Adam Nimoy on ‘For The Love of Spock’
Adam Nimoy speaks to us about his father’s legacy, his new documentary ‘For The Love Of Spock’, and whether he’d ever be willing to put on the ears and play a Vulcan himself.
Adam Nimoy’s documentary about his father ‘For The Love of Spock’ is now in theaters, on demand, and in the iTunes store. We spoke to the director and son of Spock about his experience making this extraordinary film.
Redshirts – Adam thanks so much for speaking to us. You interviewed so many amazing people for For The Love Of Spock, including many Star Trek alums. Was there anything that surprised you or seemed to come up again and again thought this process?
"Adam Nimoy – One of the surprising events that took place during the interview process, it happened with the new cast, the new crew of the Enterprise. We were in Vancouver last September filming these interviews and the producers of Star Trek Beyond were very accommodating and helped us with the scheduling of the principal cast of J.J.’s reimagining of Star Trek.The thing that they repeatedly all told me was the impact my father had on these new Star Trek films. Even though my father was no longer there they really felt a sense of his spirit, his energy, and his presence.The fact that he was involved in the project gave them a real sense of validation that they were not just making a complete reboot of Star Trek, but that they were really continuing on its mission that my father was a major part of. They felt he was kind of blessing them to go on with their Star Trek saga. It just kind of blew my mind that each of those cast members told me the exact same thing. They each had their own anecdotes about my dad, but felt that he was still kind of overseeing them and inspiring them to do their best work.That was so heartwarming to me, I mean at that time my dad was only gone for about six months. I was still adjusting to the post Leonard life and life without my dad. So to get that feedback from all of them was so comforting for me."
RS –
Was there one interview that really stood out to you through this process?
"AN – The George Takei interview was a standout for me. George is very articulate and he really was a go to guy for us during the film. I think it was amazing to me the depth of his thoughtfulness and his detached observation about the popularity of Spock, the relationship between my dad and Bill Shatner, the competitiveness, and even the fact that my dad stood up for George and Nichelle when it came to the animated series, as they originally weren’t going to be included in it for voiceover work. George was just able to cover such a broad swath of my dad’s life, I was kind of amazed by his ability to articulate all the stuff we really needed in the film."
RS- Star Trek fans love your father and his work so much, what do you hope they take away from this film?
"AN – The fans I hope come away with a better understanding of number one Spock. We tell a lot of anecdotes from behind the scenes: how Spock came into being, my dad’s relationship with Gene Roddenberry, how Spock has evolved, the Vulcan salute, the Vulcan nerve pinch, the detached scientific demeanor of Spock, and why Spock has resonated with fans.Every fan has a reason they love Spock, but a lot of fans have a lot of different reasons why they love Spock. I’m hoping the fans get a nice rich dose of what Spock is all about, and why we all love Spock.Also my dad’s process was all about as an artist, approaching the character and giving life to the character. I hope they come away with a sense of Leonard Nimoy the renaissance man always involved in various mediums of expression whether it was writing, poetry, as a recording artist, photography, directing, producing films.I hope they also get a sense of what it was like behind the scenes, to be in a celebrity family. What it’s like being in the Nimoy household. The challenges of a kid being raised by Spock, which lead to a lot of conflict.You know the trials and tribulations of fathers and sons, that’s kind of like the third act of this story. The ups and downs I went through with my dad, and what we had to go through to reconnect with one another and have a very strong loving relationship the last few years of my father’s life."
RS – There was one question that our Facebook followers really wanted to ask you. If Bryan Fuller called tomorrow and asked you to put on the pointy ears and play a Vulcan in Star Trek Discovery would you do it?
"AN – Well… you know I turned my father down when he asked me to play young Spock in Star Trek III: The Search for Spock during the Pon Farr scene with Saavik. I would be reluctant to take on something like that, acting isn’t my arena. Once you shave your eyebrows you’re really committed too, I’d have to hear from a lot of fans before I’d consider it."
Be sure to catch For The Love Of Spock in theaters, on demand, or in the iTunes store now!
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