His first major role was at 17, as Ralphie in an amateur production of Clifford Odets' "Awake and Sing!," which dealt with the struggles of a matriarchal Jewish family similar to his during the Great Depression. "Playing this teenage kid in this Jewish family that was so much like mine was amazing," he said. "The same dynamics, the same tensions in the household." The role "lit a passion" that led him to pursue an acting career. "I never wanted to do anything else." Shatner has said that Nimoy also worked on local radio shows for children, often voice acting Bible stories, adding: