Leonard Nimoy Opened Up About Star Trek And The Unusual Way He Created The Vulcan Nerve Pinch

Pointed ears. Slanted eyebrows. A notably dispassionate demeanor. We must be talking about the Vulcans! Yes, these iconic Star Trek characters are instantly recognizable – but not only for their quirky appearance. Any Trekkie worth their salt knows all about the Vulcans’ famous nerve pinch. But why was this move invented in the first place? Well, that’s all down to the man who played the most famous Vulcan of them all: Leonard Nimoy. And as the actor revealed in a strikingly candid interview, he had a surprising personal reason for coming up with it.

Nimoy gave an extensive four-hour interview to the Archive of American Television in the year 2000. He spoke about his beginnings in Boston all the way up to life as a famous actor. Yet for all the hardcore Trekkies out there, the most interesting part of all was about Nimoy’s contributions to Spock’s character.

During the chat, Nimoy looked back on the early days of Star Trek and tried to pinpoint the moment when Spock really came to life. These initial stages of the character-development process can be really challenging for an actor, but they’re a necessary struggle. As Nimoy can attest to personally, sometimes these moments can really add depth to a role.

Once Nimoy had built up a stronger sense of Spock around this time, everything else understandably started to fall into place. The character’s nuances and all the little quirks and behaviors that would make him unique soon emerged. And as this interview made clear, Nimoy was very actively involved in how this played out.

Thanks to Nimoy’s direct input, Spock is now undoubtedly one of the most iconic characters in television history. After all, you’d really struggle to find anybody who doesn’t instantly recognize the Vulcan at a glance. Nimoy’s portrayal is legendary, and his contributions to the character’s backstory and psychology can’t be overstated.