If there is one actor the finicky Dr. Sheldon Cooper of The Big Bang Theory puts on a pedestal, then it is the late Leonard Nimoy, who portrayed Spock in the original Star Trek movies.

The actor who plays Sheldon, Jim Parsons, is not as obsessed with Nimoy as Sheldon is, but he still looks up to him as a "true gentleman" and a very talented artist.

The two actors met on The Big Bang Theory set in 2012, when Nimoy lent his voice to Sheldon's Spock figurine.

"It was a fascinating way to meet somebody: as an actor, meeting another actor, but also as, my character worships the character that you portrayed," Parsons told USA Today. "It was only while playing this and therefore, talking about him and getting to meet him, that I learned just what an overall abundantly, overall artistic human Leonard Nimoy was."

He was also impressed when Nimoy was asked to sign two Cheesecake Factory napkins for a Christmas episode, but only signed one. Parsons said that it revealed a lot about Nimoy's character.

"He was satisfied with the first sign he did, so he sent both napkins back, only one of them signed. Like, 'No, that'll do.' And I thought, 'That says so much,' and in fact, that might be something I would do, too. Like, 'No, we got it right, why would we sign another napkin?' It said something about him that I found very charming," he said.

It was only after Nimoy passed away that he discovered that the late actor was the one who directed one of his favourite films - 3 Men and a Baby. Parsons said that the movie had the greatest effect on him as an actor, as it was one that he watched it over and over again, and the fact that Nimoy directed it made him think "how fruitful a life and career can be."