Exclusive Video Interview: Leonard Nimoy Talks Star Trek Sequel, Shatner + more [UPDATED]

One of the fan highlights for the new Star Trek movie was Leonard Nimoy coming out of retirement to play Spock Prime TrekMovie talked to Mr. Nimoy at the Star Trek DVD/Blu-ray release party to see if he thinks he might have one more in him, to check up on that invite he gave William Shatner to watch the movie together, and more. [UPDATE: The video embed is fixed now]

 

Leonard Nimoy interview

Video taken at the Star Trek Blu-ray/DVD Party

Highlights

  • Doesn’t "expect to get the call" to appear in Star Trek sequel and feels he has already "served the purpose…to help make the bridge between the original and the new"
  • However, Nimoy notes "obviously if they want to talk to me, I am happy to talk to them, but I don’t think they are going to need me"
  • Hasn’t yet had a chance to watch Star Trek with Shatner (something said they would do back in August at Vegas Convention)
  • Nimoy vows "I will have to sit him down and help him with the experience of watching this wonderful movie"
  • Leonard Nimoy Day was "a homecoming" and "emotional experience"
  • Nimoy’s "Secret Selves" photography exhibit will be opening and the Museum of Contemporary Art in Massachusetts next Summer

Photos
More photos from the DVD/Blu-ray Party


Leonard Nimoy


Leonard Nimoy and the green girls

Photo by Carla Van Wagoner

More Star Trek DVD/Blu-ray Party video interviews coming up
Look for more interviews from the party from cast and crew of Star Trek.

 

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Nimoy rocks! I hope I’m that cool when I’m that old.

Heck, I wish I was that cool now.

I love Leonard’s hat! :D

The green girls look a little golden to me.

Damn, Uhura makes a crappy Trekky, except for the looks she got not clue what Star Trek is about… “One of those energizer thingies….blah”

And is it me, or John Cho is a wrong character for this movie??
In my mind he is that college stonner for life, and I am having trouble taking him seriously :(

Wel it sounds like Mr Urban gets his character (as if there was any doubt) with his ‘moral compass’ comment – spot on.

But as for Uhura and kicking ass and sword fights…..??!? Erm…. Uhura is all about being cool calm and collected and very VERY clever. Sharp witted.

Great to see them all having such a good time though. Mr Nimoy really is an absolute legend!

http://www.leonardnimoyphotography.com/7body.htm

Yeah Leonard Nimoy is pretty cool.

If you really want to be cool like Leonard Nimoy #1 you will have take up photography just like Leonard Nimoy.

Click the link above to view some of Leonard’s Photography

“Live long and Prosper”

I see the old video… John Cho et al.

I have alway admired Mr Nimoy, for years. I saw him
several times but I remember how gracious
he was to us fan back in 83 in St. Louis.
While some of the other stars were tired of
signing for us he wasn’t or didn’t show it at all.
Still smiling and even asking us our names
so he could sign that on out photos we bought.
I will never forget that. Do profesional and kind.
I will always be a huge fan of his work and him
as a person.
Would love to see him in the next if not the next
few Trek movies. Please guys, let’s write him and
and enjoy him some more!
Thanks Mr Nimoy for being there for us all these
years!

@5: Zoe probably just has Action Scene Envy from the last movie. It’s easy to understand, though — in the behind-the-scenes clips of the drill platform sequence, everyone looked like they were having a blast! :)

I agree, though. I hope Uhura gets to do something awesome in a cerebral sort of way in the next movie. Turning her into a bog-standard “Action Grrl!” would be a cliche.

Leonard needs to grab William by the jubblies in a Vulcan worse-than-death-grip and make him watch the dang movie already!

I agree that he’s probably not ‘needed’ in the sequel — neither is Shatner — but, I’d love to see something in the DVD release. Come on, Hollywood! Start including that in your budget. A nice character vignette that’s original for those who pony up the bucks after the main release.

#3 – Been that long, has it?

Ba-da-bing!

(Sorry … couldn’t resist. Have a good ‘un — or three).

10. CmdrR

I think probably, beyond being an ambassador for the production team, Leonard Nimoy wasn’t needed in the last movie either. It was safe to put him in there to provide a bridge between eras, but I don’t think anyone could have imagined the new cast could have nailed it quite so spectacularly that they owned those roles from the outset!!

