A tribute to our good old’ Mr Spock, who restored the equilibrium of the world by bringing the geeks into the mainstream and inspiring a generation of science enthusiasts. 

“Long before being nerdy was cool, there was Leonard Nimoy,” Barrack Obama.

The magic of Captain Spock continues to cast a spell on the fans irrespective of age and borders. Leonard Nimoy portrayed the role so well that he made the Vulcan Science Officer come alive on Star Trek the Original Series. The world knew that the legend was born who brought science back in fashion and inspired a generation of youngsters to study and build their careers around science.

While, it cannot be denied that Nimoy as an actor also played other roles besides Spock, but he got tremendous love and recognition with Mr Spock. And he knew the responsibility of being an icon, and it stuck with him throughout his life.

“My folks came to the United States as immigrants, aliens, and they became citizens. I was born in Boston, a citizen; I went to Hollywood, and I became an alien.” Nimoy (2012)

These lines were spoken in good humour, but the significance of these words cannot be denied. Being an outsider culturally and ethnically, Nimoy was able to play someone who was struggling with his identity of being a half-alien and half-human to perfection.

Initially, the actor would go through deep internal turmoil while connecting with Spock on a personal level because there were many aspects of the character which were not in agreement with the personality of Nimoy. His defiance to being associated with an alien would be exhibited through the title of his autobiography I am not Spock in 1975. The book described the complexities of being considered as a man (or Vulcan) who struggles with emotions and is highly logical in his approach. However, Nimoyon the other hand, was governed by his emotional faculty, which lent him creativity in the form of acting, writing poetry, and photography.

Probably Nimoy realized that Spock was the voice of people who were different, unconventional and on the margins. If Captain Kirk (played by effervescent William Shatner) embodied the essence of masculinity and fueled the aspiration of being a model man, Mr Spock represented the people who struggle to fit-in and be accepted into the mainstream.

Later, Nimoy and Spock seemed to have come to an understanding, and his second autobiography named I am Spock (1995) bore testimony to it.

Spock reassured that being different is cool by instilling positivity and confidence through his character. Even with his pointy ears and Vulcan salute (Live Long and Prosper), he remains inspirational and relatable.

We miss you, Nimoy!