Eus
09-24-2008, 04:58 PM
Sourcer:Gameinformer.com
It would not be Star Trek without one of the most recognizable characters of all-time, Spock. From Trek to Trek, Leonard Nimoy has been an ambassador to the franchise since it started in the 60’s. Now with a new motion picture and a major MMORPG in the works, worried fans are getting excited that their massive IP is back on the upswing. We sat down with the legend and took the time to get his insight on the game, new movie and all-things Star Trek.
GI: You’ve been at the center of the Star Trek phenomenon since its inception. Do you have any sense of what its legacy will be in years to come?
Leonard Nimoy: I think, in a word, the legacy will be gigantic. What’s amazing is the constant resurrection of Star Trek. We went on the air in 1966, and after two seasons we were cancelled. There was a large demonstration of fan mail and what have you; hundreds of thousands of letters came to the network complaining of the cancellation, so the network, in a unique move, put the show back on the air for a third season, and then we were cancelled again. After the third season, there was no more Star Trek produced for eleven years. And during that time there was enormous amount of interest in reruns. The show became an enormous hit in syndication. It had not really found its audience in the first three seasons of primetime. After 11 years, we made the first movie, which was not very good. It was very expensive, and very large, but kind of a beached whale. It didn’t do well at all. Fans didn’t care about it. Star Trek died again. Along came a couple people – Harve Bennet and Nicolas Meyer, who had an idea about how to make a rather inexpensive Star Trek movie, and they convinced the studio of their vision and they invested some money. They made Star Trek II, which was a very good movie. And suddenly, Star Trek was resurrected once more. I died at the end – my character Spock died. So we were constantly dealing with death and resurrection. When the movie was test screened, the reaction to the death of Spock was so painful that the studio decided to put a teaser ending on the movie that gave an opening for Spock to be brought back in movie three. And that’s when I began directing. I was called about coming back as Spock, and I told them I would like to direct the next movie. I had the leverage, to put it plainly. So they let me, and I ended up directing both three and four. And we did quite well. We had a good time. We continued on with five and six, and then the Next Generation took over. From that point on, I was sort of out of it, but the story continued expanding from there. There were four subsequent series. I would say in the last two or three years, at least, the franchise has been kind of in the doldrums. I think it ran its course on TV. I think people got a little burnt out. I don’t know how great the stories were – I don’t want to comment on that because I’m not a watcher. But my sense was that the energy was waning. And now, I really think we are looking at a big resurrection again. The excitement is building about the next movie that we just finished filming. The movie was scheduled to open originally this year, at Christmas time. I think postponing it to next summer is really a vote of confidence. The movie is ready. There’s no question that they’ve got the movie they want and like. And they could open this Christmas. But they decided to hold a very expensive negative because they think they can do much more business with a summer release. I’m very excited about this movie. J.J. Abrams, who made it, is a really talented guy. He can do what a lot of directors can’t do. He can do the big production stuff as well as the very small intimate moments. Some directors are good at one or the other, but very few are good at both. He does it very well. And I think the cast is terrific. I’ve seen a little bit of it. I haven’t seen the entire movie. But I’ve had calls. There was one screening, at the studio about ten days ago. There were only about eight people who were allowed in to see that screening. And some of the people who were at the screening called my attorney, which was very unusual. I got a nice note from J.J. telling me about the audience reaction. These people were studio executives. But what was really unusual, was that my attorney called me to tell me that he’d had calls from a couple of the people who had been there who were quite high on it. So I take that as a real vote of confidence. I wish the movie were opening sooner, if only for personal reasons. I’d just like to see the movie get out there. But I think it’s worth the wait.
GI: What is it that you think Abrams is doing with the characters and the setting that will make it different and stand out from those doldrums you’ve seen in the last few years?
Nimoy: The scope and the energy. The scope is bigger than any Star Trek movie that has come before. They spent 150 million dollars on this movie. That’s by far much more than has been spent in the past. In 1986, I directed Star Trek IV for about 26 million. I don’t know what that would translate into today – maybe 75 or 85 million. This picture cost 150. So the scope is certainly gigantic. On the other hand, he’s put together a terrific cast of young people, introducing the original characters. And the writers had a wonderful sense of what those characters were about and how they interact with one another. So, what the movie is about, it’s a prequel. It’s about how all the original characters come together for the first time, coming out of Star Fleet academy, meeting each other, and being assigned to the same ship – the Enterprise, and then going out on their first adventure together. There’s a lot of humor, which is terrific. Some of the Star Trek movies never tapped that correctly, and humor is really such a vital element of Star Trek. Also, I think it’s a very poignant revisiting of these characters in their early years. Very talented people.
