Leonard Nimoy, the American actor best known for his portrayal of Spock in the original Star Trek series and in film, television and video game sequels, was born on this day in 1931.
Nimoy, the son of Yiddish-speaking Orthodox Jewish immigrants from Iziaslav, Soviet Union (present day Ukraine) began acting in 1951. He played the title role in Kid Monk Baroni in 1952 and went on to play small parts in 50 movies and television shows such as Perry Mason and Dragnet.
Nimoy turned down a role on the soap opera Peyton Place to play Spock on Star Trek: The Original Series which ran from 1966 to 1969. Nimoy earned three Emmy Award nominations for his portrayal of the half-Vulcan, half-human Spock.
Nimoy reprised the role of Spock in two episodes of Star Trek: The Next Generation and in Star Trek: The Animated Series. He appeared in the six Star Trek movies featuring the original cast, of which he directed two. He appeared as the elder Spock in the 2009 Star Trek movie.