# Leonard Nimoy and the Bilbo Baggins song **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 18, 2004, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/leonard-nimoy-and-the-bilbo-baggins-song/280545 "2004-12-18T18:23:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Sir\_Rhosis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d9b06d/32.png) [@Sir\_Rhosis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sir_Rhosis)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2004, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/leonard-nimoy-and-the-bilbo-baggins-song/280545/21 "2004-12-19T17:45:00Z")
OT: I seem to recall that Nimoy made $2500 per week the first year of Star Trek, then fought Roddenberry, et al. for a raise. He never quite got along with the powers that be, often threatened to walk, etc. Sir Rhosis ---
**Author:** ![Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spectre_of_pithecanthropus/32/12343_2.png) [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spectre_of_Pithecanthropus)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2004, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/leonard-nimoy-and-the-bilbo-baggins-song/280545/22 "2004-12-19T19:37:52Z")
> [@ElvisL1ves](#): > > At the time, Nimoy and the rest of the cast had no way to imagine that they’d be able to get acting roles on a regular basis for long enough to make a living at it (and, for the most part, they haven’t). They also couldn’t have foreseen the size and durability of the Trekkie culture that would enable them to make comfortable and durable livings off of convention appearances and autograph signings and the like. > > Best get it while they could, ya know? Do you mean that the regular cast members who went on to make the 6 TOS movies don’t/didn’t derive a sufficiently secure income from those residuals to assure them a comfortable life? As for the other characters, well, most of them really only appeared occasionally. The Lieutenant O’Reilly character appeared in two unrelated episodes; I don’t know what happened to that actor. Grace Lee Whitney, who played basket-weave hairdressed Yoeman Rand during the first season, got into some very hard times and at one time was virtually homeless, and turning tricks on the street. It is so true that TV stars of the 60s didn’t make anywhere near the kind of money seen today by the top earners. They made enough to live in desirable areas like Beverly Hills, the canyons, and Malibu, which in those days was not nearly as far out of reach as it is today. But they didn’t make the kind of money that enabled them to buy islands, or rent an entire resort for a wedding. I worked for Lorimar back in the days of Dallas and used to see the budgets, and even those actors made a miniscule fraction of what the _Friends_ cast made per ep. ---
**Author:** ![Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e47c2d/32.png) [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffy_the_Elephant_Shrew)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2004, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/leonard-nimoy-and-the-bilbo-baggins-song/280545/23 "2004-12-19T20:16:52Z")
> [@Spectre of Pithecanthropus](#): > > Do you mean that the regular cast members who went on to make the 6 TOS movies don’t/didn’t derive a sufficiently secure income from those residuals to assure them a comfortable life? That’s not what he said at all. He said that in 1968 they couldn’t have _forseen_ that they would. ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2004, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/leonard-nimoy-and-the-bilbo-baggins-song/280545/24 "2004-12-19T20:44:01Z")
> [@Biffy the Elephant Shrew](#): > > That’s not what he said at all. He said that in 1968 they couldn’t have _forseen_ that they would. I think **Spectre** was talking about the parenthetical: > [@ElvisL1ves](#): > > (and, for the most part, they haven’t) On the other hand, **ElvisL1ves** is correct. Except for the Trek movies, the TOS cast hasn’t really done a whole lot of acting since then. Shatner has been working the most, with Nimoy coming in second (only if you count his hosting of the old “In Search Of” shows). Majel Barrett Roddenberry comes in third, I think, having played Lwaxana Troi in two different series. Doohan and Takei have had very occasional guest shots on the newer Trek series. Koenig played a minor role in the later seasons of Babylon 5. Nichols has some voice work and she was in _Snow Dogs_. SNOW DOGS! For the most part, most of them can’t be living off their acting income. Now, residuals and appearance fees I can see, but that’s not acting. Even Nimoy isn’t living off acting pay at this point. The last thing he’s done was voicework as well, in 2001 (Atlantis: the Lost Empire). ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2004, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/leonard-nimoy-and-the-bilbo-baggins-song/280545/25 "2004-12-19T20:45:25Z")
