny ears, you know? For an actor who took himself seriously it was a
little difficult: Could I come without the ears? It would be a little
difficult. (laughing)
Leonard shows the interviewer the last couple of ears he wore in the series.
LN: But this is very precious to me.
Interviewer: Can I have them? (Laughing Leonard quickly snatches the ears
out of his hands)
The Vulcan greeting is introduced in a clip.
LN: This is
the shape of a Hebrew letter in the Hebrew alphabet, it is called the shin.
It makes that “sh” sound, it is the first letter in the word “Shaddai” which
is the Hebew name for the Almihgty.
They talk about the gesture, about Sheila Lawsky and the introduction of the
greeting into the series. And how and why the Vulcan neck pinch was
introduced.
About how
the character effected his home life.
LN: Being in that character 12, 14 hours a day my personality changed.
Q: In what
way?
LN: I became more rational, I became more logical, I became more thoughtful.
I became less emotional, I drifted to this Spock like kind of being. I could
feel it on the weekends. Saturday after work for 5 days as Spock, Saturday
would still be in the “Spock – zone”, Sundays by about three or four o'clock it would start to go away.
The time
slot of the first airings of the show is introduced by a clip showing a part
of “Spock's Brain” indicating the decrease of budget.
LN: I never felt we got support from the network, never. They gave us a
terrible time slot and the show died a dismal death and I frankly was
relieved because we were not doing good show, we were not having an
audience, why running this thing into the ground? We have done our best.
Let's leave it, let it go, let it go.
What do you think is the legacy of the original Star Trek?
LN: Star Trek told us that we are all part of one civilization. And
wouldn't it be wonderful if we'd find a way to communicate with each other
without being de manding
and insisting that you'd be more like me? If we could find a way to enjoy
more each others characteristics and understand
and appreciate each other? I think that's the major legacy of the show.
Interviewer: Leonard Nimoy, aka the actor who played Mr. Spock: Live long
and prosper! (Making the greeting with his right hand – he had learned it
from Leonard during the interview)
LN: Same to
you, thank you very much.
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