chris pollone, nbc news. >>> live long and prosper. >> leonard nimoy is being fondly remembered tonight as the man who created that catchphrase and the character that has been essential to the american culture for 50 years now. he died at hi home in bel air this morning at the age of 83. here's a look back by nbc's chris clackum. >> reporter: born in boston in 1931 leonard simon nemo was acting in a neighborhood theater by age 8. >> i continued to do that until i was a teenager and eventually came to california. >> reporter: once in california he started acting with roles in b films like "them" and guest spots on tv shows. to include "the virginian" and "the man can xh from u.n.c.l.e." where he would meet william shatner and deforrestest kelley. >> i owls thought i would find my work in playing varying kinds of people and i enjoyed doing that then along came spock. >> reporter: it was 1965 when leonard nimoy was cast in the role of mr. spock in a pilot called "star trek." which initially failed. but when a new pilot and show was rewritten and recast only nimoy as spock remained as a cas