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Leonard Nimoy’s iconic portrayal of Spock has been of pop-cultural significance for the fans ofStar Trek. No wonderThe Big Bang Theory’s nerds have uttered Spock’s name on several episodes of the Chuck Lorre and Bill Prady’s show. But Nimoy almost got fired from the NBC show as the showrunners were trying to save money.
Certainly, it’s weird to think ofStar Trekwithout Spock and Nimoy’s portrayal of the Vulcan character has been astounding but Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz’s production company, Desilu that made the series for NBC wanted Nimoy out as his salary was too high. Yet, it was not like Steve Carell’sThe Officecontract, another popular NBC show.
Also read:“I believe it was all planned”: Star Trek Actor William Shatner Accused Legend Leonard Nimoy for Playing a Cunning Trick to Cement His Legacy In the Franchise
Star TrekWanted Leonard Nimoy Out of the Show
Good luck imaginingStar TrekwithoutLeonard NimoyandWilliam Shatner. Of course, Shatner didn’t have as much trouble with the studio as Nimoy did. As per the early reports, Desilu was against increasing the budget for the second season of the series as Nimoy was trying to renegotiate the contract to increase his salary. The studio initially wanted to cancel the show and even if they continued, they would go without the Spock actor. However, later in a conflicting shadow of ideals, NBC fought for Nimoy to keep him on the show.“They almost didn’t have Spock for the second season of Star Trek,”author of several notable Star Trek and the expert on the show, Marc Cushman said (viaSlashFilm).
“The fan mail got so intense during the first year, sacks and sacks of mail every day. His agent said, ‘He’s getting only $1,250 a week and he needs a raise.’ But Desilu is losing money on the show and the board of directors was thinking of canceling it, even if NBC wanted to continue, because it was bankrupting the studio. The one that broke the stalemate was the one that didn’t want Spock in the first place: NBC. ‘You are not doing the show without that guy. Pay him whatever you need to pay him.'”
Eventually, it was a win-win for Nimoy, he got his raise and continued playing the character. Interestingly, Nimoy made 112 appearances as Spock, between 1964 and 2013, perhaps the longest any actor ever playing a character.
Also read:“You’ve driven me to the edge of not giving a damn”: Star Trek Creator Put the Fear of God in William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy for Their Insufferable Ego
NBC Had A Different Approach to Steve Carell
Steve Carell’sThe Officeis regarded as one of the funniest shows on the planet Earth. Based on Ricky Gervais, Stephen Merchant’s UK version of the series of the same name, the Carell-starrer series had a good run extending to the 9th season with 201 episodes. However, Carell never intended to leave the show but the battle with NBC forced the actor to depart from the sitcom.“He didn’t want to leave the show,”hairstylist Kim Ferry revealed (viaCollider).
“He had told the network that he was going to sign for another couple of years. He was willing to and his agent was willing to. But for some reason, they didn’t contact him. I don’t know if it was a game of chicken or what… He planned on staying on the show. He told his manager and his manager contacted them and said he’s willing to sign another contract for a couple years. So all of that was willing and ready and, on their side, honest. And the deadline came for when they were supposed to give him an offer and it passed and they didn’t make him an offer. So his agent was like, ‘Well, I guess they don’t want to renew you for some reason.’ Which was insane to me. And to him, I think.”
NBC never approached Carell again and it was devastating for the crew members, Ferry added saying that he was the heart of the show. Recently, the news of The Office reboot has dominated several headlines, however, there is no solid official confirmation as of yet.
Also read:“People were crying all over the place”: John Krasinski And Co-stars Were Very Emotional After Steve Carell Took His Most Heartbreaking Decision In ‘The Office’
Source:SlashFilm,Collider.
Lachit Roy
Articles Published :1031
Lachit Roy is a seasoned writer specializing in science and entertainment news. Armed with a postgraduate degree in Mass Communication and Journalism from Tezpur University, he brings a wealth of knowledge and skill to his craft.Lachit is particularly passionate about crafting engaging content on entertainment news and trends. A dedicated movie enthusiast, he possesses an in-depth understanding of the cinematic world and takes joy in disseminating the latest updates to the global fandom. When not immersed in writing, Lachit can be found indulging in his love for movies and series, occasionally tending to his garden, but predominantly expanding his expertise in the realms of his interests.
