It was four years ago today that science fiction lost one of its biggest icons as Leonard Nimoy passed away at the age of 83, and in honor of his longtime Star Trek co-star, William Shatner took to social media today to share a touching picture of himself with the actor most know for playing Mr. Spock opposite his Captain Kirk.
Shatner’s simple caption read: “Leonard, March 26, 1931-February 27, 2015,” and you can see the photo for yourself down below.
The duo had a decades-long friendship on and off-screen, appearing together in The Original Series in the 1960s and many movies across the 1980s and 1990s. Unfortunately, Trek fans may know that there was some bad blood between the pair at the end of Nimoy’s life, which Shatner’s opened up about in the past, revealing that their falling out led him to not feel welcome at Nimoy’s funeral.
Unlike Shatner, Nimoy went on to appear in the rebooted Star Trek movies, reprising his role – now dubbed Spock Prime to differentiate him from Zachary Quinto’s version – in the 2009 film and 2012’s Star Trek into Darkness. Spock’s death was referenced following Nimoy’s passing in 2015’s Star Trek Beyond as well.
Nowadays, with the movie series on hold, Spock’s set to be played by Ethan Peck on Star Trek: Discovery. The actor lent his voice to a spot of narration in the season 2 premiere but is due to appear in the flesh later on in the run. Peck’s casting was endorsed by Nimoy’s family, too, just as Nimoy previously approved of Quinto.
Star Trek: Discovery airs Thursdays on CBS All Access, with the impending presence of Spock serving as a reminder that Nimoy’s memory will always live on in the franchise.