GI: Have you had any conversations with Zachary Quinto about this character that you established so many years ago?
Nimoy: Zachary Quinto is a very talented and bright young guy, who contacted me as soon as he was cast. We spent a number of times visiting together about the character of Spock. I think his brilliance is demonstrated by the fact that he wouldn’t let me go. (laughs) He picked my brain thoroughly. We had some good times together. I really admire him. I had never seen his work until J.J. Abrams sent me some footage of his from Heroes when they were considering hiring him, and my response was very positive. I said that I thought he looked right for the job, which is very important. He also has an interior life when he acts, which I also think is terribly important for the Spock character – that you feel like there is something going on inside this guy. So, we had some very good conversations about what makes the character tick. And I think he’s going to come off very well. I think he gets it. I think he really gets it. And he’s going to be very good
GI: When you first put on the uniform and ears, did you have any sense that Star Trek was different from what had come before?
Nimoy: No. I had done a little science fiction before. The very first thing I did in film was a science fiction serial with a really incredible title – it was called Zombies of the Stratosphere. Three of us in a space ship that wobbled across the screen amid a cloud of smoke. We were from Mars, we stole a couple of Colt 45 revolvers and a pick up truck, and we were going to take over Earth. It was really something. (laughs) So I’d always been kind of interested in science fiction. Not really a fan, but interested. But you've got to understand, the most important thing about Star Trek in the early years was the stories were very relevant. We were in a crucible of experiences, both in our country and in the wider world. It was Martin Luther King, the civil rights movement, the Vietnam War. It was race riots, assassinations of the two Kennedys and King. It was a really turbulent period, and people were looking for something they could be affected by. Something that they could get in touch with. I think Star Trek did that. Here was a team of people who were very well educated, very professional people, and they were going out and solving problems together. And people enjoyed that. People enjoyed the camaraderie of the characters. But for me, personally, the most useful tool that was given to me for the character was that the he was half human and half Vulcan. Had he been pure Vulcan, I don’t think the character would have been anywhere near as interesting. The fact that he was half human, and he had this internal struggle between the logic of the Vulcan side and the emotions of the human side. Dealing with that, and trying to find his place as a being. Where does he belong? Outcast on Vulcan because he’s half human, a stranger on Earth because he was half Vulcan and looked Vulcan. There was a lot of theater of life given to me to play. And I was pleasantly surprised when the character really took off. The character was originally planned as a very tertiary character, and he ended up becoming very important in the series.
GI: So what was it about Spock that really resonated with people?
Nimoy: I think people can identify with the character. They admire the character. He is reliable. He is intelligent. He is resourceful. He’s loyal to his friends – Kirk, the ship, and the crew. He’s a terrific person to have around in case of trouble. But I think they also identify with him emotionally because a lot of people recognize the internal struggle that Spock is experiencing. A lot of people are trying to figure out where they fit in the world. Certainly, young people, who are trying to figure out how to function – who should they be in a social setting and how to conduct themselves. And somehow the word “cool†pops up a lot. Spock was cool. He was a useful role model, and that can be a major thing.
GI: Do you have any standout favorite episodes or movies from your time with the franchise?
Nimoy: I think, of the movies, number two was special, and I liked number 4, which I directed. It may sound self serving, but I think it’s a good movie. Those two, I think, were the best of the first six we made. I can’t comment on the others, as I’m not that familiar with the rest of the movies. As far as episodes, are you familiar with episodes by title?
GI: Yeah.
Nimoy: So, City on the Edge of Forever. The love story from the 30s, where Bill fell in love with Joan Collins. Amok Time was a very important episode for Spock. It was the first time we saw Spock with other Vulcans, and we went to the Vulcan planet. Live long and prosper was introduced – those words were spoken for the first time in that episode. And the Vulcan hand greeting showed up for the first time in that episode. Naked Time was a very important episode – I can’t help but be self-referential, but Naked Time was a very important Spock episode because we saw Spock verbalize and externalize his internal struggle. Who am I? Am I human or am I Vulcan? My sense was that after that episode aired, the Spock fan mail really took off. People really seemed to care about him. Also, the two parter, the Menagerie, was brilliant. It was brilliant writing, and was very well executed.
GI: Well, I don’t want to take too much of your time, but I was curious if you had a sense of how many sets of ears you’ve gone through over the years?
Nimoy: Well let’s do the math. We did 78 or 79 episodes, and we’d use a new pair of ears every second or third episode. So about 35 pairs of air there. And then, on the films, there were six films each with an average of forty days of work. Maybe 240 days of work on all six films, and a set of ears every day. That’s another 240. And about two or three dozen new sets of ears on this new movie. So you add it up.
