Leonard Nimoy made Spock's emotional restraint something we could care about. We rate him most for the warmth he allows through it, though his identification with the character left less room for other parts.
Fi1m perspective
Leonard Nimoy makes Spock worth watching even when he is keeping his feelings to himself. In the original Star Trek series (1966–69), the logical half-Vulcan has a humanity that Nimoy allows us to notice without abandoning the character's reserve. Alongside William Shatner's Kirk, that gives the partnership more to work with than a difference of temperament. We rate Nimoy for making the effort to stay composed interesting, rather than simply playing someone who feels nothing.
The role continued through six feature films between 1979 and 1991, including Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (1982). There was other work: voicing Galvatron in the 1986 Transformers film, for instance, and directing Three Men and a Baby (1987). Those credits matter because it is easy to let Spock account for everything Nimoy could do. The typecasting limited his opportunities, but we would also be wary of treating the repeated work on one character as an artistic failing.
J.J. Abrams's Star Trek (2009) gives that persistence a useful test, bringing Nimoy back as Ambassador Spock while Chris Pine and Zachary Quinto give the crew a fresh start. We recommend the film, and Nimoy belongs in the case for it. His own account of the performance stressed that Spock had been changed by experience, a sensible reason to return to a familiar part. We were moved by Nimoy's performance because he lets the character's humanity show through without making the reserve seem false. He makes that self-control feel like something Spock has had to learn to live with.
There is a caveat to any such return: familiarity can win affection before an actor has done much to earn it. Nimoy's value here is that his restraint suits a film whose action is sometimes overworked, offering something quieter to attend to. The thin villain remains a weakness, and affection for Spock does not repair the script. Start with the 2009 film for Pine and Quinto's fresh company, but leave some attention for the actor who is in no hurry to impress.
Biography
Leonard Nimoy was an American actor, director, poet, musician and photographer. He was born in Boston, Massachusetts, on 26 March 1931 and died on 27 February 2015.
He is best known for his portrayal of Spock in the original Star Trek television series (1966–1969) and the associated films. He reprised the role as Ambassador Spock in Star Trek (2009) and voiced Galvatron in The Transformers: The Movie (1986). Other credits include a recurring role in Mission: Impossible, Dr William Bell in Fringe, and voice work in The Simpsons and Futurama.
