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Written by William Satterwhite

July 22, 2016, featured | news.

From the very beginning, creator Gene Roddenberry’s vision for the world of Star Trek was an optimistic view of an Earth where humans had reached the pinnacle of understanding, a societal maturity where differences are not simply tolerated but embraced. A major part of this, from the very beginning, has been a diversity not only in major players but also supplementary characters. What follows here is a rundown of 10 non-starring black characters from the broad scope of the Star Trek universe who, each in their own way, represent the Star Trek vision.

Note- Only characters who are human or humanoid aliens virtually indistinguishable from humans were considered for this list.

Richard Daystrom

Imagine for a second a television show establishing that one of, if not the, most brilliant scientist in the world was a black man responsible for not just one, but two, of the greatest technological creations known to man. In 2016 with someone like Neil deGrasse Tyson well known as a foremost scientific mind this might not seem like a big deal but this isn’t 2016- this is March 1968; no one has ever seen Planet of the Apes , Lyndon Johnson is running for President, Robert Kennedy isn’t and both Dr. Martin Luther King Jr and Bobby Hutton are still alive (in less than a one full month all of these statements would be flipped).

Dr. Richard Daystrom, played by the legendary William Marshall, is introduced in season two of the original Star Trek series as creator of the computer system that helps run ships like the Enterprise and whose new system is capable of running a ship by itself, sans crew. While the latter creation doesn’t quite work out in the end, showing a black man as one of, if not the, greatest scientific mind in the world in the turbulent 60s was an obvious way to show Roddenberry’s dream for the future realized.

One of the few alien characters on this list, Guinan, portrayed by Whoopi Goldberg on Star Trek: The Next Generation , was an El-Aurian, a race of “listeners” scattered by The Borg. Serving as a bartender on the Enterprise, Guinan developed friendly relationships with many members of its senior staff, particularly Captain Picard. She also had great sense of style when it came to fabulous hats.

Captain Clark Terrell

In command of the starship Reliant in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan , Captain Terrell has the unfortunate luck of running into the vengeful Khan Noonien Singh. Simply described by his First Officer Chekov as a strong man, Terrell, played by the great Paul Winfield takes his own life instead of acting as as a pawn to take another’s.

Lily Sloane

Considered a legend in space exploration within the Star Trek mythos, Doctor Lily Sloane is another example of the Star Trek universe taking great care to show black scientific leaders playing a crucial role in the humanity’s reach for the stars. Played by Alfre Woodard in the Star Trek: The Next Generation film First Contact, Sloane is an aeronautical engineer who works on the development of the first warp drive on Earth.

Commodore Stone

Even before the original Star Trek series gave us a pioneering black scientist in it’s second season with with richard Daystrom, the first season episode “Court Martial” gave us another pioneering black Star Fleet official. In early 1967, the same year the United States Navy would see its first black Captain (Samuel L. Gravely, Jr., also to be the Navy’s first black admiral a few years later), classic actor Percy Rodriquez portrayed Commodore Stone, a top ranking Star Fleet officer who oversees the court martial of Captain Kirk.

Emory Erickson

Played by actor Bill Cobbs, Emory Erickson is another one of the Star Trek universe’s examples of great black scientists. Developer of the molecular transporter, Erickson appeared on Star Trek: Enterprise where he was shown to be something of a surrogate father to Captain Jonathan Archer, both having lost the corresponding figure in their lives.

Kasidy Yates-Sisko

As the name implies, Kasidy Yates-Sisko becomes the wife of Captain Benjamin Sisko on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine . Introduced by Sisko’s son Jake and portrayed by actress Penny Johnson, the multi-faceted relationship between Yates and Sisko is another example of Star Trek guiding the way in a world of sci-fi where fully developed relationships between a black and a black woman are few and far between.

Calvin Hudson

An old friend and Starfleet Academy classmate of Benjamin Sisko, Calvin Hudson was an experienced officer and leader who could inspire trust in his cohorts. Unfortunately that trust was misguided as Hudson, portrayed by Bernie Casey on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine , was a double agent working with the rebellious Maquis.

Captain Silva La Forge

While perhaps slightly more prevalent than black romantic relationships in the world of sci-fi, fully developed black familial relationships in sci-fi are unfortunately also a rare sight. With Geordi La Forge a key featured member of the Star Trek: The Next Generation crew, we are allowed to see the exploration of his family relationships and the stresses of being in a military/service type family as both his mother and father are members of Starfleet.

