Profile of the Day: Leonard Nimoy

Today we remember actor Leonard Nimoy on what would have been his 90th birthday.

Image: Leonard Nimoy / Gage Skidmore, Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)

Nimoy was born on March 26, 1931 in Boston, Massachusetts to Orthodox Jewish immigrants from Izaislav, Ukraine. Coming from a Yiddish-speaking household, Nimoy learned Yiddish as his first language. He began acting in a neighborhood theater at the age of 8 and with the encouragement of his grandfather, decided to pursue a career as an actor.

In 1966, Nimoy got his big break when he was cast as Spock in the television series, Star Trek.  Although the show would only run for three seasons, the series would have a significant cultural impact and spawn many films and spin-off series.

Did you know that Nimoy came up with the famous Vulcan greeting, “Live long and prosper?” He based it on the Orthodox Jewish blessings he remembered from childhood.

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