Wednesday, April 21, 2010

Leonard Nimoy Confirms his Retirement from Acting

In a recent interview given to the Toronto Sun, Leonard Nimoy once again confirmed that he is indeed retiring from acting, and that we shouldn't expect to see him in the Star Trek sequel (due out in 2012)or anywhere else for that matter.

The 79-year old actor is definitely handing over his Spock character to 32-year old Zachary Quinto, who played Spock in JJ Abrams' 2009 Star Trek movie, after being in the role that defined him for more than 40 years.

I want to get off the stage. Also, I don’t think it would be fair to Zachary Quinto. He’s a terrific actor, he looks the part, and it’s time to give him some space. And I’m very flattered the character will continue.

Nimoy has been an actor for almost 60 years and this is not the first time he has retired from acting. In fact, he was retired when JJ Abrams managed to entice him back to the role of Spock for his 2009 successful reboot of the aging franchise, and again when he offered the actor the role of William Bell on Fringe.

I was away from acting for 12 years, so I guess I was seducable. But since J.J. Abrams revived the Star Trek franchise, I felt I owed him something. And I’m glad I did it because he promised me a good story, and it was.

I remember last summer, during the 2009 Star Trek Convention in Las Vegas, how William Shatner - the original Captain Kirk and a close friend of Nimoy's - teased the frail actor that he would do anything for JJ Abrams. It was completely hilarious and you could see the love these two men have for each other (you can go read about the panel here).

As for the many Sci-Fi and Star Trek conventions that Leonard Nimoy usually attends, the actor said that it could be the last go-round for that too.

But he does enjoy them and described them as a love fest. I’m so grateful to the fans. I call these kind of experiences a victory lap ... It’s like having a family meeting — a family reunion. [Toronto Sun]

One thing for sure is that Leonard Nimoy will be sorely missed, but I wish him all the best.

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