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Fascinating... Five facts you may not have known about Spock's ears (yes, just his ears)

Star Trek producers promised Leonard Nimoy that if the pointy ears didn’t appeal to the viewing public, Spock could undergo an in-series “ear job”.

LEONARD NIMOY, who died on Friday at age 83, likely had the most famous lobes in Hollywood.

As the logical half-human, half-alien Mr. Spock in “Star Trek,” his pointy Vulcan appendages became a signature — and a nuisance — for the actor.

Here’s a few facts about those iconic ears:

spock1 Star Trek / CBS Star Trek / CBS / CBS

Aural history

“Trek” creator Gene Roddenberry was determined to have Nimoy don pointed ears as the Enterprise’s chief science officer.

It was easier said than done. Before the first episode was filmed, numerous designs of the ears’ shape and size were created before he settled on the perfect ears.

guttural truth / YouTube

Ear job

Roddenberry promised a reluctant Nimoy that if the pointy ears didn’t appeal to the viewing public after the initial episodes of “Trek” that he’d arrange for Spock to undergo “ear job” and they’d be removed.

Instead, the character was a hit, and no such operation was needed.

evils Star Trek / CBS Star Trek / CBS / CBS

Now hear this

The early ears were made of foam rubber and had to be glued on every morning and removed every night.

The process usually required Nimoy to be in the make-up chair for about 45 minutes each day. However, applying Spock’s slanted eyebrows typically took twice as long.

TheAmazingSkipper / YouTube

Later ears

The process was eventually streamlined, and Spock’s ears were made of latex and cranked out on an assembly line.

Over the years, the lobes and their molds turned up in various celebrity auctions.

WGBH News / YouTube

A pair is on display at the National Museum of American History in Washington, D.C.

Read: Leonard Nimoy, who played Spock in Star Trek, dies at 83

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14 Comments
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    Mute wgp
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    Mar 1st 2015, 10:05 AM

    What’s even more weird is that Mr Spock has 3 ears. The left ear, the right ear and the final front ear…….

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    Mute skullbaggio
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    Mar 1st 2015, 8:44 AM

    So the ears were fake is fact number one, what are the other four?

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    Mute Will Derbylight
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    Mar 1st 2015, 7:36 AM

    LLAP

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    Mute Gaeltán
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    Mar 1st 2015, 8:55 AM

    Spalp aníos mé a hAlbanaigh!!

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    Mute Gareth B
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    Mar 1st 2015, 9:57 AM

    All technology we take for granted today started of in startrek.For example the inventor of the mobile phone was inspired by the communicator, Google glass inspired by Deep space nine,It encouraged all walks off people to become scientists and astronauts. The vision of star trek was that there would be no hunger, no war and peace in our planet. Maybe some day this will happen. LLAP Mr Spock

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    Mute Neal Ireland Hello
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    Mar 1st 2015, 7:37 AM

    You can guarantee there’ll be a lot of demand for his real ears if they auction them all now. Star Trek fans are weird.

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    Mute Neal Ireland Hello
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    Mar 1st 2015, 7:37 AM

    *off

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    Mute Caillte
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    Mar 1st 2015, 7:39 AM

    That was a weird comment

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    Mute Neal Ireland Hello
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    Mar 1st 2015, 7:40 AM

    Well spotted!

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    Mute Will Derbylight
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    Mar 1st 2015, 7:40 AM

    Very

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    Mute dstaffx
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    Mar 1st 2015, 7:48 AM

    Startrek fans aren’t weird, fanatics might be but it depends on your point of ear, I mean view.

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    Mute Micheal S. O' Ceilleachair
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    Mar 1st 2015, 8:16 AM

    Isn’t fans a contraction of the word fanatics!!!!!?

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    Mute Ronan Stokes
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    Mar 1st 2015, 7:55 AM

    What?

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    Mute Dave O'Hanlon
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    Mar 1st 2015, 11:11 AM

    Dont think a Vulcan with a Boston accent would have worked, they would probably have needed to change the entire Vulcan race so they all wore reverse baseball caps, tacky gold chains and swore a lot

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