Unless you live where no man has gone before, you’ve probably heard that actor Leonard Nimoy — the man who played Mr. Spock in the original Star Trek series — died this morning at age 83 after going into the hospital for chest pains related to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
Naturally, fans and admirers have been reacting on Twitter. Here’s a handful of the most poignant memorials to his life and work:
A flower arrangement left upon Nimoy’s star on the Walk of Fame:
Flowers placed on #LeonardNimoy's star on Hollywood Walk of Fame pic.twitter.com/ElAeFh1BSH
— Julie Sone (@ABC7JulieSone) February 27, 2015
His co-star William “Captain Kirk” Shatner grieves:
"I loved him like a brother. We will all miss his humor, his talent, and his capacity to love."
-William Shatner http://t.co/U8ZN98tVYp
— William Shatner (@WilliamShatner) February 27, 2015
President Obama reacts:
"Long before being nerdy was cool, there was Leonard Nimoy." —President Obama #LLAP
— Barack Obama (@BarackObama) February 27, 2015
Another person mentions the imminent return of the Mr. Spock comet (which is totally a real thing):
Asteroid 2309 Mr. Spock will be back on Feb 29, 2016. #LeonardNimoy #Spock #StarTrek@WilliamShatner pic.twitter.com/Tbo6GJpBLv
— Ron Baalke (@RonBaalke) February 27, 2015
A reminder of Nimoy’s “alien” upbringing:
Great #LeonardNimoy quotation: (via http://t.co/dKUQ9uY3kC) pic.twitter.com/UvvbGC9xHi
— Ben Swasey (@benswasey) February 27, 2015
And a yearbook shot from his home planet of Boston:
"Mr. Nimoy never forgot his Boston roots and the spirit of his work lives on.." – @Marty_Walsh http://t.co/uYTXmQcry9 pic.twitter.com/KVYZBQr1mc
— The Boston Globe (@BostonGlobe) February 27, 2015
The time that he visited NASA:
RIP Leonard Nimoy. So many of us at NASA were inspired by Star Trek. Boldly go… http://t.co/qpeH5BTzQc pic.twitter.com/nMmFMKYv1L
— NASA (@NASA) February 27, 2015
Some pics of Nimoy with Zachary Quinto, who played Mr. Spock in the 2009 Star Trek film reboot:
RIP #LeonardNimoy, the iconic #MrSpock from #StarTrek, who has died at the age of 83 http://t.co/zZ9KzaYPDq pic.twitter.com/ptaQbfRGF8
— Out Magazine (@outmagazine) February 27, 2015
A reminder that Leonard Nimoy also appreciated the beauty of full-bodied women…
Did you know #LeonardNimoy did a stellar photo series celebrating the bodies of larger women? He was more than Spock. http://t.co/rCDxEx8moQ
— Lauren Marie Fleming (@LaurenMF) February 27, 2015
… and that he voiced characters in the Transformers cartoon and film:
Lost the great #LeonardNimoy. Little known fact, he was Galvatron in 1986 Transformers and Sentinal Prime in 2011. pic.twitter.com/U1sq5F7l4f
— Dave Rubin (@RubinReport) February 27, 2015
A reminder of that time he gave Lord of the Rings’ fans a treat by singing “The Ballad of Bilbo Baggins”:
Almost forgot about this earworm. Thank you #LeonardNimoy for the decades of entertainment.https://t.co/tbAUzaEmOS#BilboBaggins
— Sugar Tits (@YourSissyJoy) February 27, 2015
Mother Jones points out a New York news station’s gaffe:
This correction is supremely unfortunate. I can't stop cringing. http://t.co/tCCqiOEsfI pic.twitter.com/Kahoby6jWz
— Mother Jones (@MotherJones) February 27, 2015
The 1962 telegram when he asked President JFK to protect the environment and avoid nuclear war for future generations of children:
In a telegram, #LeonardNimoy pleads with JFK for a safer planet. pic.twitter.com/u609le4xPK
— JFK Library (@JFKLibrary) February 27, 2015
Then there’s this incredibly weird picture of Mr. Spock holding a dog in what appears to be a lion-unicorn-shrimp costume:
#RIP #LeonardNimoy one of the greatest character actors of all time. pic.twitter.com/5IAsojAqlf
— Preston Lacy (@PrestonLacy) February 27, 2015
Not to forget Leonard Nimoy’s hilarious appearance in the beloved Simpsons monorail episode:
"The cosmic ballet goes on" https://t.co/9HhjtU07mN RIP #LeonardNimoy (via @pgofton)
— Lauren Laverne (@laurenlaverne) February 27, 2015
And, alas, Leonard Nimoy’s last tweet…
A life is like a garden. Perfect moments can be had, but not preserved, except in memory. LLAP
— Leonard Nimoy (@TheRealNimoy) February 23, 2015
Our favorite memory is when Mr. Spock wrote an advice column to a biracial boy who felt rejected by his white and black peers. He told the kid to be himself, knowing that he has value, even if it meant turning his back on popularity:
May your memory live long and prosper, Mr. Nimoy.
