Star Trek’s Spock, actor Leonard Nimoy, dies aged 83

The actor disclosed on Twitter last year that he had been diagnosed with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Actor Leonard Nimoy arrives at Grauman's Chinese Theatre in Hollywood, Los Angeles for the premiere of Star Trek on April 30, 2009. Mark Ralston/AFP Photo

LOS ANGELES // Leonard Nimoy, famed for his portrayal of Mr Spock on the Star Trek television series and movies, has died after battling chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, The New York Times reported on Friday. He was 83.

The paper, citing confirmation from Nimoy’s wife, Susan Bay Nimoy, said the actor died on Friday morning at his Los Angeles home.

Last year, Nimoy disclosed on Twitter that he had been diagnosed with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), a progressive lung disease such as emphysema or chronic bronchitis.

“I quit smoking 30 years ago. Not soon enough,” he tweeted to his 810,000 followers. “Grandpa says, quit now!!”

Nimoy – who had grappled with a love-hate relationship for his half-human, half-alien screen self – had other roles during his long career in television, film and theatre, and also directed successful movies, wrote books, composed poetry, published photographs and recorded music. But he will be forever linked to the original 1960s Star Trek science fiction series.

Known for suppressing his emotions and using strict logic to guide his actions, Mr Spock became one of the best-known and most beloved sci-fi characters of the late 20th century.

For years, Nimoy resented that Spock defined him but came to accept that his life would be intertwined with the alien who inspired a fervent fan following for Star Trek.

The actor had often battled Star Trek creators during the original series over their conception of Mr Spock, and his input was responsible for developing many aspects of the character.

He came up with the Vulcan nerve grip that rendered foes unconscious, as well as the split-fingered Vulcan “live long and prosper” salute, which he said was inspired by a gesture he had seen worshippers make in his synagogue when he was a boy.

Nimoy signed off his tweets with “LLAP,” an abbreviation of Spock’s trademark phrase “live long and prosper.”

* Reuters