Star Trek’s Michael Dorn Questioned the Direction of a Klingon Design

Michael Dorn, as of this writing, still holds the appearance record (on camera) in the most episodes of “Star Trek” through the franchise. Because he’s been on all seven seasons of “Star Trek: The Next Generation” and all four seasons of “Star Trek: Deep Space Nine,” he’s way ahead of even his NextGen co-stars. Thanks to all these appearances, Dorn might also be the richest “Star Trek” actor in history.

Because Worf is a Klingon, Dorn regularly had to wear a complicated makeup device every day on set. Since the “Star Trek” films, Klingons have sported broad, ridged foreheads, wrinkled noses and crooked teeth. Dorn, like so many other “Star Trek” alien and android performers, had the patience of a saint, sitting in the makeup chair for so long each morning. As Trekkies know, Klingon makeup was much less pronounced on the original “Star Trek,” with Klingon characters appearing much more human and sporting only Fu-Manchu-style facial hair.

The drastic change in Klingon composition has caused some consternation among Trekkies, who are renowned for their continuity. How did a species manage to look so different so quickly? The showrunners eventually covered it up in a subplot on “Star Trek: Enterprise,” but a new wave of dismay emerged when “Star Trek: Discovery” debuted in 2017. The Klingons on that series suddenly looked very, very different, with extra nostrils, no hair and pitch-black skin. When Dorn saw these new Klingon designs, he was as surprised as anyone. Indeed, during a recent “Star Trek” convention (covered by TrekMovie), Dorn admitted that the decision to change the Klingons so drastically was a mercenary move on the part of the “Discovery” showrunners. They just wanted to create something unique to their series, even if it didn’t make any sense.

Anyone who saw the first few episodes of “Discovery” probably remembers the surprise they felt when the new Klingons appeared. The Klingons had, as mentioned, undergone a drastic change over the course of the “Star Trek” franchise, but had remained fairly constant ever since. the events of “Star Trek III: The Search for Spock” in 1984 until the end of “Star Trek: Enterprise” in 2005. Trekkies had become accustomed to seeing Klingons in a certain way. Then, all of a sudden, the new Klingons…didn’t look like Klingons anymore. They had even larger skull crests that extended across their faces, smoothed ears, and protruding chins. The Klingon actors wore bright blue contact lenses and, as mentioned, they had no hair. Their hands were giant claws.

Dorn felt the change in Klingon designs was only done so that the creators of “Discovery” — the first “Star Trek” show on television in 12 years, mind you — could assert their creative dominance over the franchise. It had nothing to do with logic or even Klingons. As Dorn says:

“Generally speaking, in every iteration of ‘Star Trek’ — aside from “Next Generation” and “Deep Space Nine” and all these Klingons – the producers were trying to make it their own; put their own stamp on the Klingons. SO, [the makers of ‘Discovery’] decided: “We’re going to do something different from everyone else. » And I think that’s what they came up with.Discovery.’ There is no rhyme or reason to this, or any of this. So I think it’s just a matter of wanting to put a stamp on it.”

Which could very well be true. Because now the creators of “Discovery” have their own Klingons.

Dorn’s Klingon makeup took up a part of each of his mornings, so his heart went out to all the new Klingon actors who, he thought, would have to face even more time with the prosthetics department having bumps and rubber protrusions stuck all over their faces. He notably cited actress Mary Chieffo, who played a Klingon warrior named L’Rell in the first two seasons of “Star Trek: Discovery.” The Rell had all of the same features as other Disco-era Klingons, but was also painted a shimmering shade of mother-of-pearl. Dorn certainly wouldn’t have wanted to undergo such a drastic change, saying:

“I’m actually really glad I’m not wearing that makeup, because if you go online and search on YouTube for Mary Chieffo – just wonderful, just a sweetheart, but what they’re doing to this poor girl is mind-boggling. There’s three makeup artists working on her all the time…I mean, it’s fine. It’s just another iteration.”

Dorn’s “Next Generation” co-star Gates McFadden was on the same panel, and she pointed out that the new Klingon makeup was impressive in its transformative nature. Dorn pointed out that, yes, it was transformative, but wrongly so. Once Mary Chieffo was in Klingon attire, no one could make out the actress’s facial features. “Just his eyeballs,” Dorn said. And that, of course, must be incredibly frustrating for an actor who uses his face to express his emotions. Chieffo, however, took advantage of it. And the “Discovery” creators likely heard fans’ complaints about the Klingons and gave them a more traditional look in season two. By the time the franchise arrived at “Star Trek: Strange New Worlds”, the Klingons have been redesigned again to a more recognizable look.