Leonard Nimoy at a reception at the R. Michelson Galleries in Northampton on July 29, 2010. Actor-director-photographer Leonard Nimoy revealed he is suffering from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
Days after the 82-year-old Boston native was photographed in a wheelchair in a New York airport, he tweeted, “I quit smoking 30 yrs ago. Not soon enough. I have COPD. Grandpa says, quit now!! LLAP. (Live Long and Prosper)”
COPD is a progressive disorder that makes it increasingly difficult to breathe. Cigarette smoking is the leading cause of COPD.
Nimoy gained famed in the 1960s as the half-Vulcan science officer Mr. Spock on television’s “Star Trek.” He reprised the role in a string successful motion pictures, including “Star Trek Into Darkness’ last fall.
He has directed several feature films including “Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home,” “Three Men and a Baby” and “The Good Mother.”
In recent years, he has become well known for his photography. His work has been exhibited at the R. Michelson Galleries in Northampton and the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art in North Adams. His exhibit and book “Secret Selves” used Western Massachusetts residents, who depicted their hidden sides.
In a 2007 interview with The Republican, Nimoy spoke of his love of photography and his decision to reduce his television and film work.
“Photography gives me the opportunity to come across an idea and put it into action now,” Nimoy said. “There are no Hollywood studios, scripts to approve or huge budgets. I have the opportunity to create art now.”