10 Actors Who Said They'd Never Go Back (But Did It Anyway)
7. Leonard Nimoy - The Search For Spock
The end of Leonard Nimoy's reign as fan favourite Spock wasn't just proposed to occur, but was written into his 'final' role. Having starred in the cult TV series before returning for the Star Trek motion picture and sequel, Nimoy decided to call it a day. Rather than go out with a whimper or leave the door open for a return, Nimoy asked for his character to be killed off for his final appearance.
The moment of Spock's death at the climax of The Wrath of Khan was a powerful one, and one that both Nimoy and co star William Shatner were genuinely moved by. In fact the moment was so powerful, that it convinced Nimoy to make a surprising return.
Despite his character's sacrificial death at the end of the first sequel, a script was written in which the crew of the starship enterprise come to realise that Spock's spirit in fact lived on. While Nimoy only appeared on screen for a brief moment in the climax of the film, titled The Search for Spock, he did in fact direct the film.
The Search for Spock proved to be a critical and box office success, leading Nimoy to return for joint acting and directing duties once more for The Voyage Home. The film was even better received, but did lead to William Shatner requesting directing duties for the god awful 5th instalment, The Final Frontier.