The mother Silva stands out as Captain of her own ship, though it is in this capacity that she becomes lost in action. Notably, this role was the fourth time that the late actress Madge Sinclair played the on-screen mother of LeVar Burton.

Another standout from the initial Star Trek run, Don Marshall’s Lt. Boma represented another example of Star Trek being bold in its portrayal of black characters in the 60s by being just that- bold- as he engages in an episode long back and forth with Spock as the latter suffers through a trial of leadership while rescuing Boma and his shipwrecked crew.

Shown to be a highly competent and forceful officer, Boma was actually intended to be a recurring character but scheduling conflicts served to rob this character of an even greater role in the annals of Star Trek lore.

William Satterwhite is the creator of the superhero webcomic Stealth and a freelance designer, internet consultant and illustrator living in Douglasville, Ga. His professional website can be found at www.williamsatterwhite.info .

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Star trek: 15 things you didn’t know about geordi la forge.

Discover the little-known facts and trivia about Geordi La Forge, the iconic chief engineer from Star Trek: The Next Generation.

The original Star Trek series left an indelible mark in the world of sci-fi. Originating from the creative mind of Gene Roddenberry, the series aired for three years. Dedicated fans, or Trekkies, even rallied to save the show when it was up for cancellation and ran one of the first successful fan campaigns ever. It was this dedication to the original that made it hard for fans to accept the next entry into its universe.

Star Trek: The Next Generation was headed by Captain Jean-Luc Picard and an entirely new crew. With time, fans came to embrace the new shows and its unique team including chief engineer Geordi La Forge.

Coming off of his success in numerous projects including Roots and R eading Rainbow , LeVar Burton won the role of the blind helmsman and turned him into a sci-fi icon. From his intelligence to his famous VISOR, La Forge soon became a fan favorite for Trekkies everywhere.

Over seven seasons, La Forge stood not only as an iconic African-American sci-fi character but also a positive role model for fans with disabilities. The relatable nature of his struggles and success in overcoming his personal obstacles has made him an unforgettable character in the Star Trek universe.

Her are 15 Things You Didn’t Know About Geordi La Forge.

He was named after a real Star Trek fan

While fans love watching their favorite TV shows at home, others aspire to be a part of the action. Though most of us will never get to be on these shows, a few lucky Star Trek fans had the chance to be a part of the crew. W

hile creating the characters for TNG , the  Star Trek writers kept one particular fan in mind. George La Forge was a quadriplegic fan of the original Star Trek  TV series who sadly passed away in 1975. With creator Gene Roddenberry focused on creating a new character with disabilities, it was screenwriter David Gerrod who suggested naming the character after the long-time fan. They both agreed this would be a special tribute to the late dedicated Trekkie.

A second Trekkie, a British fan named Janet Quarton, was the inspiration for the character “Q”.

Wesley Snipes and Reggie Jackson auditioned for the role

Initially, LeVar Burton did not seem like the obvious choice for the role of La Forge. However, with time, fans came to love him in the role and can’t imagine anyone else playing the character.

In the early stages of casting, however, the actors for the role varied considerably from the Reading Rainbow alum. Early casting choices included character actor Kevin Peter Hall (who played Harry in Harry and the Hendersons and the Predator in Predator ) and baseball Hall of Famer Reggie Jackson.

One of the bigger names interested in the role was Wesley Snipes. At the time, however, he was a relatively unknown actor with just a few credits to his name, including a part in the comedy Wildcats and playing Michael Jackson’s rival in his music video for "Bad".

He was originally conceived to be a Jamaican teacher

The creation of Geordi La Forge took some time to perfect. Though it was decided early to him a disabled Black crew member, his background and education were not fully fleshed out. His job on the series moved from helmsman of the USS Enterprise-D to eventually a role as the chief engineer.

However, creators were originally influenced by Burton’s career in their occupational choice for the character. In an homage to Burton’s legacy on the children’s program Reading Rainbow , the show’s producers originally planned to make La Forge’s specialty focused on “the starship school for children.” This idea was scrapped for a more technological background instead.

Also, his background would have been of Jamaican descent. Although this detail was left out of his backstory, his mother was played by Jamaican actress Madge Sinclair ( Coming to America , The Lion King ).

Burton was the most well-known actor at the time of casting

At the time of the casting announcement for Star Trek: The Next Generation , LeVar Burton was one of the most well-known cast members. He had an extensive acting career that included his acting debut as Kunta Kinte in the TV drama Roots .

In fact, he was featured in the initial casting announcement headlining over Patrick Stewart, whose fame was limited in the United States.  As reported by The New York Times , an article in The Los Angeles Times once referred to "unknown British Shakespearean actor Patrick Stewart".

