Leonard Nimoy Biography

Leonard Nimoy first experienced the magic of making photographic images as a teen-ager in the early 1940’s. “I was about thirteen,” he says, when he discusses his attraction to the family camera, a bellows Kodak Autographic, which is a cherished part of his collection to this day. His darkroom was the family bathroom in their small Boston apartment. His subjects were family and friends. Nimoy’s first enlarger was a do-it-yourself number built around the same family Kodak.

Nimoy studied at UCLA under Robert Heineken in the early 1970’s and produced a body of work which was published in two books of poetry, You and I and Will I Think of You. Nimoy describes the images as “romantic, sentimental landscapes, still lives, and couples.”

During a recent “artist in residence” appointment at the American Academy in Rome, Nimoy produced a series of images based on the Antonio Canova sculpture of Paulina Bonaparte Borghese.

Of Nimoy’s latest images, in his spirit/flesh series, noted art critic Donald Kuspit has written, “Leonard Nimoy’s photographs show an exquisite sensibility…Nimoy’s fascination with the female body involves an element of temptation as well as transcendence…One body represents – by reason of the often stark contrast between light and dark, covered and uncovered flesh – what it took Titian two bodies to represent …what is really unusual about his female figures is that they signify profane and sacred love simultaneously…”

LEONARD NIMOY was born in Boston, Massachusetts, on March 26, 1931, the second son of Max and Dora Nimoy. Mr. Nimoy has two children, Julie and Adam, several grandchildren, and is currently married to his second wife, Susan Bay Nimoy.
Leonard was educated at Boston English High School. He first appeared on stage in a production of "Hansel and Gretel" at the age of 8, and continued to appear in amateur shows until he was 18, when he left home to travel to California to begin his career in earnest. After only one year in Hollywood, and only just 20, he landed the lead role in a movie "Kid Monk Baroni".
After a two-year stint in the army, Nimoy went back to work in feature films, television, and theater. During the late '50s and early '60s, Nimoy appeared in many of the well-known TV series of the period including Wagon Train, Man from U.N.C.L.E., Rawhide, Perry Mason, and Combat. He also appeared in several feature films, including Deathwatch, and The Balcony. However, it was Nimoy's enormous success in the science fiction television series, Star Trek, which gained him worldwide recognition.

First airing in 1966, Nimoy's character, Mr. Spock, would become an icon over the years as the popular television show branched off into syndication and later onto the big screen as a series of six feature films. Nimoy's portrayal of the Vulcan, Spock, earned him three Emmy nominations.

In 1973 he had his first photographic showing at a gallery. His poetry book "You and I" was published, and by 1977 he had recorded for the Dot Label and earned a Masters Degree in Education. Leonard's illustrious career. In September 2000 he was awarded a Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters from Antioch University for his work in Holocaust Rememberance, the Arts and the Environment.
Leonard's career has spanned many aspects of stage and screen. His contributions have included directing several films, including two of the Star Trek movies as well as the blockbuster hit, "Three Men and A Baby". He has acted and produced for the Silver Screen, Broadway and television.

Leonard Nimoy's star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame was unveiled on January 16, 1985. The star is located at 6651 Hollywood Blvd., between North Cherokee and North Las Palmas, Hollywood, CA.

Leonard and Susan continue to work hard for various "good causes", In 2001 they made a donation of one million dollars toward the renovation and expansion of Griffith Observatory, located in Los Angeles. A new lecture hall, the Leonard Nimoy Event Horizon has been named in his honor.
Leonard has renewed his interest in photography and poetry in recent years with the release of his newest works. He still continues to attend conventions.