Christine Nguyen Chiem cries after visiting the Hollywood Walk of Fame star of actor Leonard Nimoy, which is adorned with flowers on Hollywood Boulevard in Los Angeles, California, on Friday. Inset: Leonard Nimoy. — Reuters LOS ANGELES — President Barack Obama joined Leonard Nimoy's co-stars from "Star Trek" to bid adieu to the actor who died Friday aged 83 after making his name as "Mr. Spock." "Long before being nerdy was cool, there was Leonard Nimoy," said Obama, who recalled meeting the Boston-born Nimoy with the Vulcan salute in 2007. More than a household name, Nimoy was a "lifelong lover of the arts and humanities, a supporter of the sciences, generous with his talent and his time," the president added. "I loved Spock," said Obama. William Shatner, who played Captain James T. Kirk on "Star Trek," was similarly effusive in his praise. "I loved him like a brother. We will all miss his humor, his talent, and his capacity to love," Shatner said on Twitter and Facebook. George Takei, 77, who played the helmsman of the Starship Enterprise on "Star Trek," told CNN how he and Nimoy had been good friends for half a century. "When discussing a scene, he had a remarkable talent for analyzing the scene very quickly, in terms of its point, its drive," Takei recalled. "But he was also able to guide other actors. He was really a company actor... A real leader and a brilliant actor." Zachary Quinto, who played Spock in the two most recent Star Trek films, said he was heartbroken. "I love you profoundly my dear friend and I will miss you everyday," he said on Instagram, alongside a portrait of Nimoy. Nimoy didn't just leave a lasting impression on the science-fiction genre, he also did so on science itself. After news spread of the 83-year-old actor's passing Friday, remembrances poured in from beyond the entertainment spectrum, sent by the likes of NASA, Virgin Galactic, Intel, Google and other organizations motivated by Nimoy and his "Star Trek" role as truth-seeking science officer Spock. NASA said "so many of us at NASA were inspired by 'Star Trek'" and sent out a photo taken in 1976 of Nimoy and his "Trek" cast mates in front of NASA's space shuttle Enterprise, parked outside the agency's facilities in Palmdale, California.— Agencies