Despite his fame, Burton was not chosen to be the lead in the new series. Instead, he was cast in a part that the Associated Press initially referred to as “ the new Spock ” (a role that was eventually filled by Data instead).  In the end, Stewart was able to bounce back from his initial first impressions just fine.

Gene Roddenberry had plans to make La Forge gay

One of the greatest aspects of the Star Trek  universe (and many other science fiction shows and movies) is an opportunity for highlighting new cultures, species, and worlds. With unlimited possibilities for new adventures, these shows still seem to reflect the growing changes in today’s societies.

Early in the process for creating the new series, Roddenberry had significant plans for the diversity of this series. According to IMDB.com , “Gene Roddenberry had made public his plans to add gay characters to the show (with Geordi La Forge reported to be one such character in the original series treatment), and had even commissioned scripts to introduce them at the start of the series' run.”

His newfound outlook on LBGT characters came after overcoming his own homophobia. Sadly, Roddenberry passed away before he could make these changes in the fifth season of the show.

Geordi's VISOR was improvised on the first day of shooting

Production on Star Trek: The Next Generation began in 1987 with a relatively unknown cast. For some actors, like Patrick Stewart, working on a television program like this came with a big adjustment. While the main outline of the plot was finalized, there were still small touches to iron out like makeup, costumes, and set designs.

On the site StarTrek.com , several photos were shared showing initial tests with the makeup for the series including La Forge’s VISOR. However, the props team created a very unique version of his famous eyewear for the initial shooting.

According to IMDB.com , “Geordi's VISOR was improvised on the first day of shooting using chiefly an automotive air filter and a hair band.” After the first day, a more permanent prop was created and used going forward. That future design was not that far off from this makeshift prototype.

His VISOR design was inspired by '80s fashion hair trends

Many of us are haunted by pictures from our youth. Looking back, we gasp on our poor fashion choices and style that have been forever captured in photos and film.

At the peak of 1980s fashion, in particular, women were decked out with oversized scrunchies, crimped hair, and thousands of plastic bracelets. However, the hideous trends of the '80s led to the creation of one of the most iconic props from the Star Trek franchise.

Enter the banana clip - the plastic hair accessory fashioned with two sets of “crocodile” teeth to help pull your hair into a fanned ponytail. According to an interview on StarTrek.com , this particular accessory led to the creation of La Forge’s VISOR. Star Trek  archivist Penny Juday explained that set artist Michael Okuda was inspired by his girlfriend’s use of the hair product.

His inspiration led to the final design of the VISOR, or Visual Input Sensory Optical Reflector (which was later updated to Visual Instrument and Sensory Organ Replacement).

The VISOR helped Burton sleeping on set undetected

The simplistic origins of the VISOR led to a final product that, well, simply was not made for enhancing anyone's vision in reality. The half-circle “teeth” design made it difficult for Burton to see clearly. Not only was his central vision impaired but his peripheral vision as well. He often found himself running into low-hanging props and tripping over chairs.

Although the process of wearing the VISOR was a nightmare, it did have its perks. During the 2015 Star Trek Official Convention in Las Vegas, several cast members were assembled for a special panel including Brent Spiner, Jonathan Frakes and LeVar Burton. As the cast recalled tales from the series, Burton opted to share the fact that , “In the first season, during a long take, I fell asleep in the VISOR." Sounds like the best prop ever made.

La Forge and Burton shared similar ailments on the show

Playing the character of Geordi La Forge was a new challenge for Burton. Known for having very expressive eyes, he had to learn other ways to best convey his emotions throughout the series. Given that his VISOR gave him so many visual limitations, he learned how to make the best of his challenging role. However, over time, Burton came to share one particular ailment that always plagued La Forge: painful headaches.

In the series, the character often complained about experiencing headaches as a result of wearing the VISOR. In reality, Burton was experiencing the same issue.

In an interview with the BBC , Burton stated, “In the second season we re-designed the VISOR and made it heavier and the way we actually affixed it was that we screwed it, we literally screwed it into my head and so there were screws that we would turn and there were flanges on the inside that would press into my temples and so after fifteen or twenty minutes of that I got headaches. So I had a daily headache for about six years.” Wow.

Geordi La Forge was promoted faster than any other Star Trek character

Geordi La Forge has had one of the most impressive careers in the Star Trek Universe. He existed as more than just the blind member of the crew and blossomed into an integral member of their team.

