Who here has met Leonard Nimoy?

Discussion in 'General Trek Discussion' started by AxelFoley, Mar 20, 2009.

  1. AxelFoley

    AxelFoley Commander Red Shirt

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    Just curious, who here has met Leonard Nimoy at conventions & stuff? How was he? Is it ok to talk to him while he signs your stuff? Can you shake his hand afterwards (I hear Shatner won't do that). When you have your photoshoot together with him, is he like Shatner and refuses to let you put your arm around him for the photo?

    The reason I ask is because I'm planning on going to Collectormania 15 in England in a few months where he is attending, and I don't want to do the "wrong" things. I've mostly heard good things about him, that he's definitely not like Shatner, but I guess even he has his bad days.
     
  2. QuasarVM

    QuasarVM Fleet Captain Fleet Captain

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    I have...twice.

    Once at ToysRUs in 1975 and again at a con in 1984 before Star Trek III was released.

    Both times, he was nice and friendly. I did have some brief chat with him in the autograph line at the convention, but he did want to (understandably, since it was a HUGE autograph line) keep the line moving.

    I don't recall if we shook hands or if he shook anyone elses...
     
  3. WillsBabe

    WillsBabe Vice Admiral Admiral

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    Haven't met Nimoy, but I have met Shatner and shook his hand, so that isn't true about him (or at least it didn't use to be. It was getting on for 20 years ago. )
     
  4. RogerWaters

    RogerWaters Captain Captain

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    I met Mr. Nimoy a couple of years ago when he doing a talk about his first photography book, Shekhina. He talked mostly about photography, but also about Star Trek & Spock. He shook hands with the fans, talked to them, answered their questions & signed my copy of Shekhina & I Am Spock. He came across as a really nice guy who enjoys interacting with his fans.
     
  5. Admiral Bear

    Admiral Bear Fleet Captain Fleet Captain

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    I met him about 5 years ago in London. He struck me as a little off the wall when he was on stage, but was as friendly and talkative at the signing table as the money grabbing Creation bullies allowed him to be, which wasn't very.
     
  6. Forbin

    Forbin Fleet Admiral Admiral

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    Two Guys department store, Hanckensack, NJ, 1976:

    [​IMG]

    I married the hot chick on the right a few years later.

    I wasn't there, but my wife and her freinds report he was very pleasant and friendly. Somewhere one of us has the moment on Super-8 film as well.

    The only negative we have to report is that one of our friends lent Lenny a couple of pens to sign autographs with, and he never gave them back. :)
     
  7. JiNX-01

    JiNX-01 Admiral Admiral

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    I met him at Vegas last year. He was wonderful. Friendly and gracious. If you get a photo op with him, he holds your hand. If he does hold your hand, don't squeeze his, he appears to have arthritis.
     
  8. jcNX01

    jcNX01 Lieutenant Junior Grade Red Shirt

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    I was backstage at a convention one time where Shatner and Nimoy were both appearing. Nimoy arrives an hour early with his wife, chats with the people around, very casual. Shatner, surrounded by a buzzing entourage, arrives about five seconds before he leaps on stage to the applause of the audience. He finishes on stage, the entourage reconvenes, and he is dashed out the back door. I'm not pointing out the difference as a judgment, just illustrating that they have very different styles. Of course, whatever convention you attend has its own rules and different ways of handling the guest/celebrity interaction. It may not be the celebrity's choice how much time they can spend meeting and greeting. That also may change from day to day depending on what else that person has going on.
     
  9. Admiral Bear

    Admiral Bear Fleet Captain Fleet Captain

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    I would do it for you, but we all know Shatner's an asshole, so there's not really much point. :lol:
     
  10. CaptainSerek

    CaptainSerek Commander Red Shirt

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    I met Leonard Nimoy in 1984 just after Star Trek III was released. I had bought a poetry book for him to sign. He was gracious and friendly. I have not met William Shatner yet.
     
  11. AstroMike

    AstroMike Captain Captain

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    I've met both of them a couple of times each. I have no complaints about either of them. I even shook Shatner's hand and said hello and got an autograph at a car show. Nimoy seemed to be the more Star Trek Fan Friendly of the two and wanted to talk more about the series and the movies. Their approachability probably depends on the setting and how big the crowd is for them.
     
  12. rramarr

    rramarr Commander Red Shirt

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    I met DeForrest Kelley and Leonard Nimoy at a celebrity baseball game when I was around 10 (many years ago...). ST: TOS was off the air being syndicated in reruns and ST: TNG was not yet produced. There was NOT a HUGE crowd but everyone was excited, they shook hands, and autographed pictures. Their popularity grew more and more as ST was in reruns and spawned years of spin-offs. I lost my autographed pictures!!! - that's how much I cherished it way back then.
     
  13. Forbin

    Forbin Fleet Admiral Admiral

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    My friend got his picture taken with Shat at a Creation a couple years ago. It was one of those cattle-call things where there are 500 people in line, you walk up next to Shat, they take a picture, and shuffle you off quick as they can. Shatner looked dazed from sitting there for hours with a photo flash going off every 27 seconds. There's no time at all to interact, but my friend has idolized Bill for his whole life, so he just said "Thank you very much Mr Shatner." Bill very politely said "You're very welcome."
     
  14. iguana_tonante

    iguana_tonante Admiral Admiral

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    I met him at a convention in Italy, he was very warm and gracious. I talked to him briefly, but didn't try to shake his hand since I didn't know if he liked that. Since I don't like to be touched by strangers either, I can understand it. His stage appearances were nice and interesting, if a bit subdued: he talked about Star Trek but also his family, his faith, his interests and the relationship with the fandom. I know some people got a bit bored, but the guy is old as dirt, so I can cut him some slack on that. Beside, I was in la-la-land for seeing him in person, so he could have just counted from one to ten thousands and I would have been happy.

    Some friends of mine were into the organizing committee and shared a couple of meals with him and his wife, and said they were very smart, kind, thoughtful and surprisingly funny.
     
  15. 1001001

    1001001 Serial Canon Violator Moderator

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    I've met both Shatner and Nimoy. My wife and I had our picture taken with both of them at the 40th Anniversary convention. Sorry for the bad scan-job....

    [​IMG]

    I know, we're total dorks, but we didn't want to pass up an opportunity like that.

    ;)

    Nimoy was very nice. Pleasant, easy going. During the autograph part, I said "Thank you for everything" and he replied, "no, thank you". Which I thought was nice. He was warm and funny onstage. Like all of us, though, he is getting older, and it shows.

    Shatner was another story entirely...

    :rolleyes:
     
  16. AxelFoley

    AxelFoley Commander Red Shirt

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    This is the second pic I see where Nimoy is sitting down, is this to be expected? I guess it gets tiresome if you're standing for a full hour or more taking pics with fans.
     
  17. 1001001

    1001001 Serial Canon Violator Moderator

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    It was at that convention. They sat in the chairs, and we were filed in behind them.
     
  18. miraclefan

    miraclefan Commodore Commodore

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    I unfortunatly have yet to meet Mr.Nimoy. Unless he makes a convention appearnce in Texas, I doubt I ever will:(
     
  19. QuasarVM

    QuasarVM Fleet Captain Fleet Captain

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    That ToysRUs signing for I went to in '75 to get Nimoy's autograph was like that -- a "cattle-call"...:lol:

    Exactly as you describe it!
     
  20. JiNX-01

    JiNX-01 Admiral Admiral

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    When I had photo ops at Vegas last summer, Nichols and Nimoy were seated and we just stood beside them for our pictures.