Leonard Nimoy, the Star Trek actor who famously played the logical Mr. Spock aboard the starship Enterprise, passed away this morning after a hospitalization earlier this week, The New York Times reports. He was 83.
Nimoy had been suffering from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or COPD. He publicly shared he had the illness in 2014 on Twitter. Nimoy pointed to his long-term smoking habit as a culprit, though he had given it up 30 years prior.
His wife, Susan Bay Nimoy, confirmed the sad news.
The New York Times notes Nimoy's talents extended beyond his Star Trek days. Though, it's his space-age role that solidified him in the hearts and minds of popular culture. "His artistic pursuits — poetry, photography, and music, in addition to acting — ranged far beyond the United Federation of Planets," writes the Times' Virginia Heffernan. But, it was his role as Spock for which he will be lovingly remembered. He "became a folk hero, bringing to life one of the most indelible characters of the last half century: a cerebral, unflappable, pointy-eared Vulcan with a signature salute and blessing: 'Live long and prosper.'"
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