Before Star Trek, Leonard Nimoy Played A Mobster In This Classic '60s Crime Drama
It might be difficult to envision Spock as a bad guy. However, at one point in his career, Leonard Nimoy played evil henchmen on a routine basis.
Before Star Trek catapulted Leonard Nimoy to stardom, the versatile actor once played a mobster in the classic 1950s crime drama The Untouchables. Based on real-life Prohibition agent Eliot Ness and journalist Oscar Fraley's 1957 memoir, the 1959 film follows Ness and his team of untouchables as they battle organized crime in 1930s Chicago.
Nimoy's brief role came in 1962, during Season 3, Episode 17, where he portrayed Packy, a nervous henchman for gang boss Charlie Zenko played by Luther Adler. In the episode titled Takeover, Zenko's businesses are threatened by Leo Mencken, the estranged son he hasn't seen in years. Packy kills Mencken before The Untouchables arrive to end the conflict.
Despite being a supporting character, Nimoy cherished his experience working with the seasoned actor Adler. Their paths crossed again years later in Mission: Impossible, where the two became friendly. During the early stages of his career, Nimoy was often cast as the bad guy, particularly ethnic roles, due to his appearance. He took these roles willingly, including a street thug in Kid Monk Baroni (1952) and a Martian invader in Zombies of the Stratosphere (1952).
However, these types of parts defined his early career, with Nimoy recalling he was happy to take them for work. Later in his life, Nimoy found his breakout role as Spock in Star Trek, using his acting chops honed from tough-guy roles like Packy.
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