Fans of Star Trek will know who Leonard Nimoy is. He was the only man to play Spock for the first near-50-odd years of the franchise. Then came Zachary Quinto, who played a young Spock in the 2009 Star Trek film and its two sequels. In the 2009 film and its follow up Into Darkness, Quinto played the character alongside Nimoy. The two even shared a scene together in person. After Quinto came Ethan Peck, who took up the role for the second season of Discovery and now Strange New Worlds. For Nimoy’s daughter, Julie, Peck fits the role just fine.
Speaking to CinemaBlend, Mick Joest talked to Nimoy’s daughter about her father and the newest man to play the role in Peck.
"We had a little afternoon meet up with him, my brother was there as well. We just kind of got to know each other, feel it out, and just get an idea of who this guy was and would he be right for the part and we just loved him. We thought he was awesome. His temperament is just very cool, calm, and introspective…I think he felt comfortable. It was really important for him to meet us and to get an idea of who our dad was not just as an actor, but as a person in his personal life. I think Ethan has done a great job, honestly. My brother and I met up with him for lunch before the pandemic started, just kind of checking in and making sure everything was going well with him and he was doing great…a real sweetheart."
While it’s not necessary to get the Nimoy family to sign off on an actor for them to play the role, it’s not a bad idea to try and curry their favor. After all, fans are a fickle group of people and are willing to turn on someone for no reason or embrace them wholly for the silliest of reasons.
For instance, when Quinto was announced as the new Spock, there were a lot of people who thought the whole thing was a mistake and that if it wasn’t Nimoy playing the role, then the character shouldn’t be used at all.
Quinto won over most of the critics though, and Peck is fighting the same battle. Having the Nimoy family give their stamp of approval helps with any potential negative backlash, because if they don’t have a problem with a new actor taking over the role, why should fans?