Leonard Nimoy, famous as Mr. Spock on 'Star Trek,' dies - News - DailyTidings.com - Ashland, OR

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2015-03-19

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0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation  |  Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? subscribe | newsletter | deals Home News Latest Stories Prisoners in their own home How do you feel about new cell towers? Oregon Shakespeare Festival designer for a half-century says he's still learning Louie's to donate sales to Helman Hug Fund Ashland High School Drama Club to host Showcase Night on Thursday Education Prisoners in their own home Louie's to donate sales to Helman Hug Fund Ashland High School Drama Club to host Showcase Night on Thursday Ashland Kiwanis recognizes Samara Diab Hands-On work with robots at ScienceWorks Environment Wild Side: Selfish and other reasons for saving endangered species Mt. Ashland Ski Area: Low snow closes 'bunny hill' chairlift for beginning skiers With pre-season conditions worst in 25 years, catastrophic wildfires expected in region this summer Legislature might be divided on clean fuels bill, but these Ashlanders weren't Ashland Rowing Club members put their backs into Emigrant Lake clean-up Business Breaking ground on organic vineyard practices Southern Oregon University: Recent and pending projects at SOU total about $132 million Test Drive: 2015 Subaru Outback Limited Silvio Calabi: 2015 Cherokee is a modern Jeep Ride & Drive: 2015 Hyundai Genesis Politics and elections Short-term rental restrictions kept in some areas, loosened in others Arthur I. Cyr: South Korea represents long-term triumph – for them and for US Mark L. Hopkins: Looking for a political straight shooter Oregon's governor appoints new secretary of state Ballots on Jackson County marijuana tax go out today State News Oregon's governor appoints new secretary of state Kate Brown sworn in as Oregon's 38th governor Nation - World Leonard Nimoy, famous as Mr. Spock on 'Star Trek,' dies Obituaries Death Notices Shiela R. Ettlich Karen June Shaw Death Notices Death Notices Shareable Bank of America is predicting a massive Tesla collapse Mars One attracts science fiction geeks and people who hate society Sports Latest Stories Wade scores 32, Heat rally to beat Blazers AHS grad Bailey claims national wrestling title Ashland boys capture another Sato Cup snowboard title at Mt. Bachelor Fredrickson leads Grizzlies to season-opening romp Thompson, Weber to play in all-star game High school Ashland boys capture another Sato Cup snowboard title at Mt. Bachelor Fredrickson leads Grizzlies to season-opening romp Grizz alpine skiers finish strong at state Ashland High's Honsinger tops field in final nordic ski meet Grizz snowboard team heads to state with repeat potential Southern Oregon University AHS grad Bailey claims national wrestling title Thompson, Weber to play in all-star game Beavers get No. 3 seed, host NCAA games Young shoots Ducks into Pac-12 title game Raider softball team opens league play with split at Northwest Voices Latest Stories Landgren cartoon: Boston gets a ‘Frozen’ sequel Our View: SOU's economic clout Letters to the Editor, March 18 Letters to the Editor, March 17 Landgren cartoon: Sunshine Week Editorial Our View: SOU's economic clout Our view: Keep it simple in developing marijuana rules Our View: Ashland is at risk as a bad fire season looms Our View: Ashland backs residents over visitors in lodging decision Our View: No need for blame in Hannah Thomas-Garner case Letters Letters to the Editor, March 18 Letters to the Editor, March 17 Letters to the Editor, March 14 Letters to the Editor, March 12 Letters to the Editor, March 11 Guest opinions Guest Opinion: Ashland is asking for trouble with new room rental rules Guest Opinion: More reasons to oppose Jordan Cove Guest Opinion: It's Groundwater Awareness Week; test your well Guest Opinion: Ashland schools failed to protect my son from bullying Guest Opinion: There is nothing uniform about the Uniform Crime Report Columns Guest Opinion: Ashland is asking for trouble with new room rental rules Council Corner: City considers the sharing economy Herb Rothschild Jr.: Demonizing Putin makes case for war Guest Opinion: More reasons to oppose Jordan Cove Jeffrey Gillespie: The opaqueness of Hillary Clinton Chris Honore Council Corner Editor's Notes Jeffrey Gillespie Herb Rothschild Revels Latest Stories Community blog: Herzog scholarship for young writers Movie listings: March 13-18 Nitty Gritty Dirt Band co-founder John McEuen performs at the