Leonard Simon Nimoy (pronounced /ˈniːmɔɪ/; born March 26, 1931) is an American actor, film director, poet, musician and photographer. He played the character of Spock on Star Trek, an American television series that ran for three seasons from 1966 to 1969, and he reprised the role in the movie sequels (most recently 2009's Star Trek) and the follow-up series Star Trek: The Next Generation.

Nimoy was born in Boston, Massachusetts, to Yiddish-speaking Jewish immigrants from Iziaslav, Ukraine. His father, Max Nimoy, owned a barbershop. His mother, Dora Nimoy (née Spinner), was a homemaker. Nimoy began acting at the age of eight. His first major role was Ralphie in Clifford Odets' "Awake and Sing," at 17. He studied photography at the University of California, Los Angeles, but left before completing his degree. He graduated from Boston College in 1953, and has an MA in Education and an honorary doctorate from Antioch University in Ohio.

Nimoy spent much of his early career doing small parts in B movies, TV shows such as Dragnet, and serials such as Republic Pictures' Zombies of the Stratosphere. In 1961, he had a minor role in The Twilight Zone episode "A Quality of Mercy".