There’s no character quite like Spock. The stoical, logic-driven Vulcan First Officer of the USS Enterprise has long become the ultimate symbol of the Star Trek Universe. A mixture of intellect, compassion, and dare we say humour, Spock appeals to the misfit in all of us. Whether you first encountered him in Star Trek: The Original Series, the J.J. Abrams Kelvin Timeline films, Discovery or Strange New Worlds, Spock has been a steady presence in Trek. Of course, Leonard Nimoy’s portrayal remains the gold standard, but the role has lived on through a wide range of actors, each adding their own nuance to the character.
Over the nearly 60 years that Star Trek has graced our screens, no fewer than 14 actors have portrayed the Vulcan in some form or another (though granted some are more honorable mentions!) From reboots to fan productions and TV legends to heroes of alternate timelines, here’s every actor who has portrayed the iconic Vulcan First Officer over the decades.
1) Leonard Nimoy: Our Original Mr. Spock
Leonard Nimoy was the first — and for many, the one and only — Spock. Making his debut in Star Trek: The Original Series in 1966, Nimoy’s performance defined not only the character, but in many ways helped shape the essence of the show. His mixture of calm rationality and poorly concealed humanity made Spock an instant favorite. Nimoy’s Spock manned the science station through three seasons, an animated series, eight feature films, and even two episodes of Star Trek: The Next Generation.
Nimoy’s impact on the role was such that nearly every portrayal since has paid homage to his cadence, mannerisms and ‘fascinating’ take on the character. Nimoy’s final appearances as Spock Prime in J.J. Abrams’ Star Trek (2009) and Star Trek Into Darkness (2013), were a full circle moment for fans and while Star Trek Beyond (2016) canonised Spock Prime’s death, who knows what future storylines will hold for the iconic character.
2) Zachary Quinto: The Kelvin Timeline’s Spock
Zachary Quinto had some big Vulcan boots to fill when he took on the role of Spock in J.J. Abrams’ ‘Kelvin Timeline’ reboot in 2009, which aimed to introduce the franchise to a new generation. Quinto’s Spock gave us a more emotionally volatile version of the Vulcan — one shaped by the pressures of being half-human and the personal tragedy of losing both his mother and entire home planet of Vulcan in quick succession.
His portrayal spanned three films (Star Trek, Star Trek Into Darkness, and Star Trek Beyond) and while reactions were mixed at the time (especially amongst longtime fans) Quinto’s Spock has since become appreciated for blending a fresh take on the character with a true homage to the original. Quinto had the invaluable opportunity to act opposite Leonard Nimoy himself, creating a rare scenario of two versions of the same character appearing on screen and bringing together generations of fans in the process.
3) Ethan Peck: A familiar face in Strange New Worlds
Ethan Peck is the latest actor to take on the iconic role. Having first appeared as Spock in Star Trek: Discovery Season 2, in the episode “Light and Shadows,” he now portrays the fan favorite Vulcan in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, giving us a glimpse of the Prime Timeline version of the character during his younger years pre The Original Series. Peck’s Spock is a younger, more emotionally vulnerable character, struggling to reconcile Vulcan logic with very human family and relationship drama!
Peck has brought his own take to the character by imbuing Spock’s character with subtle moments of emotional growth as we follow his journey through young adulthood. His chemistry with Captain Pike and rocky romance with Nurse Chapel adds a fresh dynamic that gives fans new insight into formative events in Spock’s life — long before he called Kirk Captain.
4) Jacob Kogan: A Young Spock in Star Trek (2009)
Before Quinto donned the ears, audiences were introduced to a young Spock in the form of Jacob Kogan in Abrams’ 2009 Star Trek. Early scenes in the film depicted Spock’s difficult childhood on Vulcan, facing bullying from classmates for his mixed heritage. Kogan’s performance was brief but powerful, especially in one memorable scene where Spock finally loses control and attacks his tormentors.
These scenes helped humanize the character’s inner identity conflict early on and set the tone for Quinto’s adult portrayal. Kogan gave viewers a rare look at Spock’s childhood and the forces that shaped his commitment to logic — and the pain that sometimes lies underneath it.
