Leonard Nimoy On Keeping Spock From Becoming Boring + Listen To His William Shatner Impression

In a new interview promoting his appearance at this weekend’s Phoenix Comicon, Leonard Nimoy talks about how he struggled to not make Spock boring. We also have audio of Nimoy doing an impression of William Shatner. Check it all out below.

 

Nimoy: Was Hard To Not Make Spock Boring

In an interview with the College Times promoting his appearance at this weekend’s Phoenix Comicon, Nimoy talked about making a character interesting while acting without showing emotion. Here is an excerpt:

Because you injected some of yourself into Spock, do you find yourself more similar or different to him?

I’ve been told I take on his stoic characteristic. But on the other hand, my training as an actor was to use my emotions, and to express emotional responses in specific situations. Spock called for the opposite – he called for ultimate control of his emotions. I had to find a way to do that. It was my job in portraying this particular character, so I dug into my tool kit and I went to work. It took a little time to find my footing and make sure I could do that without being boring.

Spock has become a true pop culture icon. Why do you think this is?

I think people can really identify with him. At times, his wit is very clever. He’s also very loyal and helpful. It’s interesting – over the years, as much as we talk about Spock being a Vulcan and an alien and all that, if you really stop to think about it, he’s really a human character. He’s dealing with his own personal issues which are very human issues, because there’s the conflict of logic and emotion in his life. And people get that and they understand that and relate to it.

Listen: Nimoy on retirement, not watching Trek + Shatner impression

Promoting his appearance at Dallas Comic-Con last weekend, Leonard called in to the MZLive radio show, and he talked about retirement (again), joked about turning down chance to take over for Charlie Sheen  on Two and a Half Men, and he even does a Shatner Impression. The original Spock also admitted that he doesn’t watch himself in old episodes or movies. When asked if he has kept any Star Trek memorabilia, Nimoy revealed that in a couple of weeks he is donating his archive to Boston University. Listen to it below.

Final Nimoy Tour

According to Leonard Nimoy, his 2011 conventions appearances will be his last. Following this weekend’s appearance at Phoenix Comicon, Nimoy has three more scheduled appearances:

 

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Spock lives!

I saw him live a few weeks ago and he did a Shatner impression by reciting the Eulogy for Spock in ST2…It was hilarious!

Hes The MAN No.1 Vulcan !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I adore Leonard. Adore. Him.

He’s just dashing! Love him.

Mr Nimoy ….Spock Plase come back in the new movie ;)

I love Mr.Nimoy!! He is so awesome!! I love everything hes ever done!! :)

There will never be anyone like him. he is the Best and Orignal Spock. May he Live long and prosper.

I love Leonard Nimoy. I’m really jealous of my friends who got to see him in Dallas last weekend. Live long and prosper, Mr. Nimoy.

Mr. Zach Quinto…you have some mighty big shoes to fill. Get to work.

I was at the Dallas Comic Con this past weekend. Crowd was amazing. Biggest I’ve ever seen at a Dallas con. Didn’t get to see Nimoy but saw Stan the man Lee.

kinda disappointed..thought Mr Nimoy was appearing with The Shat in Nashville too. Least there’s DC in Hotlanta…

I saw him a week ago in MD. Phenomenal speaker. Awesome event.

Mr. Nimoy is a man of great talents. Let us not forget that he was The Great Paris in Mission Impossible, a series I am avidly consuming by Netflix.

And again I point out that he and his spouse have contributed greatly to the fantastic learning facility known as the Griffith Observatory, and has had a part of it named after them as a result.

Immediately prior to this visit to TrekMovie, I was thinking of and viewing information about the famous VLA observatory in NM. And thanks to that, the sounds of Carl Sagan’s “Cosmos” came back to me via memory. It has been possibly decades since I viewed the late Dr. Sagan’s soulful exploration of our universe…. and yet I remember that empyrean music… that beautiful, music of the spheres.

The universe is out there for us, and for every sentient being that has ever live, or that ever will live.

Mr. Nimoy, I believe, is of the same unique star stuff that Dr. Sagan so well embodied… but then, so are we all, to some extent.

We are the stars. We exist only because stars before us were alive, and then passed.

To the universe — not to some imaginary deity — do we owe our very own, very distinct, and completely unique selves.

Mr. Nimoy, I believe, has always known this in his portrayal of our favorite half-alien mentor.

The universe is amazing, its complexity and majesty and our own beautiful existence – and I thank God for it everyday.

I’m really looking forward to seeing Mr. Nimoy in Vegas this August for what might be the last time if he intends to fully retire from the convention scene. It’ll be a chance to thank him for all he has given us.

Wish i cud go to vegas trek con for a 2nd time to see one of leonards last appearances—the 40th trek ann was my only time so far-economy n being outta full time work for two years makes it unlikely–still last year nimoy sad was his last too—hope for future-if he does retire–many of us will miss him—

I wish that i could go to on of these conventions. Ive never been or seen him before. He is super awesome.

14, I do as well, though not every day. Good post.

My first experience with Mr. Nimoy was at the Auto Show at the old Civic Center in NYC in, it must have been, 1972. I was hoovering up all the TOS I could from re-runs on WPIX, and it was the height of my transcendence into Trek. I was 8.

Alas, Dad had to go get his autograph for me, as I was absolutely terrified.

Seeing him do so well in ST09/Fringe, and having seen him in Parsippany in 2009, it is just great to see him flourishing at an age when many are just waiting to die. 80 is the new 50, I would guess, at least in the world of Leonard Nimoy (and Shatner as well!). LL&P

I think that Mr. Nimoy is well deserving of a comfortable retirement, but I do hope that he reconsiders his statement that he will soon end his appearances at conventions. His presence lends a gravitas that literally no other Trek figure, at this juncture, could provide.

Although I am a great respecter of Mr. Shatner’s life and accomplishments, he provides a different “vibe” to conventions as compared to Mr. Nimoy. The two men just have different personalities. (This takes nothing away from Mr. Shatner’s presence, which is most enjoyable; he, too, is irreplaceable.)

Life goes on, and for all things there is a season. And the seasons of life do not cycle without end.

The memories do linger on. But can we not have, at least, one more season?

For Trek is eternally hopeful, and so, too, am I.

Hat Rick,

Totally agree with you on the vibe and gravitas that Bill and Leonard both provide in their own ways. I’m hoping that despite Nimoy’s desire for extended R’n’R, enough fun projects will pop up to keep him interested in occasionally contributing down the road for as long as he can. He and Bill are both pretty spry for their ages, and I had a blast playing paintball with Bill a few years back.

BTW, The Music of Cosmos is available on CD if you look around… Much of the music that Carl Sagan used was composed/performed by Vangelis, along with some contributions from Jean Michel Jarre , Larry Fast, Isao Tomita, and others…

Two weeks, eh? I built and flew an Estes Klingon Battle Cruiser. Surely, I can remodel my Camry to look like a rented semi from BU. A little balsa wood, some Elmer’s…

Thanks for that tip, 20. I’ll look for that CD.

Also, we are agreed on Messrs. Shatner and Nimoy — both have the energy of men only half their age. May they both live even longer — much longer — and continue to prosper.

AJ, nice story about seeing Nimoy as a kid. Why were you so terrified?

I ask everytime but no response. Mr. Nimoy. Adopt me. I am very little trouble.