GI: Well, thanks a lot for talking with me. It’s been a real pleasure.
It would not be Star Trek without one of the most recognizable characters of all-time, Spock. From Trek to Trek, Leonard Nimoy has been an ambassador to the franchise since it started in the 60’s. Now with a new motion picture and a major MMORPG in the works, worried fans are getting excited that their massive IP is back on the upswing. We sat down with the legend and took the time to get his insight on the game, new movie and all-things Star Trek.
GI: You’ve been at the center of the Star Trek phenomenon since its inception. Do you have any sense of what its legacy will be in years to come?
Leonard Nimoy: I think, in a word, the legacy will be gigantic. What’s amazing is the constant resurrection of Star Trek. We went on the air in 1966, and after two seasons we were cancelled. There was a large demonstration of fan mail and what have you; hundreds of thousands of letters came to the network complaining of the cancellation, so the network, in a unique move, put the show back on the air for a third season, and then we were cancelled again. After the third season, there was no more Star Trek produced for eleven years. And during that time there was enormous amount of interest in reruns. The show became an enormous hit in syndication. It had not really found its audience in the first three seasons of primetime. After 11 years, we made the first movie, which was not very good. It was very expensive, and very large, but kind of a beached whale. It didn’t do well at all. Fans didn’t care about it. Star Trek died again. Along came a couple people – Harve Bennet and Nicolas Meyer, who had an idea about how to make a rather inexpensive Star Trek movie, and they convinced the studio of their vision and they invested some money. They made Star Trek II, which was a very good movie. And suddenly, Star Trek was resurrected once more. I died at the end – my character Spock died. So we were constantly dealing with death and resurrection. When the movie was test screened, the reaction to the death of Spock was so painful that the studio decided to put a teaser ending on the movie that gave an opening for Spock to be brought back in movie three. And that’s when I began directing. I was called about coming back as Spock, and I told them I would like to direct the next movie. I had the leverage, to put it plainly. So they let me, and I ended up directing both three and four. And we did quite well. We had a good time. We continued on with five and six, and then the Next Generation took over. From that point on, I was sort of out of it, but the story continued expanding from there. There were four subsequent series. I would say in the last two or three years, at least, the franchise has been kind of in the doldrums. I think it ran its course on TV. I think people got a little burnt out. I don’t know how great the stories were – I don’t want to comment on that because I’m not a watcher. But my sense was that the energy was waning. And now, I really think we are looking at a big resurrection again. The excitement is building about the next movie that we just finished filming. The movie was scheduled to open originally this year, at Christmas time. I think postponing it to next summer is really a vote of confidence. The movie is ready. There’s no question that they’ve got the movie they want and like. And they could open this Christmas. But they decided to hold a very expensive negative because they think they can do much more business with a summer release. I’m very excited about this movie. J.J. Abrams, who made it, is a really talented guy. He can do what a lot of directors can’t do. He can do the big production stuff as well as the very small intimate moments. Some directors are good at one or the other, but very few are good at both. He does it very well. And I think the cast is terrific. I’ve seen a little bit of it. I haven’t seen the entire movie. But I’ve had calls. There was one screening, at the studio about ten days ago. There were only about eight people who were allowed in to see that screening. And some of the people who were at the screening called my attorney, which was very unusual. I got a nice note from J.J. telling me about the audience reaction. These people were studio executives. But what was really unusual, was that my attorney called me to tell me that he’d had calls from a couple of the people who had been there who were quite high on it. So I take that as a real vote of confidence. I wish the movie were opening sooner, if only for personal reasons. I’d just like to see the movie get out there. But I think it’s worth the wait.
GI: What is it that you think Abrams is doing with the characters and the setting that will make it different and stand out from those doldrums you’ve seen in the last few years?
Nimoy: The scope and the energy. The scope is bigger than any Star Trek movie that has come before. They spent 150 million dollars on this movie. That’s by far much more than has been spent in the past. In 1986, I directed Star Trek IV for about 26 million. I don’t know what that would translate into today – maybe 75 or 85 million. This picture cost 150. So the scope is certainly gigantic. On the other hand, he’s put together a terrific cast of young people, introducing the original characters. And the writers had a wonderful sense of what those characters were about and how they interact with one another. So, what the movie is about, it’s a prequel. It’s about how all the original characters come together for the first time, coming out of Star Fleet academy, meeting each other, and being assigned to the same ship – the Enterprise, and then going out on their first adventure together. There’s a lot of humor, which is terrific. Some of the Star Trek movies never tapped that correctly, and humor is really such a vital element of Star Trek. Also, I think it’s a very poignant revisiting of these characters in their early years. Very talented people.
GI: Have you had any conversations with Zachary Quinto about this character that you established so many years ago?
