Leonard Nimoy, the actor best known for his iconic role as Spock in "Star Trek," died at age 83 on Friday.

In 2012, he reflected on his life in a commencement speech to Boston University's College of Fine Arts. He told the story of how a chance meeting with future president John F. Kennedy inspired him when he was at a low point in his career.

In the 1950s, Nimoy was struggling in Los Angeles with a wife and two kids, he said in his speech. He spent his days in auditions and his nights driving a taxi for steady income. One night he picked up Kennedy, who was a Massachusetts senator at the time, at the Bel Air Hotel.