Leonard Nimoy Hospitalized: 'Star Trek' Star in 911 Call for Chest Pains
Veteran actor Leonard Nimoy, who played Spock in the original "Star Trek" series, was rushed to the hospital last Thursday after complaining of severe chest pains.
Nimoy, the American actor best known as the Vulcan Spock in the popular sci-fi 1966 to 1969 "Star Trek" series on television was rushed to the UCLA Medical Center Feb. 19 after a 911 call reported him suffering from debilitating chest pains.
The 83-year-old actor, director, author, singer and photographer has been confined in the hospital a number of times in the past few months, after he announced last year he had been diagnosed with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), despite having quit his smoking habit over three decades ago.
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There is currently no word about the state of the actor's health at present, but Nimoy posted a message on his Twitter feed Sunday, hinting at his state of mind in the midst of his confinement:
He also shared a few verses from his 2002 book of poetry, "A Lifetime of Love: Poems on the Passages of Life:"
Nimoy has been active on both the big and small screens up until 2013, even appearing in a cameo role as Spock Prime in "Star Trek Into Darkness" before being diagnosed with COPD.
COPD affects middle-aged to older adults, according to literature published by the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Smoking is pinpointed as the primary cause of the disease, which consistently progresses over time, making it difficult for sufferers to breathe. It has been pegged as the third-leading cause of death in the U.S.
With Nimoy still confined, his "Star Trek" co-stars, William Shatner (Captain James T. Kirk) and George Takei (Lt. Hikaru Sulu) have reached out to him via Twitter, sending messages of support and calling for well wishes and hopes for recovery from their followers.
"Star Trek" fans have also flooded Reddit with memorable Spock dialogue from the original series as a tribute to the actor.
