Leonard Nimoy's Final TV Role Was As A Villain On One Of Fox's Best Sci-Fi Shows

Leonard Nimoy's trailblazing television career ended with "Fringe," one of the most underrated sci-fi shows in the history of the Fox network. "Fringe" was a J.J. Abrams-created sci-fi drama that ran on Fox for five seasons, from 2008 to 2013. The series followed Olivia Dunham (Anna Torv), an FBI agent who forms a reluctant partnership with disgraced scientist Walter Bishop (John Noble) and his son, Peter (Joshua Jackson), in order to investigate supernatural phenomena. In a similar vein to its spiritual predecessor, "The X-Files," "Fringe" presented as a police procedural infused with sci-fi elements, dedicating many of its early episodes to a "case of the week" structure before exploring in-depth lore and overarching storylines in later seasons. 

Leonard Nimoy appeared on "Fringe" as Dr. William Bell, a former colleague of Walter Bishop who becomes one of the show's most prominent antagonists. "Fringe" took its time in revealing Dr. Bell's true motivations — and in the meantime, Nimoy made sure to play the character as enigmatically as possible. "I'm trying to make him something of a mystery so that there will be an anticipation of what might be revealed in the future," he told NPR in 2009. Throughout its run, "Fringe" was praised for its intricate plotting and striking use of visual effects, while Nimoy received special attention for his nuanced portrayal of Bell. 

By the time "Fringe" premiered on Fox, Nimoy was five years into his retirement from acting. But after the "interesting" and "multi-layered" writing of "Fringe" caught his eye, he agreed to come back to the profession to play Dr. Bell — a decision that even he was surprised to have made. "I'm in a state of shock," Nimoy told NPR. "I don't know how it happened. I'm asking myself: How do these strange things happen to a life when you've made your plans and things change?"

While Nimoy initially signed on for only a handful of "Fringe" episodes, the "theatrical" nature of the villainous Bell convinced him to stick around for a longer run. Known largely for his portrayal of the "responsible" half-Vulcan Spock on "Star Trek," Nimoy saw the role of Bell as an opportunity to complicate his reputation as an actor. "There were new aspects to the character that were attractive to me and some things that I enjoy playing that I haven't gotten to play in a long time," Nimoy told IGN in 2012. 

He went on to emphasize that he owed his momentous return to acting not just to the part of Bell, but to the entire team behind "Fringe." "The writers, creators and producers of the show are very bright," he added. "I think 'Fringe' is a wildly imaginative show ... All the characters are fleshed out wonderfully and the chemistry between the cast is terrific. I wanted to be a part of this project."