“He was perhaps the most profoundly human person I have ever known.”
Leonard Nimoy’s portrayal of Mr. Spock remains a high point for the Star Trek franchise. However, it’s well known among Trekkies, particularly those lucky enough to have met him, that Nimoy was much more than a pop culture icon and thespian. As co-star George Takei points out in a touching social media post, Nimoy “was a friend, an ally, and my political soulmate.”
Takei posted a picture of himself (below) giving the Vulcan salute, while writing the following in the new Instagram post:
"Leonard Nimoy was more than a colleague—he was a friend, an ally, and my political soulmate. Leonard played a half-human, half-Vulcan officer—a being caught between two worlds. Yet in his own life, he was perhaps the most profoundly human person I have ever known. When Star Trek became an animated series, the studio hired only a few of us to reprise our roles, excluding Nichelle Nichols and myself. Leonard looked at that decision and simply said, 'No.'"
Takei, who did in fact return to voice Mr. Sulu in The Animated Series thanks to Nimoy’s actions, continued his tribute on social media by recounting the TAS casting controversy. (Continued...)