Over the course of the seven year run of the series, La Forge moved up in the ranks at a fairly quick rate. In season 1, he began as the helmsman of the USS Enterprise-D as a Lieutenant Junior Grade. By season 2, he was promoted to Lieutenant and finally Lieutenant Commander (in season 3) and became the Chief Engineer for both the Enterprise-D and the Enterprise-E .

Although other characters have held the same titles, no one has been promoted as fast. His promotions did not end at the conclusion of the show, either. In the futuristic timeline of Star Trek: Voyager: Timeless , Geordi eventually becomes a Captain.

La Forge was planned to be revealed as the product of alien experimentation

In the course of the series, many planned storylines were abandoned due to either lack of believability or the series as a whole taking a different course. Once such storyline would have put an interesting twist on the truth behind La Forge’s life.

According to The Fifty-Year Mission: The Next 25 Years: From The Next Generation to J. J. Abrams , there were plans to have La Forge revealed as an alien. In the book, Star Trek scriptwriter Jeri Taylor shared , "We wanted to make Geordi an alien. He was going to discover that his father was not who he thought he was, and his mother had an almost Rosemary's Baby-kind of thing and had been impregnated by an alien. As a result, Geordi was actually half alien and now, at his present age, his people were coming back to get him."

In the end, the alien backstory was abandoned for the character.

His parents have connections to Burton’s role on Roots

La Forge’s success during the course of Star Trek: The Next Generation could easily be linked back to his successful parents. His mother, Silva La Forge, served as the captain of the USS Hera until the ship was declared “missing in action”. His father acted as an exozoologist in the science division and even became a commander.

Geordi's parents were played by Madge Sinclair and Ben Vereen respectively, who were not new to playing onscreen relatives to Burton. In the 1977 mini-series Roots , they played fairly different roles in the life of Burton’s character Kunta Kinte. Sinclair was cast as Kinte’s wife (though the older version of the character was played by John Amos) and Vereen played his grandson, "Chicken George".

Interestingly, Sinclair and Burton have a further connection within their acting careers as Burton has played her son in four different projects.

Star Trek/Reading Rainbow Crossover

Reading Rainbow became a staple in children’s lives for over 23 years with Burton at the center of the show’s success. When Burton got the La Forge role in 1987, he made sure to stay dedicated to his education program and split his time filming episodes for both shows. However, out of his dedication to maintaining both series, fans of both shows were treated to some exclusive TNG footage that has never been released in any other form.

In the 1988 episode “Reading Rainbow: The Bionic Bunny Show”, viewers were shown behind the scenes footage that included bloopers from the show. To date, this footage has only been released legally on this show.

Incidentally, the included TNG footage has made this episode of Reading Rainbow the most popular episode of all time.

Data and Geordi was originally paired together  as “The Perceivers”

The friendship between Data  and Geordi was established fairly quickly in TNG show and became a favorite of Trekkies. However, the show creators had additional plans for their relationship that never came to be.

In an interview with Gizmodo.com , Burton shared that, “During the casting process, there was a scene that Gene Roddenberry wrote between Geordi and Data, that established their relationship. In that scene, Geordi and Data discussed how Geordi's eyes and Data's brain saw the world in a very similar way. They saw the truth of the world around them. And so, in the scene that Gene wrote, they formed a team, and they called themselves the Perceivers, because their perceptions were alike.”

We can only imagine how much fans would have loved the Perceivers as a super  Star Trek  duo.

 Geordi Almost Lost His Disability

The cultural significance of Geordi La Forge is a legacy that remains to this day. Not only was he one of the few African-American science fiction characters on TV but he was also one of the few engineers as well. However, his largest impact has been in the portrayal of a sci-fi character with a disability.

As noted in an article by The Slate , Geordi La Forge became “first recurring character with a disability” in Star Trek . Originally, there were actually plans in place to take the representation away. In the planning of season 2, there were talks of La Forge having his eyes healed and removing the VISOR permanently. However, the importance of his representation far exceeded the need for his healing, so the idea was scrapped.

Do you have any trivia to share about Geordi La Forge from Star Trek: The Next Generation ? Leave it in the comments!

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Background Actors?

Discussion in ' Star Trek: The Next Generation ' started by Taylirious , May 6, 2014 .

Taylirious Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

I was re-watching S1 and there is a background actor I saw in almost every EP of S1. I looked it up but didn't see her in the list. I was wondering if she had been in later seasons which I have not re-watched yet and might have had an actual role I didn't remember. She is a redhead in a yellow/gold skirt uniform? Usually seen on the bridge, sometimes in the halls and maybe in engineering if it is the same person.  

