Ten Things You Didn't Know About Leonard Nimoy
Leonard Nimoy, who died February 27th at the age of 83, was more than his most famous character, Spock. He also directed films, recorded music, wrote books and became a Transformer.
1. He Invented The Vulcan Salute
Leonard Nimoy was the son of Ukrainian Jewish immigrants. He based the Vulcan salute on hand gestures that he saw during a priestly blessing in a synagogue when he was a child.
2. He Invented The Vulcan Nerve Pinch, Too
Nimoy came up with Spock's signature Vulcan nerve pinch, as a nonviolent way to overpower his adversaries.
3. He Directed 'Three Men and a Baby'
In addition to directing two 'Star Trek' feature films, Leonard Nimoy also directed the hit 1987 comedy 'Three Men and a Baby', starring Tom Selleck, Steve Guttenberg and Ted Danson.
4. He Was A Recording Artist
Nimoy recorded the single 'The Ballad of Bilbo Baggins'. His first full album was titled, 'Mr. Spock Presents Music From Outer Space' for Dot Records.
5. He Appeared In Both 'Mission: Impossible' and 'The Man from U.N.C.L.E.'
Leonard Nimoy appeared in competing 60s spy TV shows 'Mission: Impossible' and 'The Man from U.N.C.L.E.'. Before Nimoy replaced Martin Landau in 'Mission: Impossible' (1969), he first appeared in one episode of 'The Man from U.N.C.L.E.' in 1964.
6. He Appeared In All Episodes Of 'Star Trek: The Original Series' (1966).
Nimoy is the only actor to appear in every episode of the original 'Star Trek' (1966) series. Along with Majel Barrett, he is also one of only two actors to appear in both the first and last episodes.
7. He Wrote Two Autobiographies
Leonard Nimoy released two autobiographies: 'I Am Not Spock' in 1977 and 'I Am Spock' in 1995.
8. He Received Three Emmy Nominations
Nimoy's performance as Lieutenant Commander Spock earned him three Emmy nominations.
9. He Was Related to Director Michael Bay
Leonard Nimoy is related to 'Transformers' director Michael Bay through marriage. His wife, Susan Bay, is Michael Bay's cousin.
10. He Was The Voice of 'Transformers' Galvatron
Long before Michael Bay directed his first live-action 'Transformers' (2007), Nimoy voiced the villain Galvatron in the animated feature film, 'The Transformers: The Movie' (1986).
