When Leonard Nimoy smacked down Starlog Magazine

Leonard Nimoy handled a rumor in a classy way

When Leonard Nimoy agreed to appear in Star Trek: The Wrath of Khan, a rumor began making its way around the Star Trek community. It became so well-known and even believed that at least one media outlet, Starlog Magazine, quoted it as the truth, without verifying the facts or even attempting to talk to the people actually involved in the situation.

The rumor states that not only was Spock killed off at Leonard Nimoy’s request, but that the actor would not sign on to appear in the movie unless this condition was met. Spock had to die at all costs. When Starlog Magazine printed the speculation as fact, Nimoy apparently had gotten to the point where he’d had enough, and he put pen to paper (or typewriter to paper). In a manner one would consider befitting of a logical Vulcan, he made his displeasure clear and corrected the misprint succinctly with just the slightest smack on the head.

Leonard Nimoy’s letter to Starlog was short and to the point

"In the November issue you report that the death of Spock was “brought about by Leonard Nimoy’s request.”In your January issue you reiterated the same report and then you quoted “Star Trek II” executive producer Harve Bennett as saying “… Nimoy did not insist on killing the character as a prerequisite to his appearing in the second film.”I was not contacted for a statement, but here it is: Harve Bennett was right, you were wrong …… twice.Yours for more accurate journalism,Leonard Nimoy"

And that should have cleared up that rumor, but today, many fans still believe that Spock’s death was a direct result of Leonard Nimoy’s threat to stay far away from the film lest his demands be met. In reality, Nimoy didn’t hold the studio hostage nor was killing Spock his idea.

In fact, Nimoy had been hesitant about returning for a second movie, and the studio didn’t want to make a sequel without Spock. So when screenwriter Jack B. Sowards proposed the idea of Spock’s death, Harve Bennett pitched it to Nimoy as “the greatest death scene ever.”  And the rest is history.