T'Girl Vice Admiral Admiral

A screen capture from Trek Core showing her would really help.  

^ It might not be the same actress but I will cap it from an episode shortly. ETA: I should have waited to post this, I was trying to go to bed. LOL. ADD: It may or may not be her: http://tng.trekcore.com/hd/albums/1x20/heartofglory_hd_396.jpg  

jimbotron Fleet Captain Fleet Captain

Hm, redheaded background actress, that was probably Diana Giddings. http://en.memory-alpha.org/wiki/Diana_Giddings  

Yay! Thank you!  

Ro_Laren Commodore Commodore

I always wondered how much Trek background actors made. Some of them were in a lot of episodes.... they must have been paid enough to pay the bills! I'm guessing that they don't make residual checks off of any reruns that air.  

Joel_Kirk Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

TayLaLaLa said: ↑ I was re-watching S1 and there is a background actor I saw in almost every EP of S1. I looked it up but didn't see her in the list. I was wondering if she had been in later seasons which I have not re-watched yet and might have had an actual role I didn't remember. She is a redhead in a yellow/gold skirt uniform? Usually seen on the bridge, sometimes in the halls and maybe in engineering if it is the same person. Click to expand...

Borjis Commodore Commodore

There's a guy with black hair, I know he was in "The Game" putting a game head set on when Crusher & Lefler left ten forward. He's seen a bunch of times.  

Maxwell Everett Commodore Commodore

Ro_Laren said: ↑ I always wondered how much Trek background actors made. Some of them were in a lot of episodes.... they must have been paid enough to pay the bills! I'm guessing that they don't make residual checks off of any reruns that air. Click to expand...

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think these background performers, if not SAG members, are not allowed to speak on screen. That's why so many just seem to nod when addressed. Also cool to see Dennis Madalone throughout the shows, because whenever you see him, you know he's about to get thrown across the room. Perhaps the most prolific background actor is Tom Morga. He appeared in numerous roles and as a stunt double from TMP through ENT.  

Trekker4747 Boldly going... Premium Member

As said above, background extras are the grunts of any TV/movie work. They're literally paid a few $100, given some access to the craft-services table and told to shoo when everything is wrapped. No residuals, nothing. If they *speak* it bumps them up a whole other pay-grade. Which is a shame, the red-haired woman in the skant really needed to be paid more.  

Trekker4747 said: ↑ Which is a shame, the red-haired woman in the skant really needed to be paid more. Click to expand...

jimbotron said: ↑ Yeah well, she put out for Okona. Click to expand...

Maxwell Everett said: ↑ Ro_Laren said: ↑ I always wondered how much Trek background actors made. Some of them were in a lot of episodes.... they must have been paid enough to pay the bills! I'm guessing that they don't make residual checks off of any reruns that air. Click to expand...

varek Commander Red Shirt

Several actors portrayed characters on the Bridge for a few episodes. They sometimes got a small speaking part.  

Lance Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

T'Girl said: ↑ jimbotron said: ↑ Yeah well, she put out for Okona. Click to expand...

varek said: ↑ Several actors portrayed characters on the Bridge for a few episodes. They sometimes got a small speaking part. Click to expand...

CoveTom Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

Ro_Laren said: ↑ It seems like we had more reoccurring background actors in Voyager than in TNG. They also seemed to have more lines. But, maybe I just need to rewatch both shows. Click to expand...

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Den of Geek

Star Trek: How One Haircut Saved The Original Series

Without a JFK-inspired haircut, Star Trek might have been without Bones.

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Is the most pivotal detail in Star Trek ’s history actually about Bones getting a haircut? Perhaps not, but a new documentary about Star Trek — The Center Seat — might get you wondering about an alternate dimension where Bones didn’t look as hot. For super hardcore Star Trek fans—those of us who have read every book about the making of the ‘60s show, and who like to argue about details about real color Kirk’s uniform—a new documentary on Trek might be treated with some trepidation. Is there really anything new to learn about the early days of the Final Frontier?…  

Although the broad strokes might be familiar to some, The Center Seat is full of new takes on old stories; at least stories familiar to people who have been obsessed with Trek since before our sun burned hot in space . And if you’ve never cracked a book on the making of Star Trek , the first episode of The Center Seat rounds up some pretty legit experts, most notably archivists John Tenuto and Maria Jose Tenuto ; These Are the Voyages author Marc Cushman ; and Dr. Trek himself, Larry Nemecek, author of several Trek books and host of several Trek podcasts, including my personal favorite, The TrekFiles.  The point is, although The Center Seat is produced by prolific documentarian Brian Volk-Weiss, the true power of the doc comes from a smart curation of experts. Wikipedia and Memory Alpha are great, but The Center Seat relies on some of the best researchers and historians in the field of Trek and TV history.