I’d like to note that I’m definitely not saying that voicework isn’t acting. ---
**Author:** ![Sir\_Rhosis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d9b06d/32.png) [@Sir\_Rhosis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sir_Rhosis)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2004, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/leonard-nimoy-and-the-bilbo-baggins-song/280545/26 "2004-12-19T20:56:15Z")
Nimoy and Shatner had their lawyers draw up a “favored nations” clause for the films. Whoever got the biggest salary the other would be guaranteed as much. Shatner got the most money (at one point, I think he got six mil just to act) and brought Nimoy up to his level. Nimoy got to direct, and well… Plus they invested wisely. How else could Nimoy be making million dollar donations to his favorite charities? De Kelly got a million or so at one point. The others, I have heard, were paid a flat 200K per picture. Sir Rhosis ---
**Author:** ![Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e47c2d/32.png) [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffy_the_Elephant_Shrew)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2004, 9:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/leonard-nimoy-and-the-bilbo-baggins-song/280545/27 "2004-12-19T21:35:51Z")
> [@jayjay](#): > > Koenig played a minor role in the later seasons of Babylon 5. [nitpick] I’m pretty sure he showed up in all the seasons; he certainly was already there in the first season. His character only appeared sporadically, but he was very important to the overall story arc. [/nitpick] ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2004, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/leonard-nimoy-and-the-bilbo-baggins-song/280545/28 "2004-12-19T21:40:11Z")
> [@Biffy the Elephant Shrew](#): > > [nitpick] > I’m pretty sure he showed up in all the seasons; he certainly was already there in the first season. His character only appeared sporadically, but he was very important to the overall story arc. > [/nitpick] Ah. Okay. I didn’t watch B5 regularly, so I didn’t see him until one of the later eps. ---
**Author:** ![Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e47c2d/32.png) [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffy_the_Elephant_Shrew)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2004, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/leonard-nimoy-and-the-bilbo-baggins-song/280545/29 "2004-12-19T21:43:01Z")
> [@jayjay](#): > > Ah. Okay. I didn’t watch B5 regularly, so I didn’t see him until one of the later eps. He really should have had a song, though. ---
**Author:** ![gobear](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/8dc957/32.png) [@gobear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gobear)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2004, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/leonard-nimoy-and-the-bilbo-baggins-song/280545/30 "2004-12-19T21:56:25Z")
Bester on **B5** was hardly _minor_! Not a regular character, granted, but the head of Psi Corps ain’t minor. ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2004, 10:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/leonard-nimoy-and-the-bilbo-baggins-song/280545/31 "2004-12-19T22:13:44Z")
> [@gobear](#): > > Bester on **B5** was hardly _minor_! Not a regular character, granted, but the head of Psi Corps ain’t minor. I _said_ I didn’t watch B5 regularly. 🙂 I’m a Trekkie, not a Babbler… ---
**Author:** ![Zabali\_Clawbane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/ecd19e/32.png) [@Zabali\_Clawbane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zabali_Clawbane)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2004, 10:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/leonard-nimoy-and-the-bilbo-baggins-song/280545/32 "2004-12-19T22:28:25Z")
I think Leonard Nimoy approached the singing with a more realistic veiw than Shatner does. He’s laughing at himself as he does, it shows by the twinkle in his eyes. I too, think it’s funny, especially the video. How many of those lady “hobbits” did he go home with I wonder, give that most of them were shooting him bedroom eyes? ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2004, 12:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/leonard-nimoy-and-the-bilbo-baggins-song/280545/33 "2004-12-20T00:34:33Z")
