CBS Television Distribution

Change is hard to accept, especially when it seems sudden. What we once saw on television, rural comedies, comic book shows, and Westerns, aren't the main attraction for production companies today. Things are a bit more vulgar, and the rules have changed. For example, there was a time when toilets could not be shown on TV, and as we know, that and more are shown today.

While some people blame decades like the '90s for these changes, they've been happening gradually even before then. Star Trek star Leonard Nimoy saw them in 1969, a bit after the legendary science fiction series ended. Instead of complaining about wishing things would go back to the way they were, Nimoy understood that careers were in jeopardy for actors who could not change with the times.

"You've got to stay current and have interesting things going for you in this business," the actor said during an interview with The Record in 1969. "Otherwise, you're dead." After a once-in-a-lifetime role as Spock, Nimoy had no intention of letting his career wither away. Many actors, when their show ended, trashed television and attempted to make a career in film. Nimoy wasn't like that; he knew having steady work in either was vital.

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"It's easy to say that television isn't good enough for you. But I've put in 20 hard years in this business. I want to be happy in it, and the only way to accomplish that is to work steady."

His role as Spock on Star Trek: The Original Series made the character a phenomenon, not Nimoy. So to build recognition, he made appearances as himself. "Spock was a phenomenal success, but no one knew who Leonard Nimoy was. So I used to take every personal appearance tour as Leonard Nimoy. I went on TV talk shows, game shows, and panels, and made tours around the country."

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