I like the green girls, but not crazy about their red outfits.

Just saw the Nimoy segment on the new DVD, and thought it was excellent.

Also, anybody else think he looked a LOT cooler (and more like the Spock we know) in his screen test, with the shorter, darker hair? It’s a shame they didn’t go for that look instead of using the big grey wig.

Just watched the TOS-R version of THE DOOMSDAY MACHINE with my kids. My 12-year old said, “Dad, this would be a great movie! and you know who could be the guy who died (meaning Decker)? That guy from “Apollo 13”.

See guys, it’s fated. Call Hanks and book it.

Leonard Nimoy is a joy to watch whether he’s acting or not. So many celebrities seem unhappy and needy but Leonard Nimoy puts out none of that. He projects such serenity and certainty. He has a positive attitude that anyone who enjoys such success in life hopefully would have, seemingly untroubled, grateful, proud, and enjoying the ride. Live long and prosper indeed.

@15: I don’t know, I always picture Tom Hanks as the “nice guy”. Decker needs to be more unhinged / shell shocked.

I saw the previous video with the rest of the cast interviews here. Did some people see Nimoy?

holly crap his pupils going in the opposite directions in the picture. He’s a cameleon AAAAAAAAAAAHHHHH.

@ #15: I have hated the idea of rehashing “The Doomsday Machine”… until now. Now it’s as clear as day to me. (And Tom Hanks is a HUGE Trekkie… it’s kismet!!) Tell your son he got it *just right*!

@ 15

Terrance Howard would make a great Decker. He was excellent in Ironman and Crash. He does that teary-eyed, batspit crazy thing with enough pathos that you feel kinda sorry for him–like the dude who played the original Decker. You need a good character actor for that part, not a big star.

OTOH, Daniel Craig would be good, too.

I’d llove to see Whoopi as guinan, brief cameo, maybe hinting on the changes in the timeline.

I just love Whoopi.

Not sure what happened with video but it is the right one now

I only wish that I had enjoyed watching Trek ’09 half as much as Nimoy did appearing in it. But we all owe the man so much; if he’s happy, I’m happy.

Am I the only one that’s still peeved at the way the Unification plot just went out the window?

It was such a promising story thread – first of all it was completely ignored in Nemesis (or rather, Spock’s part in it was ignored – not even given a single line) and then the new movie –

ehh, I’ll stop. Still, I really figured it was a great part of the lore and it was pure Star Trek. It’s a pity it went nowhere and I hope it’s salvaged someday

I love Tom Hanks and his Trekkiness. He would so do the next movie.

@1 – I second your motion!

I seriously hope Nimoy does some more voice work, like his Alien Voices projects. With a voice like that it would be a crime not to.

The older he gets, the cooler he is.

25. Zebonka – November 23, 2009
Am I the only one that’s still peeved at the way the Unification plot just went out the window?

He is called “Ambassador” because he is the Federation ambassador to Romulus. So no, in the 09 movie it is not ignored, but in Nemesis it is (like a lot of things).

Leonard Nimoy is so cool! My kids love him as well- I love that the movie embraced him and gave him the acknowledgement he so deserves!

I can’t wait to hear how his screening of Star Trek goes with Willliam Shatner!

Excellent video! I loved it! Long Live the original cast! (I’m all inclusive).

So far I have three versions of the home video release of ST:2009: The Blu-ray 3-disc with the Enterprise holder (i.e., the Target exclusive BD version); the DVD 3-disc with the Enterprise holder (i.e., the Target exclusive DVD version); and the one-disc DVD version. Loving them all.

I have never, ever before simultaneously purchased three versions of the same release, but ST2009 is worth it. Heck, seeing Leonard Nimoy as Spock in action, alone, is worth it.

Paramount has lightened my wallet once again, and once again, I couldn’t be happier.

Wouldn’t it have been hilarious if Shatner’s first sit down to watch the movie could have been recorded and included on the DVD as a special commentary? Two hours of Shat ragging on Pine, complaining about everything that was wrong with the film and his off the cuff ideas to make it better. Would have been one of the best commentaries ever!

