Leonard Nimoy, the legendary actor who played Mr Spock in Star Trek, has died at the age of 83.
The
star, who was first cast in the science-fiction series in 1965,
suffered from COPD - chronic obstructive pulmonary disease - and was
rushed to the UCLA Medical Center after a 911 call on February 19.
His wife Susan Bay Nimoy and son Adam confirmed he passed away at his Bel Air, Los Angeles, home on Friday morning.
Nimoy's final tweet sent from his hospital bed urged fans to 'live long and prosper'.
The
actor, who played the role for 16 years, had previously spoken about
his struggle with the illness, which makes it increasingly difficult to
breathe, and blamed the diagnosis on years of smoking.
William
Shatner, who played Captain Kirk and became a close friend of Nimoy
during the filming of the series, led the tributes to the actor. He said
in a statement released on Friday: 'I loved him like a brother. We will
all miss his humor, his talent, and his capacity to love.'
Leonard Nimoy was taken to UCLA
Medical Center on February 19 after suffering severe chest pains. His
wife Susan Bay confirmed he passed away at his home on Friday morning
Health issues: The 83-year-old, who
suffered from COPD - chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, frequently
spoke of having difficulty breathing and blames his diagnosis on years
of smoking
Leonard
had been in and out of hospitals multiple times throughout the last few
months, following his announcement that he suffered from the
potentially fatal lung disease.
He
took to Twitter in 2014 to share his diagnosis, and gave his followers
some advice, saying: 'I quit smoking 30 years ago. Not soon enough. I
have COPD. Grandpa says, quit now!! LLAP [Live Long and Prosper]'.
The
former science fiction's star's last tweet, sent from his hospital bed,
read: 'A life is like a garden. Perfect moments can be had, but not
preserved, except in memory. LLAP'
He
also took to social media in the last days of his life to say that his
hometown, Boston, is 'taking more snow than it needs.'
Message: Nimoy, pictured with his wife Susan in October told fans to 'live long and prosper' in his final tweet
Past: In January he expressed his regret at smoking earlier on in life. He has blamed his illness on the habit
Dedicated: Despite his struggle, the
actor maintained his connected to his fans right up until his death,
urging them to support the franchise
Influence: NASA led the tributes to the iconic actor, saying he 'inspired' many employees at the agency
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. He earned three Emmy Awards for the role, meaning he could land
almost any television or movie role he wanted.
However
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).
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.
Despite
his struggle with COPD, the actor has kept himself busy with numerous
work projects, and stays involved with the Star Trek fandom.
He retired from Star Trek conventions in 2011, but continued to urge fans to support the science-fiction franchise.
And
in 2012, Leonard finished a successful stint playing the character Dr.
William Bell on the hit science fiction thriller Fringe.
He
continued to reach out to his fans right up until his death whenever,
and made a cameo as the steadfastly logical Vulcan in the 2013 reboot
sequel, Into Darkness.
NASA paid their respects to the late star, saying many staff at the space agency had been 'inspired' by Spock.
George
Takei, who played the helmsman of the USS Enterprise, wrote on
Facebook: 'Today, the world lost a great man, and I lost a great friend.
We return you now to the stars, Leonard. You taught us to "Live Long
And Prosper," and you indeed did, friend. I shall miss you in so many,
many ways.'
Actor
Zachary Quinto, who took over as Mr. Spock in the reboot and its
sequel, told NPR in 2013 that Nimoy 'was very supportive from the
beginning, and we became incredibly good friends.'
Support: Actor Zachary Quinto, who
took over as Mr. Spock in the reboot and its sequel, said on Instagram:
My heart is broken. I love you profoundly my dear friend'
Unmatched: Larry King said Nimoy created a role that 'nobody else could play'
'Thank you': Will Wheaton, who
played Wesley Crusher in Star Trek, said there wouldn't have been a
galaxy to explore with Nimoy being there
Iconic: Kat Dennings, who stars in the sitcom Broke Girls, said Nimoy will always be a 'beloved legend'
'Part of us all': Actress Alyssa Milano told Nimoy to 'rest with the angels' after hearing news of his death
'Beam me up': Boy George was one of the celebrities who took to social media to pay tribute to the actor
He
posted a photo of the actor on Instagram on Friday alongside the
message: 'My heart is broken. i love you profoundly my dear friend. and i
will miss you everyday. may flights of angels sing thee to thy rest.'
After
serving in the Army in 1953 he made an appearance in the rejected Star
Trek pilot 'The Cage' in 1965. He played Spock until 1969 then appeared
in eight feature films and a number of spin-offs.
In
1967, the Vulcan salute appeared - consisting of a raised hand, palm
forward with the fingers parted between the middle and ring finger -
which stood for 'live long and prosper'.
Nimoy devised the gesture and made it popular around the world.
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.