Unitarian Fellowship in Ashland Thanks for the Memories presents 'Anastasia' Community blog: Take a peek at poet Scott Wozniak Theater Oregon Shakespeare Festival designer for a half-century says he's still learning Ashland High School Drama Club to host Showcase Night on Thursday Theater review: Thanks for the Memories pulls off challenging 'Anastasia' in Ashland Ticket availability Ticket Availability Music The Farr Side: Madonna — ever the trendsetter Nitty Gritty Dirt Band co-founder John McEuen performs at the Unitarian Fellowship in Ashland Alice DiMicele plays Unitarian Fellowship The Farr Side: Another career highlight for Kelly Clarkson Music on the Mountain: Ski area launching concert series Visual Art Ashland's First Friday Art Walk showcases new exhiits by regional artists Movies 8 must-see spring films Movie review: ‘Wrecking Crew’ is a look at the people who really put the bomp Movie review: ‘Cinderella’ is an instant classic Shailene Woodley returns as Tris in ‘Insurgent’ Movie listings: March 13-18 Food and Drink Sammich does it Chicago-style Cruelest Month: Poetry Blog Lifestyle Latest Stories Oregon Shakespeare Festival designer for a half-century says he's still learning Page H. Onorato: How food names came into being Tammy Kelly: Healthy leftover ham Lost in Suburbia: Top 10 reasons I like my dog better than my kids Dear Monty: Tips for checking out an existing septic system Aging Happens Inner Peace Column Inner Peace Blog Rogues: Tales from the Valley Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED   » Obituaries Photos Videos Blogs Business Business Services NEWS NOW   Louie's to donate sales to Helman Hug Fund       ...       Ashland High School Drama Club to host Showcase Night on Thursday       ...       Our View: SOU's economic clout       ...       Louie's to donate sales to Helman Hug Fund       ...       Ashland High School Drama Club to host Showcase Night on Thursday       ...       Our View: SOU's economic clout       ...           Leonard Nimoy, famous as Mr. Spock on 'Star Trek,' dies Leonard Nimoy, the actor known and loved by generations of "Star Trek" fans as the pointy-eared, purely logical science officer Mr. Spock, has died. Comment By The Associated Press DailyTidings.com By The Associated Press Posted Feb. 27, 2015 at 9:45 AM Updated Feb 27, 2015 at 10:50 AM By The Associated Press Posted Feb. 27, 2015 at 9:45 AM Updated Feb 27, 2015 at 10:50 AM GHNS »  Social News LOS ANGELES — Leonard Nimoy, the actor known and loved by generations of "Star Trek" fans as the pointy-eared, purely logical science officer Mr. Spock, has died. Nimoy's son, Adam Nimoy, said the actor died Friday of end-stage chronic obstructive pulmonary disease at his Los Angeles home. He was 83. Although Leonard Nimoy followed his 1966-69 "Star Trek" run with a notable career as both an actor and director, in the public's mind he would always be Spock. His half-human, half-Vulcan character was the calm counterpoint to William Shatner's often-emotional Captain Kirk on one of television and film's most revered cult series. Nimoy's ambivalence to the role was reflected in the titles of his two autobiographies, "I Am Not Spock" (1975) and "I Am Spock" (1995). After "Star Trek" ended, the actor immediately joined the hit adventure series "Mission Impossible" as Paris, the mission team's master of disguises. From 1976 to 1982 he hosted the syndicated TV series "In Search of ... " which attempted to probe such mysteries as the legend of the Loch Ness Monster and the disappearance of aviator Amelia Earhart. He played Israeli leader Golda Meir's husband opposite Ingrid Bergman in the TV drama "A Woman Called Golda" and Vincent van Gogh in "Vincent," a one-man stage show on the life of the troubled painter. He continued to work well into his 70s, playing gazillionaire genius William Bell in the Fox series "Fringe." He also directed several films, including the hit comedy "Three Men and a Baby" and appeared in such plays as "A Streetcar Named Desire," ''Cat on a Hot Tim Roof," ''Fiddler on the Roof," ''The King and I," ''My Fair Lady" and "Equus." He also published books of poems, children's stories and his own photographs. But he could never really escape the role that took him overnight from bit-part actor status to TV star, and in a 1995 interview he sought to analyze the popularity of Spock, the green-blooded space traveler who aspired to live a life based on pure logic. People identified with Spock because they "recognize in themselves this wish that they could be logical and avoid the pain of anger and confrontation," Nimoy