Nimoy: Zachary Quinto is a very talented and bright young guy, who contacted me as soon as he was cast. We spent a number of times visiting together about the character of Spock. I think his brilliance is demonstrated by the fact that he wouldn’t let me go. (laughs) He picked my brain thoroughly. We had some good times together. I really admire him. I had never seen his work until J.J. Abrams sent me some footage of his from Heroes when they were considering hiring him, and my response was very positive. I said that I thought he looked right for the job, which is very important. He also has an interior life when he acts, which I also think is terribly important for the Spock character – that you feel like there is something going on inside this guy. So, we had some very good conversations about what makes the character tick. And I think he’s going to come off very well. I think he gets it. I think he really gets it. And he’s going to be very good
GI: When you first put on the uniform and ears, did you have any sense that Star Trek was different from what had come before?
Nimoy: No. I had done a little science fiction before. The very first thing I did in film was a science fiction serial with a really incredible title – it was called Zombies of the Stratosphere. Three of us in a space ship that wobbled across the screen amid a cloud of smoke. We were from Mars, we stole a couple of Colt 45 revolvers and a pick up truck, and we were going to take over Earth. It was really something. (laughs) So I’d always been kind of interested in science fiction. Not really a fan, but interested. But you've got to understand, the most important thing about Star Trek in the early years was the stories were very relevant. We were in a crucible of experiences, both in our country and in the wider world. It was Martin Luther King, the civil rights movement, the Vietnam War. It was race riots, assassinations of the two Kennedys and King. It was a really turbulent period, and people were looking for something they could be affected by. Something that they could get in touch with. I think Star Trek did that. Here was a team of people who were very well educated, very professional people, and they were going out and solving problems together. And people enjoyed that. People enjoyed the camaraderie of the characters. But for me, personally, the most useful tool that was given to me for the character was that the he was half human and half Vulcan. Had he been pure Vulcan, I don’t think the character would have been anywhere near as interesting. The fact that he was half human, and he had this internal struggle between the logic of the Vulcan side and the emotions of the human side. Dealing with that, and trying to find his place as a being. Where does he belong? Outcast on Vulcan because he’s half human, a stranger on Earth because he was half Vulcan and looked Vulcan. There was a lot of theater of life given to me to play. And I was pleasantly surprised when the character really took off. The character was originally planned as a very tertiary character, and he ended up becoming very important in the series.
GI: So what was it about Spock that really resonated with people?
Nimoy: I think people can identify with the character. They admire the character. He is reliable. He is intelligent. He is resourceful. He’s loyal to his friends – Kirk, the ship, and the crew. He’s a terrific person to have around in case of trouble. But I think they also identify with him emotionally because a lot of people recognize the internal struggle that Spock is experiencing. A lot of people are trying to figure out where they fit in the world. Certainly, young people, who are trying to figure out how to function – who should they be in a social setting and how to conduct themselves. And somehow the word “cool†pops up a lot. Spock was cool. He was a useful role model, and that can be a major thing.
GI: Do you have any standout favorite episodes or movies from your time with the franchise?
Nimoy: I think, of the movies, number two was special, and I liked number 4, which I directed. It may sound self serving, but I think it’s a good movie. Those two, I think, were the best of the first six we made. I can’t comment on the others, as I’m not that familiar with the rest of the movies. As far as episodes, are you familiar with episodes by title?
GI: Yeah.
Nimoy: So, City on the Edge of Forever. The love story from the 30s, where Bill fell in love with Joan Collins. Amok Time was a very important episode for Spock. It was the first time we saw Spock with other Vulcans, and we went to the Vulcan planet. Live long and prosper was introduced – those words were spoken for the first time in that episode. And the Vulcan hand greeting showed up for the first time in that episode. Naked Time was a very important episode – I can’t help but be self-referential, but Naked Time was a very important Spock episode because we saw Spock verbalize and externalize his internal struggle. Who am I? Am I human or am I Vulcan? My sense was that after that episode aired, the Spock fan mail really took off. People really seemed to care about him. Also, the two parter, the Menagerie, was brilliant. It was brilliant writing, and was very well executed.
GI: Well, I don’t want to take too much of your time, but I was curious if you had a sense of how many sets of ears you’ve gone through over the years?
Nimoy: Well let’s do the math. We did 78 or 79 episodes, and we’d use a new pair of ears every second or third episode. So about 35 pairs of air there. And then, on the films, there were six films each with an average of forty days of work. Maybe 240 days of work on all six films, and a set of ears every day. That’s another 240. And about two or three dozen new sets of ears on this new movie. So you add it up.
GI: Well, thanks a lot for talking with me. It’s been a real pleasure.