EMMYS: Fox Nixes Alec Baldwin Joke About News Corp Phone-Hacking Scandal In Opening Bit; Baldwin Walks, Replaced By Leonard Nimoy

EXCLUSIVE: The opening video for tonight’s Primetime Emmy Awards on News Corp-owned Fox was supposed to feature 30 Rock star Alec Baldwin playing a fictional president of television. But after a joke about News Corp topper Rupert Murdoch and the ongoing UK phone-hacking scandal involving his media empire was cut from the pretaped bit, Baldwin pulled out. He was replaced at the last minute by Star Trek veteran Leonard Nimoy, who re-did the skit sans the News Corp joke. Baldwin vaguely referenced the incident in a Sept. 17 tweet. “I did a short Emmy pretape a few days ago. Now they tell me News Corp may cut the funniest line.” Sources say that Baldwin worked with the writers who penned the script for the skit. He taped it, but after hearing that the Murdoch joke was being cut, he told the network that he prefers if the bit with him doesn’t air at all.

Source: deadline.com

Leonard Nimoy
Goddess: An Exploration of the Divine and the Secular Forms of Beauty
Thursday, September 15, 6:30-8:00pm
Online registration for this even begins Wednesday, September 7 at 12pm PT and Thursday, September 8 at 9:30am PT.

Leonard Nimoy studied photography at UCLA under Robert Heineken in the early 1970s and produced a body of work that was published in two volumes of poetry. In 2001, his artist in residence appointment at the American Academy in Rome resulted in a series of provocative images inspired by the Antonio Canova sculpture of Countess Paulina Bonaparte Borghese, whose semi-nude posture created such a royal scandal in the 1800’s that the Count had it locked away.

Nimoy’s first photographic monograph, “Shekhina,” published in 2002, explored feminine power using models of the “classic” body type. In “Maximum Beauty,” his June 2005 exhibition in New York City, focused on our culture’s perception of beauty. “Maximum Beauty” examined female power of an altogether different variety - joyful images of large bodied women. These photographs revealed proud, self-confident ladies who were comfortable in their own skin and challenged society’s rigid definition of beauty. A collection of these images was published in book form and titled, “The Full Body Project.”

Source: IRIS Nights Lecture Series

Two Spocks Share 'Secret Selves' on Hammer Stage

Two “Spocks”—Leonard Nimoy from the Star Trek TV series and Zachary Quinto of the Star Trek movie—united for a lecture at the Hammer Museum on acting and discovering your true self.

The lecture, titled Secret Selves, was a discussion on celebrity, the separation of self (or selves), and the concept behind Nimoy’s photographic exhibit, also called Secret Selves. Nimoy appeared onstage Tuesday night to a burst of applause and jokingly waved it away with a Vulcan salute.

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After introductions at the Hammer, Nimoy screened a 40-minute documentary-style video that captured 25 of these portrait sessions. Some of the subjects were charmingly self-aware of their own zaniness, such as a children’s book author dressed as a mad scientist with a briefcase filled with inane objects like a “light up blue thing.” Most looked as if they were just having fun, but a few, like the downtrodden lesbian and the domestic abuse victim, were inspiring. One woman posed in her old Junior League suit complete with pearls and boxing gloves.

After the screening, Nimoy and Quinto sat down and jokingly began their Q&A session by sharing the little known fact that one thing they had in common was that both of their fathers were barbers. They interviewed each other about their respective paths to fame and how their roles as Spock affected their personal lives.

Source: http://centurycity.patch.com

I got to go to a discussion/conversation with Leonard Nimoy and Zak Quinto for Nimoy’s newest photo essay Secretive Selves. It was pretty incredible. At first we watched a short film that gave us some insight to 25 of the hundreds of people he met/photographed and what kind of secretive self they had. Most of them were rather humorous and others were touching in their own way. I really enjoyed myself however, the audience Q&A lacked good,well thought out questions and two ladies were extremely rude towards Nimoy and Quinto at one point. The very last question took the cake though..it started out smart and well thought out and it eventually turned into a question about Nimoy’s hit song of the 60’s The Ballad of Bilbo Baggins. My little bro flipped because he wanted to ask so much about that song. It was an ultimate geek moment. Such a great night and it was all free :D

Source: therealmegumi.tumblr.com

[A] new environmental nonprofit launched last August. The Tahoe Fund raises private sector money and partners with public agencies in restoring and improving the extraordinary natural and recreational resources of Lake Tahoe. Proceeds from the benefit event will assist the new organization, which seeks to help fund bike trails, parks, restoration projects, interpretive programs, and other amenities that people use and enjoy around Lake Tahoe.

The evening was also a green event, from the color of the money it raised (more than $200,000) to the zero-waste commitment by the event organizers to cut down on the trash generated. After guests mingled on the lawn during the social hour and silent auction, everyone sat down by the water's edge to an exceptionally delicious dinner created by five of the most celebrated chefs from the Bay Area and Reno/Tahoe area.