This leads us to the most profound revelation in the first episode of this new Trek docuseries. The idea that Bones as we know him was not only almost not a part of Star Trek but that his eventual inclusion was all because he got a very pivotal haircut.

Here’s the background: Prior to being cast in Star Trek , actor DeForest Kelley was a real space doctor who once had a date with a previous host of Dax, Emony Dax. Just kidding. In real life, Kelley was a popular actor in westerns, although he had also worked with Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry on a short-lived 1960s TV project called 333 Montgomery Street about a criminal attorney. Also, around the same time, Roddenberry was trying to sell Star Trek in 1965, he also had a pilot produced called Police Story , which co-starred DeForest Kelley. The point is, Roddenberry liked Kelley and had worked with him a ton before Trek . 

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But, as The Center Seat points out, Kelley’s Dr. Leonard “Bones” McCoy isn’t in the first pilot of Star Trek , “The Cage.” And, he’s not in the second pilot either, “Where No Man Has Gone Before.”  Why? Well, the basic idea is that certain network executives were unconvinced that Kelley could play a good guy since he had been more famous at that point for playing black hat bad guys in westerns. 

As Marie Jose Tenuato points out in The Center Seat , “Gene [Roddenberry] had the idea that if [DeForest Kelley] got a haircut that would subliminally say ‘good guy,’ that the studio would come around and warm-up to having Dee on the show…that haircut was based on John F. Kennedy.”

To prove it, The Center Seat briefly flashes a news story from 1967, from the July 30 issue of the Independent Star-News in Pasadena, California. The small news item titled “A Lucky Haircut” goes into more detail saying that Roddenberry wanted a “brainy, Kennedy look,” and sent Kelley to get a $35 dollar haircut, which was a lot in the 1960s. The hairstylist also happened to be Jay Sebring, a big-time Hollywood men’s stylist (who later became one of the victims of the Manson Family murders inside Sharon Tate’s home in 1969). The Independent Star-News item is seen for just a second on the screen in The Center Seat , but it represents just the tip of the iceberg of the kind of research and archiving Marie Jose Tenuto and John Tenuto have done over the years. And of all the details in this first episode of the new Trek documentary, it’s the quirkiest, and perhaps the most…fascinating. Could Star Trek really have worked without Bones? And did Bones need that haircut to become the trusty starship doctor we loved to hear complain all the time? 

In the nine remaining episodes of The Center Seat , there are bound to be more stirring revelations about various aspects of Trek history. But, right now, the detail about Bones getting a last-minute cool-guy haircut is easily the wildest and most unexpected Star Trek historical factoid, yet.

The Center Seat airs on the History Channel.

Ryan Britt is a longtime contributor to Den of Geek! He is also the author of three non-fiction books: the Star Trek pop history book PHASERS…

“Frankly, I’m amazed any of you survived.”

The strangest Star Trek character in years is the key to its multiverse

Kovich, played by the legendary filmmaker David Cronenberg, represents the past, present, and future of Star Trek. Here's how.

The 32nd century has a shadowy guiding force. In the year 3189, as seen in Season 3 of Star Trek: Discovery , the enigmatic Dr. Kovich wears a vintage 21st-century suit and giant glasses. In the world of Star Trek, only the legendary James T. Kirk wore glasses in a future where poor vision is corrected with technology. But with Kovich, the big spectacles are an effect. When questioned why he wears them, Kovich replies, “I like them.”

In 2021’s Discovery Season 4, Kovich returns, and the more we see him, the more questions we have. Played by legendary film director David Cronenberg , Kovich might be the future of Star Trek, while holding the keys to its past.

SCENE STEALERS is a countdown that salutes the unforgettable small-screen characters of the year. Kovich is #27.

In Season 4’s fourth episode, “All Is Possible,” Kovich deepens the mystique surrounding his character. At the same time, he set a course for an entirely new direction for the franchise. In the stand-out episode of the season so far, Kovich recruits Tilly (Mary Wiseman) — Discovery’s pluckiest audience surrogate — to lead a training mission with cranky Starfleet cadets. Because so many planets have been separated from one another, Kovich is worried Starfleet officers won’t cooperate as in the days of Kirk, Picard, Janeway, and Sisko.

“That’s why I’ve been asked to consult,” Kovich says coldly. “One might say that today’s exercise is about the very future of Starfleet.”

Who is Kovich?

