Leonard Nimoy in His Own Words: How Spock Changed Me
Leonard Nimoy In His Own Words
Shakira Seemingly Slams Ex Gerard Piqué and His Girlfriend in Ne…
Wynonna Judd Reflects on Lisa Marie Presley's Death and Opens Up…
Harry Styles Splits His Pants Mid-Concert in Front of First Cele…
Eddie Murphy Shares His Reaction When His Kids' Significant Othe…
‘Hot’ Wiggle John Pearce Says His Wife Is ‘Proud’ of His Newest …
Tom Brady Reflects on His Future in Acting and a Possible ‘80 fo…
How Tom Brady Is Prioritizing His Kids After Second Retirement (…
'The Bachelor': Zach Shallcross Explains His Shocking Premiere N…
Lindsie Chrisley and Nanny Faye Visit Todd at His Florida Prison
Omar Apollo's Mom Raves Over Her Son at His First GRAMMYs (Exclu…
Colin Farrell Says His ‘Prayers’ Are With Former Co-Star Jeremy …
Why Zack Bia Doesn’t Pay Attention to Headlines About His Love L…
Clive Davis Promises an Unexpected Duet at His Annual Pre-GRAMMY…
‘Sister Wives’: Kody Shares His Hopes for Christine and Janelle …
Jimmy Kimmel Celebrates 20 Years of Talk Show by Recreating His …
Kevin Costner Lists His Aspen Ranch to Rent for a Whopping $36K …
Austin Butler Wishes Lisa Marie Presley 'Were Here to Celebrate'…
Tyler Posey Reacts to NSFW Tweets and Reveals ‘Teen Wolf’ Change…
Following Leonard Nimoy's passing, ET is looking back at the time we spent with the actor best known for his role as Mr. Spock in the original Star Trek television and movie series.
In his first interview with ET in 1982, Nimoy cherished the idea of giving fans more than they would get from the average TV show.
NEWS: President Obama and Celebs React to Nimoy's Death
"The series, while it was extremely good entertainment, at the same time offered food for thought," Nimoy said at the time. "The messages are there and there are enough ideas present for people to interpret them as they see fit."
Nimoy dedicated himself to his job and enjoyed enriching people's lives through his work, as ET learned on the set of Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home.
"There are two challenges here," Nimoy said in 1986. "One is to be different. The other is to try to be consistently better than the previous films."
It seems fitting that as Nimoy gave to his fans, his character actually gave to him. The four-time Emmy nominee admitted that Dr. Spock improved his life on a personal level.
"Emotionally, I think the character helped me as I think the character helped a lot of people," Nimoy told ET in 2009. "Spock was helpful as a role model and he was to me. I think I became a much more balanced individual as a result of portraying Spock."
Nimoy continued to work after the show ended its run, appearing in JJ Abrams' Fox drama Fringe as well as the movie Star Trek Into Darkness. Nimoy was consulted before the casting of Spock for JJ Abrams' reboot, and he told ET that he "saw immediately" the potential that Zachary Quinto had for playing the part. This meant a lot coming from someone who fought to preserve the sanctity of the show.
"I have always felt, particularly with Star Trek, that one must be careful to see to it that you're not simply cashing in on the title," Nimoy told ET in 1982. "The audience has high expectations. I'm delighted with the fact that people care."
NEWS: 13 Reasons Leonard Nimoy Was Even More Amazing Than You Thought
Nimoy passed away at his Bel-Air home on Friday morning at the age of 83. According to his wife, Susan Bay Nimoy, his death was due to the end stages of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (CPOD), which affects the lungs.
"I loved him like a brother," William Shatner, who played Captain Kirk alongside Nimoy in the Star Trek series, told ET in a statement. "We will all miss his humor, his talent, and his capacity to love."