Leonard Nimoy, the beloved actor best known for his iconic role as Mr. Spock on Star Trek, has died at the age of 83.
Nimoy played first officer to Captain Kirk (William Shatner) on the Starship Enterprise series and movies. Nimoy died Friday morning in Bel-Air, California, his granddaughter Madeleine Nimoy confirmed, according to ABC News.
According to Nimoy’s son Adam, he died from end-stage chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
Nimoy revealed that he was struggling with the disease in 2014. Nimoy had been a smoker, which contributed to the health problem, although he gave up smoking many years ago.
Last year, Nimoy tweeted a warning to smokers, signing the tweet with the iconic phrase of Spock, “Live Long and Prosper.”
[quote text_size=”small” author=”– Leonard Nimoy” author_title=”Actor”]
I quit smoking 30 yrs ago. Not soon enough. I have COPD … Smokers, please understand. If you quit after you’re diagnosed with lung damage it’s too late. Grandpa says learn my lesson. Quit now. LLAP.
[/quote]
In a tweet, William Shatner said, “I loved him like a brother. We will all miss his humor, his talent, and his capacity to love.”
Flowers will be placed on Nimoy’s star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 10:30 am PT, according to NBC News.
Nimoy’s best-known line was invoked in his last tweet, which was posted Monday. “A life is like a garden. Perfect moments can be had, but not preserved, except in memory. LLAP.”
Nimoy was a U.S. Army veteran who began acting locally in Boston at the age of 8, starring in TV runs like “Broken Arrow” and “Dragnet.” His debut as Spock in the 1960s hit “Star Trek” made him a cult icon.
Nimoy brought Spock to the screen in 1966 in the original Star Trek pilot, and played the character on television until 1969. He then starred in eight movies, building a following around the half Vulcan, half human character. Most recently, he reprised his role in the 2009 reboot “Star Trek” and the sequel “Star Trek Into Darkness” in 2013.
It was Nimoy who came up with the “live long and prosper” split finger salute, which he borrowed from an approximation of the Hebrew letter shin, one of the names for God, according to CNN.
