“The Big Bang Theory” certainly wasn’t shy about leaning into nerd culture whenever it got an opportunity. In fact, entire books have been written about all of the geeky pop culture references that the show made during its 12-season run. But amongst the countless nods to “Star Wars,” Marvel, DC, and “Lord of the Rings,” the one that may have risen above them all was “Star Trek” — and specifically Spock, played famously by Leonard Nimoy.
On the show, Sheldon (Jim Parsons) professes his love of both the character and the actor, so it came as no surprise that the writers worked a Leonard Nimoy reference into “The Big Bang Theory” early on. What may be a surprise, however, is just how they managed to pull it off. In the Season 2 episode “The Bath Item Gift Hypothesis,” (which is considered one of the best episodes of the series), Penny (Kaley Cuoco) presents Sheldon with a rather unusual Christmas gift: a napkin.
Upon further inspection, Sheldon sees that the napkin is signed by the one and only Leonard Nimoy himself. But wait, there’s more! Penny reveals that Nimoy came into her restaurant and apologizes for the napkin being dirty because Nimoy had wiped his mouth with it. Sheldon then hilariously freaks out, because he now possesses the great Leonard Nimoy’s DNA, putting him one step closer to cloning him. The scene is uproariously funny and touching, but what most people didn’t know was that napkin was no ordinary prop. It came from the man himself: Leonard Nimoy.
Read more: Star Trek: The 15 Strongest Characters In The Franchise, Ranked
Leonard Nimoy had been looking for a way to appear on the show
The writers on “The Big Bang Theory” were such big fans of Leonard Nimoy that when it came time to write the episode, they reached out to him personally. “Some time ago, they asked me if I would provide a napkin that I had used, and I did,” Nimoy told Collider. “It has become one of the most highly talked about and most highly enjoyed episodes of all time, I understand.”
That wouldn’t be the last time Nimoy made an appearance, of sorts, on the show. In Season 5, he voiced a Spock action figure that spoke to Sheldon during a dream sequence, something that delighted show creator Chuck Lorre. Unfortunately, Nimoy never made an in-person appearance. “For various reasons, a physical appearance didn’t work out, but when they came up with this idea of voicing the Spock character with Sheldon being given a ‘Star Trek’ transporter, I thought the whole idea was wonderful,” he said to Collider. “It was a way for me to deliver an appearance on the show and to work with that very, very talented bunch of people.”
Naturally, this wouldn’t be the only time a “Star Trek” cast member made their way onto the show. George Takei, who played Sulu, appeared as himself in Season 4. Captain James T. Kirk himself, William Shatner, also made an appearance in Season 12 — but only after writers agreed to his one condition.
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