• Best Quote: “Frankly, I’m amazed any of you survived.”
• Know For: Giant glasses, being a silver fox
• The Scene-Stealing Episode : Season 4, Episode 4, “All Is Possible” ( Star Trek: Discovery)
• Super Power: Knowing about the multiverse
• Their Scientific Element : Scandium. Like Kovich, scandium is silvery-white and is tremendously rare to find.
• Walk-up Song : “Scanners (Main Title)” by Howard Shore

In Star Trek: Discovery , the mysterious “Kovich,” played by filmmaker David Cronenberg, returns for a scene-stealing appearance in Season 4 to recruit Tilly (Mary Wiseman) for a new mission.

For Star Trek fans, Kovich is a fascinating confluence of continuity. When he first debriefed the crew, after they time-traveled forward to the 32nd century in Season 3, fans speculated he was from the Mirror Universe, a member of the spy group Section 31, or both. In the episode “Terra Firma, Part 1,” Kovich revealed his knowledge of the multiverse. For the first time since 2009, the canon of the J.J. Abrams films (the “Kelvinverse”) connected with the Prime Trek timeline, proving that both universes are, in fact, aware of each other, all thanks to him.

But who is Kovich, really? In Season 4, the fact he’s “consulting” with Starfleet Academy suggests it’s not his regular job. What exactly is his role in the Federation? And why does he know more than anyone about anything? With Kovich, the more questions we ask, the less we know.

Speaking to Star Trek Explorer in 2021, Cronenberg said Kovich “is not just an interrogator” but “kind of a cultural historian.” Despite all the deep-cut questions fans have about his character, Cronenberg himself is blissfully unaware of these implications. He mentioned many times his appearances on Discovery are because he’s “cheap and available.”

Cronenberg is better known for his work as a film director of sci-fi horror classics like The Fly and Scanners . As a self-professed fan of 1960s Star Trek , he may have been inspired by classic Trek in his capacity as an artist. In 2020, the director told Variety that he was a fan of the original.

“Especially in the ‘60s — when the original series was playing — I considered myself a potential novelist,” he said. “I never thought that I would be in film at all.”

“He unites different forces on the screen.”

There are not any direct connections between Cronenberg’s career as a film director and Star Trek. But as Discovery proves repeatedly, the story of Star Trek isn’t a straight line. Even if his past is shrouded in mystery, Kovich is boldly going where even Star Trek hasn’t gone before.

Not only does he reboot Starfleet Academy, but he poaches Tilly from her role on the USS Discovery . By the end of the episode, Tilly departs to join Kovich and teach the next generation of Starfleet. Could there be a spinoff series? Is the long-rumored Starfleet Academy show actually going to be about Kovich’s cold-hard personality butting heads with Tilly’s warm enthusiasm? The future of Trek is as vast as the final frontier.

Cronenberg joining Discovery is poignant. While Twitter might make you think new era Star Trek is a cultural and generational battleground, Cronenberg’s presence proves that kind of thing matters less than fans think it does. Cronenberg’s an old-school Star Trek fan. He’s a famous film director. And he’s on Discovery , bridging the gap between old and new. His brief scenes with Tilly are so wonderful because he unites different forces on the screen.

Alluring yet unknowable, Kovich is #27 in the Inverse Scene Stealers of 2021.

Cronenberg is part of a huge legacy of genre filmmaking, and Discovery is just one part of the science fiction TV renaissance right now. Just as Kovich knows about alternate dimensions and timelines, Cronenberg proves that loving the past doesn’t mean you should fear the future.

Star Trek: Discovery is streaming now on Paramount+.

This article was originally published on Dec. 9, 2021

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Seven Things To Know About Sonequa Martin-Green, The First African-American Woman To Lead A 'Star Trek' Cast

Sonequa Martin-Green is making history with the recent news that she’s landed the lead in the upcoming Star Trek: Discovery series.

Martin-Green is the first African-American woman to lead the cast of Star Trek . The star also currently appears on AMC’s The Walking Dead and is expected to remain on the show. So, what else is there to know about Star Trek’s new leading lady?

1. Martin-Green is an Aries from Russellville, Alabama. She attended the University of Alabama, where she studied theatre and earned stage combat certification in various weapons.

😎 #tbt #season6finale #teamsasha A photo posted by Sonequa Martin-Green (@therealsonequa) on Jun 9, 2016 at 2:07pm PDT

2. She’s married to actor Kenric Green, who plays Scott on The Walking Dead , and has an adorable 1-year-old son, Kenric Green III.

