Leonard Nimoy Believed Star Trek's Spock Appealed To Teenagers For A Very Specific Reason

While it would be nice to have the confidence and swagger of Captain Kirk, most people aren't like William Shatner's "Star Trek" character — especially not during those awkward teenage years. For many Trekkies, Spock was the character that spoke to them when they were growing up, and in an old interview, sci-fi legend Leonard Nimoy explained his theory why: "He's freaky with dignity."

Speaking to The New York Times in 1968, ahead of the 3rd season premiere of "Star Trek," Nimoy explained his theory that Spock's half-human, half-Vulcan heritage was the key to his adolescent appeal. Although he doesn't fit in (something many teenagers can relate to), he knows who he is aboard the Enterprise. "He relates to his role very specifically, and this gives him a kind of cool," Nimoy said. "In spite of being an outcast, being mixed-up, looking different, he maintains his point of view. He can't be bullied or put-on. ... There are very few characters who have had that kind of pride, cool, and ability to lay it out and walk away. Humphrey Bogart played most of them," Nimoy continued, comparing the Enterprise's first officer to the star of "Casablanca" and "The Maltese Falcon."

Spock's legacy as a relatable yet aspirational hero to nerdy or outcast adolescents endured long after "The Original Series" was off the air. When Nimoy died in 2015, a writer published a tribute at NPR recalling how Spock meant so much to her when she was a teenager.

In that same New York Times piece, Leonard Nimoy admitted that there was another, more carnal part of Spock's appeal, though he seemed a little baffled by it. "There must be something very sexual about it," Nimoy said of Spock's appeal. "I tell you, frankly, I've never had more female attention on a set before. And get this: they all wanted to touch the ears!" When "Star Trek: The Original Series" was on the air, Nimoy reportedly got more fan mail than almost anybody else working for NBC, and he was consistently swarmed by teenyboppers. (Nimoy had been married for over a decade at this point and had two near-teenage kids himself, so the Spock fangirls were very much out of luck.)

The legendary sci-fi author Issac Asimov had a theory about why Spock was so sought-after. In an essay for a 1967 issue of TV Guide (via TrekkerScrapbook), Asimov recalled being surprised that his daughter thought Spock, not the dashing Kirk, was "dreamy." The reason why? "Because he's so smart," according to future "Foundation" executive producer Robyn Asimov.

Asimov had a phrase that Nimoy said he found helpful in "pinpointing the attraction." As Nimoy recalled in an interview with Michael Weinfeld (via YouTube), Asimov said, "Spock is a security blanket with sexual overtones."