I would love to see Nimoy again but if it is not to be… LIVE LONG, AND PROSPER!

#14 “Also, anybody else think he looked a LOT cooler (and more like the Spock we know) in his screen test, with the shorter, darker hair? It’s a shame they didn’t go for that look instead of using the big grey wig.”

I thought that too, then I realised that look would have only been appropriate if he had come back in time 18-or-so years after ST6 (relative to Nimoy’s real age since the last TOS cast movie)… you have to remember Spock Prime came back from the post-Nemesis era where we would have aged even more.

Anyone know where I can get a hat like the one Mr. Nimoy is wearing in this article’s photo? Lovin’ it!

I wanna know where I can get that cool baseball cap that Mr. Nimoy is wearing…

35, 36, seconded. :-)

I think the wig is something they had to go with. Nimoy has a good head of hair for an old man, but in the screen test, he looked more like Leonard than Spock, because his hair just isn’t full enough to achieve the Spock look naturally anymore.

39th!!!!

I hope Spock Prime returns – the destruction of Vulcan can’t be waved away with one line about him finding a suitable replacement planet.

They should watch the movie together and record a special commentary track that can be downloaded at a nominal cost with proceeds going to charity. I would buy it.

OMG! #41 Thats a great idea, but I bet Shatner’s not game.

Shat & Nimoy did commentary together for TV, for those who didn’t know.

I meant to type, for TVH.

Maybe we can get Mr Nimoy to host a new “In Search Of” and find a good story for the crew that isn’t a remake of an old ST Story.

A wonderful wonderful man!

Def want Leonard back in next one

To me Leonard is Spock and as good as Quinto I will always prefer Leonard.

To me all the originals are still better but that does not mean I hate the new alternate universe versions, I love them but I still prefer the originals

Hope this is logical

#40 – I’m with you man! This is such a VITALLY important plot point which cannot just be ignored in the next film, as can the fact that Spock Prime is existing in the wrong time, and has altered time, not to mention being VERY unspock-like by meeting himself (even though it was fun to watch).

Paramount – you NEEEEEDDDDDD to green-light a couple (at least) of TV movies (spin offs from the film, so in the sequal they can do their own film-thing without getting bogged down by any cameos or story lines to tie up from previous entries in the legacy) to follow Spock Primes story. How he gets back to his own time/universe, once having made sure New Vulcan is on track and everything is going smoothly there. No more meetings between Spock prime and his younger self (or any other members of the crew for that matter).

This would THEN give Paramount/CBS the PERFECT opportunity to:

1) get Shatner and Nimoy back together again for one final adventure together – on the ‘small’ screen where they originally started off – perfect!

and

2) Would ‘test the waters’ for any future Star Trek TV series if this TV movie does well (which they are guaranteed to do so after the success of this film, and DEFINATELY if Kirk and Spock are finally back together again for the first time since 1991!).

Think about how cool that would be……… Who doesn’t want to see this happen?!?

I really cannot see how this can fail:

1) More money in the pot for Paramount.

2) To keep the franchise (horrible word but..) alive in the public’s consciousness, which is needed because there’s a 2 year wait until the next film….

3) We get to see two legends FINALLY together again, and can fix the awful feck up that was Kirk’s story AND death in Generations. In fact, he acts so out of character in that, it COULD be explained away as a Nexus generated ‘echo’ of the real thing… and Spock happens to meet up with the REAL Kirk again (somehow!) and we get a suitable (and heart warming – no more deaths please they’ve already both died in Star Trek multiple times already lol!) conclusion to the Kirk/Spock characters finally.

!!! They’ll only be one chance to do this, and that time is NOW folks!!!

If anybody happens to feel the same as me please SPEAK UP and perhaps write a letter or 3 to Paramount and/or those that could help the cause.

Apologies for the semi-thread jack ;)

With love,

Mugsy.

There is still something about the green Orion girls with red hair that bugs me….thats not natural.

As far as their outfits go, they wear just about anything if they are proper Orion (Animal/Slave) women. Even ENTERPRISE had filmed the Orion women in regular clothes for the episode “Bound”. But the powers that be decided on the skimpy-next -to nothing-on outfits was more in line with canon.