Don’t get too used to seeing actor Leonard Nimoy on “Fringe.” He may not be there much longer.
The actor says that he’s decided to leave the role of William Bell after just three appearances.
“I’ve done three appearances for them. I don’t know if I will do a fourth,” Nimoy tells the Los Angeles Times. “They’ve asked me to do more, but we have to talk about where the character is going. So far my character, William Bell, and my appearances have been used to lay in information about this alternate universe and the experience of being in this other world. And that’s OK, but I don’t know yet what plans they have for really developing a dramatic story for the character. I’m waiting for a conversation about that.”
Nimoy says that his intial interest came from his working with director J.J. Abrams on the new “Star Trek.” Nimoy enjoyed working with Abrams and was happy to guest star on “Fringe” for the pivotal recurring role.
Nimoy says that future appearances will depend on conversations with the rest of the production team and where they want to take the character of Bell.
“I think they’re talking amongst themselves now so they can present some kind of plan, a story arc of some kind.”
Nimoy tells the L.A. Times he signed up for the “Fringe” first-season finale without much knowledge of the series at all.
“I never paid much attention until I was asked to work on it and even then I didn’t know a lot. I got the [home video] collection of the first season and [my wife] Susan and I were up in Lake Tahoe and last week we sat there about four or five hours at a time and watched them,” the actor said. “And, wow, that show is something. They do a great production job. They have great story hooks, terrific production values and very interesting performances.”
It would be tragic if Abrams doesn’t give Mr. Nimoy a well-written dramatic story arc. I would love to see him work on screen with John Noble. That would be a real treat.
Sounds like someone is playing hardball contract negotiations.
If you read Nimoy’s actual words, they tell a different story than the headline and “reporting” would suggest. He doesn’t say he’s decided not to come back. He’s said that he doesn’t know if he’ll come back, because he doesn’t want to be Exposition Man. So he’s waiting to see what they come up with for the future. Hardly a black and white situation.
I’m in agreement with him on this. If they can’t use him as a full character, then tell the story in this verse and let that other one go. They can use the little bit of footage they have and drive the story.
I think that would be very sad, and they would lose something great in the Bell story.
Personally, I think they need to write him in and go deeper with the other side.
I still say… We don’t know which world is our world yet… Just sayin’
Promising. Keeping him could mean they have to tighten down on the story lines. Or they could have Bell come back in the body of the FBI agent they dropped.
I agree that if they cannot develop the character more then he sho8uld not come back. We do not need him just to expose info. I want a deeper part for this gifted actor.