5) Liam Hughes: An Even Younger Spock in Star Trek: Discovery
The youngest actor to make our list, Liam Hughes, became the latest actor to portray a child Spock when he appeared in three episodes of Star Trek: Discovery Season 2, “Brother,” “Light and Shadows” and “If Memory Serves”.
Despite his young age, Hughes’s credits already include The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, Supernatural, and The Flash. He certainly brought some stellar acting to the role of Spock, underscoring the lifelong identity struggle that has defined the Vulcan. He made a lasting impression by showing just how early on the character begins to be torn by the pull between logic and emotion.
6) Todd Haberkorn: Fan-film Hero in Star Trek Continues
One of the more left-field additions to our list comes from the acclaimed fan webseries Star Trek Continues (available on YouTube). Best known for his voice acting work and English Language Dubs in anime, actor Todd Haberkorn stepped into the role of Spock for this unofficial fan project. Star Trek Continues offered an authentic continuation of The Original Series, and Haberkorn brought possibly the most faithful take on Spock, carefully mirroring Nimoy’s cadence and posture.
Fan reactions to Star Trek Continues were overwhelmingly positive, with fans praising its attention to detail and Haberkorn’s performance often cited as a standout. While not officially canon, the series and its cast captured the spirit of the original show — and for many fans, filled the void left by the original series’ abrupt end.
7) Jeffery Quinn: Spock in Star Trek: New Voyages
Star Trek: New Voyages (also known as Phase II), another acclaimed fan project, was appreciated by die hard Trekkies for its amazing production value, including extensive standing sets based on original blueprints which were eventually licensed by CBS as a ‘Studio Set Tour’ in 2016.
The series of course featured yet more actors as the iconic Vulcan. Jeffery Quinn, an actor and visual effects artist took up the role for the initial episodes of the project. Quinn also served as co-producer on the episodes in which he appeared and later went on to secure a background role as a Vulcan scientist in 2009’s Star Trek!
8) Brandon Stacy: Another New Voyages Spock
After Jeffery Quinn stepped down from the role, another New Voyages Spock, Brandon Stacy, stepped up to the plate. Stacy actually served as Quinto’s stand in and photo double in the 2009 film and body double in Into Darkness, so it’s no wonder he proved a perfect choice to don the ears!
Under the loving care of Stacy and his co-stars, New Voyages became so successful as a fan project it even began to attract attention from Star Trek royalty, featuring guest appearances from notable veterans of the series Majel Barrett Roddenberry, Walter Konig and George Takei to name just a few over the course of its run.
9) Billy Simpson: Voice of Child Spock in The Animated Series
Billy Simpson was the first of many actors to portray the pointy-eared science officer as a child, lending his voice to the role in a memorable episode of the underrated Star Trek: The Animated Series, “Yesteryear.”
When Kirk and Spock find themselves in an alternative timeline where Spock died at age 7 whilst completing his Kahs-wan ritual, Spock must travel back in time to save his past self and set history back on track. Simpson gives a masterful performance as an adorably young-sounding Spock which provides a fantastic contrast to Nimoy’s dulcet tones and illustrates just how far the character has come, especially when we get to see a young Spock use the Vulcan nerve-pinch for the first time on some school bullies.
10) The Many Spock’s in The Search for Spock!
Few Star Trek projects can claim to have played host to as many different actors playing Spock in one sitting as the 1984 film Star Trek III: The Search for Spock! A previously presumed dead Spock is resurrected by the Genesis Device in the form of a child and undergoes a period of rapid aging to return to his previous state. A 9, 13, 17, and then 25-year-old Spock is played by Carl Steven (best known for his role as Tommy Pervis in Honey I Shrunk the Kids), Vadia Potenza, Stephen Manley, and then Joe W. Davis, respectively.
Frank Welker, who’s many credits in voice acting include roles in the Transformers franchise, Scooby-Doo, Garfield, Curious George, Baby Kermit, and The Simpsons, provided Spock’s uncharacteristic screams in the film, meaning a total of 5 actors (not including Nimoy) contributed to this short sequence and earned their names on our list.
Which Spock is your favourite? Let us know in the comments!
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