concluded. "How many times have we come away from an argument wishing we had said and done something different?" he asked. In the years immediately after "Star Trek" left television, Nimoy tried to shun the role, but he eventually came to embrace it, lampooning himself on such TV shows as "Futurama," ''Duckman" and "The Simpsons" and in commercials. He became Spock after "Star Trek" creator Gene Roddenberry was impressed by his work in guest appearances on the TV shows "The Lieutenant" and "Dr. Kildare." The space adventure set in the 23rd century had an unimpressive debut on NBC on Sept. 8, 1966, and it struggled during its three seasons to find an audience other than teenage boys. It seemed headed for oblivion after it was canceled in 1969, but its dedicated legion of fans, who called themselves Trekkies, kept its memory alive with conventions and fan clubs and constant demands that the cast be reassembled for a movie or another TV show. Trekkies were particularly fond of Spock, often greeting one another with the Vulcan salute and the Vulcan motto, "Live Long and Prosper," both of which Nimoy was credited with bringing to the character. He pointed out, however, that the hand gesture was actually derived from one used by rabbis during Hebraic benedictions. When the cast finally was reassembled for "Star Trek — The Motion Picture," in 1979, the film was a huge hit and five sequels followed. Nimoy appeared in all of them and directed two. He also guest starred as an older version of himself in some of the episodes of the show's spinoff TV series, "Star Trek: The Next Generation." "Of course the role changed my career— or rather, gave me one," he once said. "It made me wealthy by most standards and opened up vast opportunities. It also affected me personally, socially, psychologically, emotionally. ... What started out as a welcome job to a hungry actor has become a constant and ongoing influence in my thinking and lifestyle." In 2009, he was back in a new big-screen version of "Star Trek," this time playing an older Spock who meets his younger self, played by Zachary Quinto. Critic Roger Ebert called the older Spock "the most human character in the film." Among those seeing the film was President Barack Obama, whose even manner was often likened to Spock's. "Everybody was saying I was Spock, so I figured I should check it out," Obama said at the time. Upon the movie's debut, Nimoy told The Associated Press that in his late 70s he was probably closer than ever to being as comfortable with himself as the logical Spock always appeared to be. "I know where I'm going, and I know where I've been," he said. He reprised the role in the 2013 sequel "Star Trek Into Darkness." Born in Boston to Jewish immigrants from Russia, Nimoy was raised in an Italian section of the city where, although he counted many Italian-Americans as his friends, he said he also felt the sting of anti-Semitism growing up. At age 17 he was cast in a local production of Clifford Odets' "Awake and Sing" as the son in a Jewish family. "This role, the young man surrounded by a hostile and repressive environment, so touched a responsive chord that I decided to make a career of acting," he said later. He won a drama scholarship to Boston College but eventually dropped out, moved to California and took acting lessons at the Pasadena Playhouse. Soon he had lost his "Boston dead-end" accent, hired an agent and began getting small roles in TV series and movies. He played a baseball player in "Rhubarb" and an Indian in "Old Overland Trail." After service in the Army, he returned to Hollywood, working as taxi driver, vacuum cleaner salesman, movie theater usher and other jobs while looking for acting roles. In 1954 he married Sandra Zober, a fellow student at the Pasadena Playhouse, and they had two children, Julie and Adam. The couple divorced, and in 1988 he married Susan Bay, a film production executive. By The Associated Press DailyTidings.com By The Associated Press Posted Feb. 27, 2015 at 9:45 AM Updated Feb 27, 2015 at 10:50 AM » Comment or view comments   Reader Reaction »  STAY INFORMED   Email NewsLetter   Sign Up Today   Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. calendar Connect with DailyTidings.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Alerts Email alerts RSS feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Stay Informed   Email newsletter   Sign Up Today   Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Your privacy is important, read our privacy policy. © Copyright 2015 Local Media Group, Inc. 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