1987 March
Scroll down for the video in French

Research: Alain Carraze
Director: Roland Portiche    -     For Temps X Cinema

An Enterprise shuttle approaches the Golden Gate bridge. Then clips from Leonard's star on the HWoF are shown and the entrance of Paramount.

The interview is conducted in Leonard Nimoy's bureau at Paramount Studios.

His career beyond Spock is mentioned. 

Leonard Nimoy: I began acting when I was a child.

He tells about his acting in Boston when he was 8 years old.

In the early 1950ies he came to California to study acting. He worked in various fields of acting, various pieces of work including drama.

LN: In1965 I was hired for Star Trek. The show went on the air in September '66. … Three years we were on the air.

(clips from the first Star Trek show „The Cage“ are shown)
The introduction to Star Trek talks about Spock, a child of mixed races parents as he has a human mother and a galactic father. The fascination of the series and why it is popular is not only reached by the adventures or creatures, but by the characters of the heroes, the originality of the situations and the life situations.

Q: What do you think caused the popularity of Mr. Spock?
(Leonard laughs)
LN: It is an amazing thing, it is unpredictable, in a way it's difficult to explain because it was totally unpredictable.
(partly translated): Spock is of a personality which is cool, very calm, distant (reserved), rational, extremely rational, a dry sense of humor, and a personality which is very logical. And suddenly, to our amazement many people are intrigued to this extraterrestrial person. And I was perhaps one of the very first aliens which was loveable.
 

(a clip is shown in which Spock enters V'ger and discovers that they are inside a living machine)

LN: But still the intensity took us by surprise – nobody expected this.

(the scene of Spock's death in ST II is shown)

To the great sorrow of millions of fans Spock's sacrifice emerges in the end of ST II. This marks the chance of another Leonard Nimoy as director of ST III.

Q: Did you have trepidations to direct ST II, your first great directing?

LN: No, I did not have any trepidations at all. I felt very comfortable. I wanted to direct. It was very difficult because before they said: „No, no! None of the actors will direct the show.“ Bill Shatner and I, we both wanted to direct the show. So I was very impatient. I got my chance with Star Trek III and I was very well prepared. I like the people, I understand, I think I have got the feeling what Star Trek is about, what the audience likes, what we should put on the screen.

(a clip of ST III is shown: The resurrection of Spock)

LN: Well, Star Trek IV will begin immediately after Star Trek III. In the end of Star Trek II the crew of the Enterprise is still on planet Vulcan. They have saved Mr. Spock physically. Mentally I'm not quite sure. I'm not quite sure exactly how he feels.
They have broken a lot of rules, they are renegades, they have gone to planet Genesis disobediently, they have abducted the Enterprise, they have captured a Bird of Prey from the Klingons, they have sabotages the Excelsior, a Federation ship. So, they have left a trail of problems here.
And we will start Star Trek IV facing these problems. 

Leonard goes on namimg some of the participents of STIV.

LN: There will be some new characters and of course the well known characters.

Q: There is a rumor that Eddy Murphy will be in Star Trek IV. Can you comment on the rumor?

LN (laughing): At the moment it is certainly a rumor. Eddy Murphy is a very talented man. Everybody on this lot would like to have him in the movie.

He's a great box office draw and very talented, I haven't seen the script, so I can't say.

Q: Star Trek IV will show a new world. Will others … in Paramount?

LN: This is an excellent question. One will have to wait. (laughing)