Live long and prosper. It's a heartfelt and hopeful sentiment, but it's also one of the most famous lines of dialog in entertainment history, originating from none other than the beloved Mr. Spock - a giant in the Star Trek franchise.
If you asked people to name the most iconic characters in TV history, you can bet that Spock would find himself on that list. Decades after the original series launched (with the franchise expanding into movies, spinoffs, and animated TV shows during that time), he is still among the most beloved personalities to come from it, with fans often listing him alongside William Shatner's Captain James T. Kirk as the best characters in the whole franchise. It's hard to argue with that.
Leonard Nimoy's legendary performance first brought the half-human, half-Vulcan to life in 1966 and he is no doubt the actor still most commonly associated with the role. However, he's not the only performer to portray the commanding officer of the USS Enterprise. With that in mind, let's look back on all the actors to bring him to life and see if we can deduce which version of the character is the best.
3. Zachary Quinto - Star Trek (Kelvin timeline film series)
The late '90s and the 2000s saw a long stretch where there was no new Star Trek content airing on TV or releasing in theaters. After the box office failure of Star Trek: Nemesis in 2002, the franchise lay dormant for years before J.J. Abrams' Star Trek rebooted it all in 2009. And with that reboot came the recasting of many beloved original characters.
Zachary Quinto was tasked with bringing a new version of Spock to life and he had no problems delivering a captivating performance that matched the more modern, more serious tone of the movie. Like Chris Pine's portrayal of the updated Captain Kirk, there were some noticeable differences with Quinto's Spock, particularly the fact that he was a lot more serious than his predecessor. This fits in in the franchise that it is part of, but it was also a major departure from the Spock that fans knew and loved.
While he and Pine have their own unique chemistry as the legendary double act, the seriousness of this franchise means that their relationship lacks the humor that Leonard Nimoy and William Shatner's versions of the characters shared. This is most certainly down to the scripts but it does rob the Kelvin timeline movies of a quintessential element of the Star Trek franchise.
Nevertheless, Quinto is a phenomenal performer who is capable of bringing a deep level of gravitas to his roles. He accomplishes that with this modernized take on Spock, ensuring that he steals the scenes whenever he is on-screen (it would just be great if he was on-screen a little bit more).
2. Ethan Peck - Star Trek: Discovery, Star Trek: Strange New Worlds
The original Star Trek franchise returned to screens with Star Trek: Discovery in 2017. This series was set before The Original Series, meaning that it got to act as something of a prequel to it. And with that came the introduction of a newer version of Spock, played by Ethan Peck. It was originally a guest stint before Peck went on to reprise the role in a series regular capacity for spinoff Star Trek: Strange New Worlds.
Given these shows' placement in the timeline, this is a Spock from a period of his life that we had never seen before. He's younger than both the versions seen in The Original Series and the Kelvin timeline movies, so it was an opportunity for Peck to put his own spin on the character. He successfully manages to do that right out of the gate, making the role his own before he even played him full time on Strange New Worlds. However, he also manages to capture the essence of Leonard Nimoy's iconic iteration of the character - which is necessary, because they are playing the same version of Spock.
When we meet Spock in Star Trek: Discovery, he isn't the refined, quirky officer we know from The Original Series. He's imperfect, uncertain, and human. This helps make him feel like a more fully-formed character, providing context on the trials that he has endured while also showing us how he has to overcome those experiences. Peck's layered performance allows all of this to add to the legacy of Spock. And what sets his performance apart from the Kelvin timeline version of the character is that he still finds a balance for the quirkier side of Spock that we've come to know and love from The Original Series.
Peck has given us a version of the character who truly feels like he will evolve into the classic Leonard Nimoy version, building a strong foundation for Spock in a way few expected. He could very well be on-course to becoming this generation's definitive version of the character.
1. Leonard Nimoy - Star Trek: The Original Series, Original film series
Are you surprised to see Leonard Nimoy's Spock at the top of our list? I hope not! This one is, by far, the most recognizable iteration of Spock - and that's for very good reason. After all, if you've been a regular part of the pop-culture landscape for over a half century, you've definitely left an impression. And leaving an impression is exactly what Nimoy did in the role.
Debuting in Star Trek: The Original Series back in 1966, Nimoy's Spock quickly became something of a scene stealer. He may not have been the main character but he was arguably the most interesting, with fans responding to Nimoy's reserved, endearing performance as the USS Enterprise's Science Officer.
Although the character did have something of a serious disposition, it was his dry humor that made him one of the most enjoyable characters on the show. His inability to understand metaphors and his tendency to take everything seriously made for some genuinely funny moments and Nimoy's straight delivery of every line was largely responsible for that. It was so effortless, and it went a long way in making the half-human, half-Vulcan such a fan-favorite. And the way in which he formed such a natural kinship with Shatner's Captain Kirk made them easily the best double act on the show.
Nimoy lived and breathed the character of Spock, and his willingness to return for all of the continuation films really drove that home. It was a thrill to see the character evolve over the years just as it was a thrill to see Nimoy on our screens each time. What he did with that role will always be remembered for turning Spock into the legend that he is. Without Nimoy, we wouldn't be celebrating the beloved character today. And for that, we'll always be thankful to him.