What comes to mind when you think of Star Trek? Is it the Enterprise? The sweeping, bold theme song? Or is it Mr. Spock, the half-Vulcan science officer we all know and love? Spock, played by the late, great Leonard Nimoy, had such a massive impact with his portrayal as one of television’s first aliens that it is difficult to imagine the franchise without him. However, Nimoy was not always pleased with his role in Star Trek, and viewers nearly lost Spock forever several times during the original series run and the creation of the franchise’s cinematic universe.
Early dissatisfaction with Spock
Nimoy nearly quit Star Trek as early as the filming of “The Corbomite Maneuver” (S01E10) because of the difficulties he experienced playing a character who could not express emotions. This sometimes led to emotional outbursts offscreen, sometimes in front of others, which the actor found difficult to handle.
Fortunately, Nimoy didn’t give up on Spock. He began to give the character more nuance as a being who had emotions yet held them with a tight rein. This gave Nimoy the opportunity to play a more dynamic character, and he agreed to continue on with the show.
Merchandising woes
As the second season of Star Trek began filming in 1967, Nimoy found himself in a battle over merchandising rites with Paramount. Gene Roddenberry, the show’s creator, would not back him in a legal claim, leading to friction between the two. Nimoy nearly left the show then and talks about replacing him would spread throughout the Star Trek set for months. Contract disputes with Desilu only furthered these rumors.
Not only did legal woes continue to frustrate Nimoy, he was dissatisfied with how writers handled Spock’s character. Only a substantial raise kept him on the series, although he remained unhappy about Star Trek’s writing well into the third season, citing episodes such as “Spock’s Brain” (S03E01) as an example of the decline in episode quality (and it’s hard to argue that one.)
The question about whether Nimoy would return for the series’ movie universe cropped up several times, including during the planning of Star Trek: The Motion Picture and Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan. By this point in his career, Nimoy wanted to explore other creative options and made a deal that he would only return if he was allowed to direct the third movie, Star Trek III: The Search for Spock. He would direct that film, along with its sequel, The Voyage Home.
Several actors have played Spock in movies and on television at this point, including Zachary Quinto and Ethan Peck. Which actor do you think represents the character best? Join us over on Facebook and start the conversation!