Source: Sierra Sun and Truckee Envirolution

The Hammer Museum’s annual Gala in the Garden drew a lively crowd of supporters of the Westwood museum and its works gathered to honor “The Simpsons” creator Matt Groening and artist Lari Pittman in Los Angeles on Saturday night.

Included in the crowd of celebrities and art enthusiasts were Jack Black, Neil Patrick Harris, Will Ferrell and Viveca Paulin Ferrell, David LaChapelle, Frank Gehry, Monique Lhuillier, Gina Gershon, Jenni Kayne, Eli and Edythe Broad, Ruth and Jake Bloom, Maria and William Bell and Leonard Nimoy.

Source: The Wall Street Journal & Women’s Wear Daily

Join us for an intimate evening of insight into one of film and television’s greatest icons. Called ‘the conscience of Star Trek,’ by Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry—the award-winning actor, director, poet and photographer Leonard Nimoy shares his portrayal of the rational and emotionally suppressed Vulcan as part of a remarkable and diverse career that’s left an indelible imprint on American culture!

Notes from ‘An Evening with Leonard Nimoy’ in Long Beach

On Saturday night April 30th, TrekNews contributor Alton Carswell attended “An Evening with Leonard Nimoy” at the Carpenter Performing Arts Center in Long Beach, California. Below are some of his notes from the event.

- It was great to observe and listen to Leonard Nimoy as he discussed career. During the two-hour discussion Mr. Nimoy told some interesting stories and showed slides looking back on his acting career which has spanned five decades — From his initial roles as secondary characters and various roles in classic Hollywood Westerns and science-fiction films. He went on to discuss his time as Spock in the original Star Trek and later as the voice of Galvatron in the 1986 animated film Transformers: The Movie.

- He shared insight and thoughts on the reaction to his first book ‘I Am Not Spock’, and how it bruised his standing with Star Trek fans in the 1970’s.

- Nimoy recounted Star Trek‘s impact on mainstream society, telling stories of some college professors rescheduling their classes away from Trek’s 6:00PM primetime television slot to ensure students would show up for class.

- One theme which seems to run true in his analysis of his own journey as an actor in classic Hollywood is his connection to an inherent human experience which he melds greatly with the evolution of Spock throughout the years.

- After the discussion he greeted guests in the lobby sitting for close to an hour signing autographs and promoting his photography book “Secret Selves”.

We very much enjoyed Leonard Nimoy’s presentation. He spoke at length of his background, his long career in acting, directing, poetry, and photography. He showed slides of old family photographs, his various acting roles, and his photography over the years (even before he became a fine arts photographer). He read some of his lovely, deep, and moving words of poetry from his various published volumes, and ended the 80 minute presentation with a benediction for all of us to lead creative lives. He was alternately funny, philosophical, intellectual, impish, and spiritual.

I don’t know if he intends to video one of these evening presentations, but I hope he does. Regardless of one’s personal attachment to his acting roles, his insight into the artistic process and the creative mind is captivating and inspiring.

And hey—we got to see Leonard Nimoy do a William Shatner playing Captain Kirk impression! What can beat that?

An Evening with Leonard Nimoy at B'nai Israel Congregation
Wednesday, May 18 at 7:45 p.m.

Leonard Nimoy's portrayal of the intense, rational and emotionally suppressed Vulcan, Spock, on Star Trek has left an indelible imprint on multiple generations. First airing in 1966, Nimoy's character would become an icon over the years as the popular television show branched off into syndication and later onto the big screen as a series of six feature films. Nimoy's performance on Star Trek earned him three Emmy nominations.

As a successful movie director, Nimoy was responsible for Star Trek III: The Search for Spock and Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home, one of the most successful of the Star Trek films. He has also recorded ten narrative albums and authored several volumes of poetry, two of which feature his photographs. In 1975, Nimoy published the autobiography, I Am Not Spock and followed 20 years later with the sequel, I Am Spock, which he refers to as "coming to terms" with his alter ego.

As well as being an award-winning actor, director, poet and photographer, Nimoy, a true Renaissance Man, is a benefactor of the arts and sciences. In 2003, he and his wife, Susan Bay-Nimoy, founded the Nimoy Family Foundation, a philanthropic organization that provides funding for education and arts programs. The couple is also known for their leadership and generosity in the Jewish community.

More here.

Leonard Nimoy Describes His Jewish Roots

ROCKVILLE, Md. (RNS) The V-shaped hand sign that made actor Leonard Nimoy famous as Mr. Spock may have seemed to be from a planet far away. But the "Star Trek" star says he created it from childhood memories of his Jewish family.

"I reached back to my early years as a child when I was sitting in a synagogue in Boston with my family at the High Holidays," he said Wednesday (May 18) at B'nai Israel Congregation here.

Before the sold-out audience in suburban Washington, the 80-year-old actor re-enacted the blessing Jewish leaders recited at that Orthodox service. Prayer shawl over his head, he stuck out his hands in the shape of the sign he adapted for the TV show that ran for just three seasons in the 1960s but became an instant pop culture phenomenon.