Leonard was a very dear friend. One extraordinary thing about him I remember: When Star Trek was going to be done as an animated series, they cast Leonard, Bill Shatner, Majel Barrett and Jimmy Doohan only for the voice acting on that. And when he discovered that Nichelle Nicholls and Walter Koenig and I were not cast because of budgetary considerations, he said, Star Trek is about diversity, and if the two people that represent diversity to most, Nichelle and George, then I’m not interested in doing it. … That was an extraordinary thing for an actor, to give up a gig on behalf of other actors. And because Leonard was so necessary to the project, they cast Nichelle and me and offered Walter an opportunity to write a script. He was really an amazing man.
George Takei remembers Leonard Nimoy on CNN (via bandedshadows)
now that i’ve finally stopped crying about this, i just want to make an observation.
you know how successful white actors keep making jokes about hollywood’s diversity problem? like NPH at the oscars? yeah, that stuff is true & should be pointed out, but… it seems like (white) actors only snark about it, never anything more substantial. (meanwhile everyone else risks jobs, reputations, and even their whole careers if they put up a fuss.)
george & nichelle would have to risk their professional reputations if they’d complained about being left out, AND they were unlikely to succeed by it.
leonard nimoy spoke up because (1) it wasn’t right, and (2) he had more institutionalized power to leverage than either of them. it was a real risk for him too, but far less than for the other two; he clearly understood that, and he used it.
guys, THAT is solidarity.
cracking jokes about “Hollywhite” might be funny, but it doesn’t do shit. it’s the safest way to signal that you’re totally progressive & down for the cause without actually being for the cause. it has nothing to do with change.
(via broadlybrazen)
salarta 