Nimoy Is Happy With Spock, Quinto, Abrams

Leonard Nimoy (Spock) said that he decided he wanted to be in the upcoming Star Trek film when he first read the script and said that he did not need to reconsider coming out of retirement for this movie because "I owe that to Star Trek."

In a lengthy interview with TrekMovie.com, Nimoy said that when he first saw the eleventh feature film script, he contacted director-producer J.J. Abrams and said, "'I think it is terrific…I think you guys have done a wonderful job. There is still work to be done, but it is very clear that you and your writers know what you are doing.'"

Nimoy described Abrams as "an awesome director" and said he was pleased with the casting of Zachary Quinto as young Spock, since the Heroes star resembles him sufficiently and "is also the perfect actor." But most important to him, he felt that the writers really captured the essence of Star Trek, the camaraderie and respect among the crew - something he felt was missing from the brief part he was offered in Generations, where he felt the dialogue had nothing to do with the character of Spock.

"It was very clear that I could make a contribution here," Nimoy said of the new Star Trek script, explaining that he was happy to come out of retirement because "it is Star Trek and so I have to pay attention" and because of his high regard for Abrams and his view of Spock. Nimoy noted as well that he has more than one scene in the film, though he refused to discuss any further details except to say that the script is refreshingly free of technobabble.

Nor could Nimoy answer questions about Abrams' reported plans to work William Shatner as Kirk into the movie, though he said that reports that Shatner was furious to have been excluded were not true. "I think he is appropriately disappointed, but...the fact is his character did die," and when Shatner reminded Nimoy that Spock had died as well, Nimoy said, "'But I was resurrected…that is the difference between you and I.'" He also told Shatner that "'if I had been in Generations I would not have let him die...I thought it was a waste of a very important character."

The full interview is at TrekMovie.com.

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