**jayjay** has it re the cast’s further acting careers, which have been mostly on the fringe or nonexistent _outside the Trek corpus_. The roles that they have been cast in seem largely to have been the result of their post-TOS ST fame, i.e. Walter Koenig in B5. Note that, if Majel Barrett hadn’t pushed so hard to get the first movie made, there’d be only TOS to inspire Trekkies, and that culture might well have faded pretty much into the past. TOS would be on the SciFi channel on Sunday mornings, at best, but that would be the only reliable source of income for any of them. On the other hand, they might not have been so totally typecast and might well have been able to get better roles elsewhere than they did. I’m suddenly picturing Alan Rickman in “Galaxy Quest” before an in-costume store opening: “I have played Richard the Third! I received five curtain calls! Five!” ---
**Author:** ![Walloon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/fbc32d/32.png) [@Walloon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walloon)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2004, 1:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/leonard-nimoy-and-the-bilbo-baggins-song/280545/34 "2004-12-20T01:04:04Z")
> [@ElvisL1ves](#): > > TOS would be on the SciFi channel on Sunday mornings, at best, but that would be the only reliable source of income for any of them. Unless their own production companies were involved, television stars in the 1960s did not get an residuals past the first network rerun. ---
**Author:** ![Sir\_Rhosis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d9b06d/32.png) [@Sir\_Rhosis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sir_Rhosis)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2004, 3:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/leonard-nimoy-and-the-bilbo-baggins-song/280545/35 "2004-12-20T03:09:14Z")
^^^I seem to remember that they were usually paid for… six? reruns, then nothing after that. I could well be wrong, but I seem to remember seeing or reading an interview with Bob Denver, where he was talking about that. Sir Rhosis ---
**Author:** ![rowrrbazzle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rowrrbazzle/32/414_2.png) [@rowrrbazzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rowrrbazzle)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2004, 3:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/leonard-nimoy-and-the-bilbo-baggins-song/280545/36 "2004-12-20T03:29:06Z")
I also like TBOBB, I guess like someone likes a clumsy pet or child. It’s awful, but it’s delightful. It’s delightfully awful! As noted here [http://www.ponilla.org/Nimoy/Nimoy\_music.htm](http://www.ponilla.org/Nimoy/Nimoy_music.htm) , Nimoy did a number of albums. “Proud Mary”, “If I Had A Hammer” and “Put A Little Love In Your Heart” survive (so to speak) on the “Golden Throats” CDs. ---
**Author:** ![kittenblue](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ba8739/32.png) [@kittenblue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kittenblue)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2004, 3:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/leonard-nimoy-and-the-bilbo-baggins-song/280545/37 "2004-12-20T03:47:34Z")
A few months back I was searching through our old album collection, looking for my copy of Vaughn Meador’s “The First Family” when I discovered a copy of The Two Sides of Leonard Nimoy! I never knew we had this! Since a friend was burning some copies of albums onto CD’s for me, I threw that onto the pile, and I should have it back this week. Can’t wait to hear all the songs! ---
**Author:** ![Chairman\_Pow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/838e76/32.png) [@Chairman\_Pow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chairman_Pow)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2004, 4:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/leonard-nimoy-and-the-bilbo-baggins-song/280545/38 "2004-12-20T04:29:54Z")
OK, I finally installed Quicktime for something unrelated to this and decided to check out the video. I have to say, there are thousands and thousands of unpleasant things that I’d rather be subjected to than that. Not quite as bad as tubgirl, but worse than the anal eels. ---
**Author:** ![klintypooh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3da27b/32.png) [@klintypooh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/klintypooh)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2004, 5:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/leonard-nimoy-and-the-bilbo-baggins-song/280545/39 "2004-12-20T05:33:28Z")
This was real. ☹ I kind of remembered seeing it before, but assumed I was drunk or something and I had made it up. I wish I did. ---
**Author:** ![rjung](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/45deac/32.png) [@rjung](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rjung)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2004, 7:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/leonard-nimoy-and-the-bilbo-baggins-song/280545/40 "2004-12-20T07:06:10Z")
If you really want to put Leonard Nimoy on the spot, ask him about his voice-acting work on **Transformers: The Movie.** From the field reports I’ve heard, he won’t even _acknowledge_ having done the gig (despite having first-tier “starring” credits), even when asked point-blank at Star Trek conventions. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/leonard-nimoy-and-the-bilbo-baggins-song/280545.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/leonard-nimoy-and-the-bilbo-baggins-song/280545.md?page=3)