Leonard Nimoy played Spock in the original Star Trek films and TV series, but the part was almost played by Martin Landau instead. There are times when an actor comes to define a role. This was certainly the case for Leonard Nimoy, who played the character of Spock in the original Star Trek TV series and went on to return in this role time and again for decades. Although other actors have since played Spock, they all stand in Nimoy's shadow.
Surprisingly, though, there's evidence the role of Spock was originally offered to Oscar award-winning actor Martin Landau instead. In a 1986 interview with Starlog, Landau, who had since become associated with Gerry Anderson's Space: 1999, recalled being offered the role, only to turn it down. In his view, Spock was "the antithesis of why I do what I do," in that he focuses on portraying character and emotion. Although he understood the appeal of Spock, he dismissively compared the concept to playing a newscaster. "Actually, newscasters are more emotional than Spock," he added.
Martin Landau Never Regretted Turning Down Spock
The late Martin Landau never regretted the decision to turn down the part of Spock. "I would make the same decision today," he insisted to Starlog, although he stressed he was confident Star Trek had the chance to be hugely successful.
I knew if the show hit, Spock would be very effective," he observed. "You have to think of the turmoil of the '60s. A superintelligent creature with pointy ears who thought logically was exactly right - except I didn't want to act it. I did not want to be saddled with the role of a character without feeling.
It's a refreshing reminder that the best actors know which parts they are suited to and choose those roles regardless of their potential for fame.
Back in 1969, Nimoy himself addressed persistent rumors he and Landau had competed for the role of Spock. According to Nimoy, his Mission: Impossible colleague had decided not to do certain parts, and that presumably factored into Landau's decision with Star Trek. "He had always refused to sign a long-term agreement," Nimoy told Movie World Magazine, "saying that he would only do the show for as long as it was fun." Landau didn't stick to this rule throughout his career, of course; he even became a major recurring character in Space: 1999, another cult science-fiction TV series (and, amusingly, wound up asked whether the TV show would follow Star Trek's lead and become a film franchise to boot). Still, this adds another potential reason for Landau's decision to turn down Spock.
Even Leonard Nimoy Didn't Always Like Being Spock
There were times when even Leonard Nimoy hated Spock. It's no coincidence he gave his autobiography the title I Am Not Spock, hinting at the degree of frustration he increasingly felt at being typecast. There were times when Nimoy seems to have resented the struggle to establish his own distinct sense of identity, but as the years passed he found his peace with it. "I have never been out of work since Star Trek went on the air," Nimoy noted in an interview with AirTalk (via TrekMovie) back in 2008. "I have never needed to look for a job." The success of Star Trek's Spock turned Nimoy into a household name, and his career flourished as a result. Landau, for his part, went on to be just as successful, winning international acclaim and an Oscar too.