Leonard Simon Nimoy was born in Boston, Massachusetts, to Dora (Spinner) and Max Nimoy, who owned a barbershop, the family being of Ukrainian Jewish descent. Raised in a tenement, Nimoy began acting in community theaters at the tender age of eight. It wasn't until he was 20 years old that he made his Hollywood debut, with small, often uncredited parts in films such as Queen for a Day (1951) and Rhubarb (1951).
Following his two-year stint in the United States Army, Nimoy continued to land small roles, including a part as an Army telex operator in Them! (1954). One of his earliest notable roles was as Narab, a friendly Martian, in the Republic serial Zombies of the Stratosphere (1952),which somewhat foreshadowed his iconic role as Mr. Spock, the half-human/half-Vulcan science officer on the groundbreaking television series Star Trek (1966). This role earned him three Emmy nominations and catapulted him to stardom, launching his career as a writer and director.
Nimoy's stage credits include notable productions such as "Fiddler on the Roof", "Oliver", "Camelot", and "Equus". He also hosted the popular television series In Search of... (1976) and Ancient Mysteries (1994),and authored several volumes of poetry. Additionally, he made guest appearances on The Simpsons (1989) and guest-starred in two episodes of the show.
In the latter years of his career, Nimoy played the role of Mustafa Mond in NBC's adaptation of Aldous Huxley's Brave New World (1998),voiced Sentinel Prime in the blockbuster film Transformers: Dark of the Moon (2011),and reprised his iconic role as Spock in two new Star Trek films, Star Trek (2009) and Star Trek Into Darkness (2013).
Leonard Nimoy passed away on February 27, 2015, at the age of 83, due to complications from end-stage chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, in Bel Air, Los Angeles, California.
