RIP Leonard Nimoy, who has died at the age of 83.
The actor was best known for his portrayal of Mr. Spock in Star Trek. However, as his memorable Simpsons cameo dutifully reminded us, he has done so much more.
In homage, we’ve put together this list of his best non-Star Trek appearances.
The Big Bang Theory
The one that every geek was waiting for, Nimoy’s appearance on The Big Bang Theory contained just the right balance of respect and wit: rather than attempting to crow-bar in an oddly stilted appearance of Spock, the show went with the sensible (if predictable) option of including Nimoy in a dream-sequence, voicing a small Spock doll. Proof, at least, that he openly courted his own cult geek status.
The Simpsons
Nimoy appeared in one of the all-time classic Simpsons episodes, 1993's Marge Vs. The Monorail, as himself. Brilliantly, he sends himself up; boring the pants off disinterested members of the public with tales of his time on Star Trek.
Three Men And A Baby (1987)
Nimoy was accomplished behind the lens as well as in front of it. He directed two of the Star Trek feature films (III: The Search For Spock and IV: The Voyage Home), as well as 1988's classic comedy Three Men And A Baby.
The Ballad Of Bilbo Baggins
Like Star Trek co-star William Shatner, Nimoy recorded and released several albums of music. This classic novelty song is taken from his second album, Two Sides Of Leonard Nimoy. Even better, Leonard sent himself up in 2013 when he appeared in this Audi advert, muttering the lyrics to himself as he goes for a drive.
Civilization IV
Thousands of video gamers sent their office chairs flying when Nimoy’s dulcet tones introduced the story of Sid Meier’s Civilization IV, “It’s Spock! Spock is narrating Civ 4” was the cry – or something to that effect. One of the finest turn-based strategies ever created, Nimoy’s performance as the narrator was amongst examples of a TV cult hero turning their skills to the world of video games.
