Leonard Nimoy's Friends and Fans React Online
As news of Leonard Nimoy’s death at age 83 spread on Friday, his famous colleagues and fans took to Twitter, Instagram, and other social sites to share their deep admiration of the late Star Trek star, many using the hashtag “#LLAP” for his famous Spock line, “Live long and prosper.”
Nimoy’s longtime Star Trek co-star and convention buddy William Shatner posted a photo of the two of them, saying, “I loved him like a brother. We will all miss his humor, his talent, and his capacity to love.”
Fellow Star Trek original cast member George Takei shared 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.”
Fittingly, NASA was among the first to post a remembrance, which was retweeted by thousands, including the White House:
Later in the day, @WhiteHouse shared President Obama’s official statement:
“Long before being nerdy was cool, there was Leonard Nimoy. Leonard was a lifelong lover of the arts and humanities, a supporter of the sciences, generous with his talent and his time. And of course, Leonard was Spock. Cool, logical, big-eared and level-headed, the center of Star Trek’s optimistic, inclusive vision of humanity’s future.
I loved Spock.
In 2007, I had the chance to meet Leonard in person. It was only logical to greet him with the Vulcan salute, the universal sign for ‘Live long and prosper.’ And after 83 years on this planet — and on his visits to many others — it’s clear Leonard Nimoy did just that. Michelle and I join his family, friends, and countless fans who miss him so dearly today.”
Zachary Quinto, who plays Spock in the J.J. Abrams reboot series of Star Trek, shared his grief on Instagram, saying, “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.”
Nimoy’s granddaughter, Dani, tweeted from the late star’s official handle, sharing a TwitLonger message with the heading “Leonard Nimoy 1931-2015”:
“Hi all, as you all know, my Grandpa passed away this morning at 8:40 from end-stage chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. He was an extraordinary man, husband, grandfather, brother, actor, author-the list goes on- and friend. Thank you for the warm condolences. May you all LLAP. - Dani
P.s. I will be putting special shirts up on our site, SHOPLLAP.com , where all of the proceeds will go to the COPD Foundation. I hope to hear from you all.”
Nimoy, being a true icon, made his way onto The Simpsons. The show paid its own tribute:
The official Star Trek Twitter page posted:
Wil Wheaton, who costarred on Star Trek: The Next Generation, offered his tribute online, writing, “We stood on your shoulders, and wouldn’t have had a galaxy to explore if you hadn’t been there, first. Thank you, Leonard, Rest in peace.” More Next Generation cast members took to Twitter. LeVar Burton shared, “God Bless You, Leonard Nimoy… May Angels guide thee to thy rest!” Jonathan Frakes wrote, “RIP to the best First Officer.” Marina Sirtis called Nimoy “a true gentleman,” adding, “Not many of those left in our Biz.”
Watch Leonard Nimoy’s Most Memorable TV Moments:
Robert Picardo, who starred in Star Trek: Voyager, tweeted, “A sad day for all of us.”
Ben Stiller, who goes by “redhourben” on Instagram, said Nimoy is “Seriously one of the coolest people ever.”
Filmmaker Kevin Smith shared a quote from the 1982 Star Trek movie, The Wrath of Khan: “‘Of all the souls I have encountered in my travels, his was the most… Human.’ Farewell, Leonard Nimoy - Actor, Director, Pop culture icon.”
Some of Nimoy’s former Fringe co-stars also chimed in on Twitter. (Nimoy appeared on 11 episodes of the Fox sci-fi drama created by J.J. Abrams, Alex Kurtzman, and Roberto Orci.) “True greatness has passed,” wrote Lance Reddick. John Noble called Nimoy “A true legend, and a wonderful human being.”
Former Seinfeld star Jason Alexander wrote, “I shall truly miss Leonard Nimoy. He gave us a great gift that will last for ages. A good soul and kind man.”
Two-time Oscar winner Tom Hanks also shared his thoughts:
Watch In Memory of Leonard Nimoy (1931–2015):
