Leonard Simon Nimoy ( [ ˈniːmɔɪ ] March 26 , 1931 -- February 27 , 2015 ) was an American actor , film director , photographer , author , singer and songwriter . He was known for his role as Spock of the Star Trek franchise , a character he portrayed in television and film from a pilot episode shot in late 1964 to his final film performance released in 2013 . Nimoy began his career in his early twenties , teaching acting classes in Hollywood and making minor film and television appearances through the 1950s , as well as playing the title role in Kid Monk Baroni . Foreshadowing his fame as a semi-alien , he played Narab , one of three Martian invaders , in the 1952 movie serial Zombies of the Stratosphere . He also had a recurring role in the science fiction series Fringe .
Leonard Nimoy is a person.