Nimoy, as anyone who lives on this earth (and even beyond) knows, is best recognized for his role as the lovable Spock in the immensely popular, highly influential sci-fi series Star Trek. He played Spock both in the movies and on television. But he’s played his hand in many roles over the decades of his career, including on the recent series Fringe, as a voice actor for Transformers: Dark of the Moon, and providing his recognizable voice for several video games.
Related: He lived long and prospered: Leonard Nimoy dead at 83
Quinto, who bears an uncanny resemblance to a young Nimoy, both in and out of Spock costumes, was the perfect fit for the role. (Luckily, he also has the acting prowess to go with the proper look.) He tells Conan that he feels grateful for having gotten to know Nimoy through taking over the role, noting that, in addition to touching the hearts and minds of Trekkies everywhere, Nimoy was also a generous philanthropist, poet, and accomplished person in his personal life as well.
Conan, himself, recalls being starstruck meeting Nimoy while working on The Simpsons when the actor showed up to do a voiceover for an episode. “He was such a indelible part of my childhood,” says O’Brien.
Check out the full interview above.
