Published Apr 16, 2016

Adam Nimoy Talks Spock Doc, TNG & More

By StarTrek.com Staff

Adam Nimoy is not Spock’s son. Rather, he’s the son of Leonard Nimoy, the man who played Spock. Just as there’s no separating Leonard Nimoy from his half-human/half-Vulcan alter ego, however, there’s no separating Adam Nimoy from his father… or Star Trek, for that matter. Adam’s life was forever impacted by his father’s fame, by the countless hours the elder Nimoy spent shooting the show in the 1960s and by the machinations of the publicity machine. There were drug and alcohol addictions, as well as a lengthy father-son estrangement, followed by recovery and reconciliation. Adam also carved his own niche as a director, calling the shots on many top TV shows throughout the 90s and into the early 2000s, including Babylon 5, Ally McBeal, Party of Five, Gilmore Girls and Veritas: The Quest, as well as Star Trek: The Next Generation and The Outer Limits. His two TNG episodes were “Rascals” and “Timescape,” and for The Outer Limits he directed “I, Robot,” which starred Leonard Nimoy.StarTrek.com had wanted to interview Adam Nimoy for many years, and the stars aligned because his latest project is the upcoming documentary For the Love of Spock. It started out as a father-son project that would be timed to Trek’s 50th anniversary, but it morphed into something different upon Leonard’s death in early 2015. For the Love of Spock, which will premiere this weekend at the Tribeca Film Festival, examines Leonard’s time as Spock, the life and legacy of the actor and his iconic character, the fascinating father-son relationship between Leonard and Adam, and also Adam’s personal evolution. It also features interviews with the elder Nimoy’s family members; many of his colleagues, among them William Shatner, George Takei, Walter Koenig, Nichelle Nichols, J.J. Abrams and Zachary Quinto; and admirers spanning from fans to Jason Alexander, Jim Parsons and Neil deGrasse Tyson. Below is part one of our conversation, and visit StarTrek.com again tomorrow to read part two.

How and when did the idea for this film come up?

How involved was your dad in the earliest stages?

When your father got sick and right before he died, when it was obvious he wouldn't be able to participate in the project, how much consideration did you give dropping the idea or morphing the film into something else?

So, how did the project come back to life after his passing?

The film is partly about Spock, partly about your dad, partly about your relationship with your dad, and partly about you. How organically did all of that occur as you made the film?

The money for production was raised via Kickstarter. Many fans donated, but it still took a long time to hit that $600,000 mark you set as the target. Take us through that process.

Star Trek

The Next Generation

How satisfying was it to you to see how many of your dad's friends, family members and colleagues agreed to participate and be interviewed?

What did you discover about your dad from immersing yourself in For the Love of Spock?

Star Trek

Go to www.fortheloveofspock.com for additional details about For the Love of Spock.

Adam Nimoy Talks Spock Doc, TNG & More

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