Wednesday, April 21, 2010

Yes, I'm saying it....Live Long, And Prosper


The geek world is abuzz today with the news that Leonard Nimoy has announced his retirement from show biz, after 60 years as a professional actor and director.

The 79 year old man, most famous for his iconic portrayal of Mr. Spock in the Star Trek franchise, has announced that he will no longer be taking on any acting roles, nor will he be directing any more films. He has seemingly completed filming for his character of the mysterious Dr. William Bell on the TV show Fringe, a role he took to show gratitude to JJ Abrams, who directed Nimoy in last year's Star Trek.

Nimoy, who is currently in Canada for a sci-fi convention in Calgary and a visit to Vulcan, Alberta, has also said that he could be retiring from attending conventions as well. Still, he had nothing but warm things to say about his experiences at conventions throughout his life:

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.

Nimoy is choosing to focus on his photography, which has garnered him considerable acclaim in the arts world, and no small amount of controversy. His first series, entitled Shekhina, was a series of nudes and near-nudes. Shekhina is the Talmudic term for the visible and audible manifestations of the Deity's presence on Earth, and the combination of sexualized female nudity and Hebrew religion and tradition attracted its share of criticism from religious groups. But it also attracted its share of praise, and since then he has been accepted in the art world as more than just a dilettante. Below you'll find one of the photos from the series.




I have to say, I'll miss Nimoy a little. He was always a class act, through and through. And while the Shat has become a bit of a punchline over the years (that actually hurt me to type), and DeForest Kelley was the old Hollywood pro, Nimoy was the embodiment of the geek as artist over the years. He always seemed to have more going on, both in her performances and his life. Enjoy the rest, sir, and thanks for all your work over the years!

No comments: