Leonard Nimoy's Spock Was Almost Fired From STAR TREK in Its Second Season

When you think of Star Trek, you inevitably think of Spock and Captain Kirk. They are the two leads of the shows and films, and they have been captivating fans of the franchise since the show’s start back in 1966. But Leonard Nimoy’s Vulcan character almost didn’t make it past the start of the show’s second season.

According to the oral history "The Fifty-Year Mission: The Complete, Uncensored, Unauthorized Oral History of Star Trek: The First 25 Years," (via /Film), Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz’ production company, Desilu, who were behind the series Star Trek, wanted to pull the plug on the series after season 1, or perhaps cut Spock from the lineup, as it seemed to executives that Nimoy's salary was too high.

Although Nimoy was second-billed to William Shatner, who he famously rivaled in jockeying for the star power associated with the series, it was a known fact that Spock was the show's most popular character, with the fans mail piling in for the character weekly. As such, Nimoy began renegotiating his contract, demanding more money. He — and Trekkies — felt the show couldn't continue without him. Desilu, not wanting to spend an additional penny on "Star Trek" in its second season, began to contemplate firing Nimoy over the negotiation. Ironically, however, NBC, which initially didn't even want to air the show, fought to keep Nimoy.

Marc Cushman, a "Trek" expert and author of several notable "Star Trek" sourcebooks, knew about the conflict and related it like this: 

"They almost didn't have Spock for the second season of 'Star Trek.' 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.'"

Spock got his raise, and the rest is history. It’s just silly to think of Star Trek without him, so it’s good to hear the studio made the right choice.