No Mother's Day for me without my Kenrics. What a life I have with you. #allmylove #sogratefulforthem #Godisgood A photo posted by Sonequa Martin-Green (@therealsonequa) on May 8, 2016 at 9:01pm PDT

3. She planned to graduate high school and study psychology, but decided to pursue theatre instead. She graduated high school  as a salutatorian .

☀️☺️ A photo posted by Sonequa Martin-Green (@therealsonequa) on Sep 29, 2016 at 10:25am PDT

4. Her gorgeous mom is a three-time cancer survivor, which is one of the reasons Martin-Green participated in this year’s “Stand Up To Cancer” telecast. 

Stand Up To Cancer's fifth biennial telecast is coming up on Friday, September 9th. Join us and share your reason to stand up to cancer. 💗 What's my reason? Because this woman is a stone cold hero. #mybeautifulmother #threetimecancersurvivor #reasons2standup #su2c A photo posted by Sonequa Martin-Green (@therealsonequa) on Jul 25, 2016 at 3:29am PDT

5. She revealed to  The Hollywood Reporter  that she’d initially and unknowingly auditioned for the role of Michonne on AMC’s undead drama. Former show runner Glen Mazzara cast Danai Gurira in the role, but still wanted Martin-Green on the show. “Glen Mazzara brought me in to be Sasha. I was supposed to be a recurring character and as we kept going forward, they picked up my option to be a regular,” she revealed. “It’s very rare and I’m still quite dumbfounded about it but Glen and I hit it off and I still appreciate him. He wanted to work with me and wrote Sasha for me. I did not come back in to audition, he said it was my role.”

😛❤️ #Repost @golightlyish ・・・ #TBT Season 5 #TWDfamily A photo posted by Sonequa Martin-Green (@therealsonequa) on Oct 14, 2016 at 8:52am PDT

6. She is our ultimate  hair crush  because she can rock any style.

I see you…❤️ Enjoy the episode tonight! #twd A photo posted by Sonequa Martin-Green (@therealsonequa) on Nov 6, 2016 at 5:06pm PST

Check me out tonight on @newgirlonfox, 8/7p!!! I'm excited! 😜 A photo posted by Sonequa Martin-Green (@therealsonequa) on Apr 19, 2016 at 10:05am PDT

7. She’s starred in  The Good Wife ,  Once Upon A Time , and played Winston’s girlfriend on  New Girl . She made her television debut in  Law & Order: Criminal Intent . 

Seven Things To Know About Sonequa Martin-Green, The First African-American Woman To Lead A 'Star Trek' Cast

Is This Patrick Stewart Auditioning for 'Star Trek' in a Hairpiece?

Series creator gene roddenberry reportedly commented, "i want him to wear a wig, because i don't want this guy going in bald.", david mikkelson, published april 26, 2021.

About this rating

Although it's now difficult to imagine anyone else in the role, actor Patrick Stewart was not the first choice to portray Capt. Jean-Luc Picard in "Star Trek: The Next Generation," the 1987-94 sequel television series that followed up the original 1966-69 "Star Trek" series. Famously, series creator/executive producer Gene Roddenberry rejected Stewart, who had been suggested by supervising producer Robert Justman, in part because he didn't "want a bald man" for the lead role.

Roddenberry eventually warmed to the idea of casting Stewart as the next captain of the Enterprise, although he insisted the actor wear a wig for his final audition with Paramount Television:

JUSTMAN: I called SAG [Screen Actors Guild] and found out who Patrick's agent was here in town, because he was over from London just for [an event at UCLA], and I got hold of the agent and made arrangements for Patrick to visit with Gene and me at Gene's house. Patrick came in his rental car, and we sat around for thirty-forty minutes, and then he made his good-byes and left to fly back to England. After he drove away, Gene closed the door and turned to me, and I will quote him exactly. He said, "I won't have him." RODDENBERRY: Bob Justman, who has been with me since day one, suggested Picard's identity. He had gone to UCLA and see this man he wanted as Picard. He presented him to me, and my first reaction was, "Jesus Christ, Bob, I don't want a bald man." In his wisdom, Justman kept his mouth shut and let me grow accustomed to [Stewart]. Executive Producer RICK BERMAN: [Roddenberry] finally agreed [to casting Stewart], though he said, "But when we bring him into the studio for his final audition, I want him to wear a wig, because I don't want this guy going in bald." So Patrick made a phone call to London and got a very, very good wig made by one of the best theatrical wig makers in England. And he had the wig sent over. Patrick came in, and somebody was there to help him put on the wig. We brought him to read for [president of Paramount Network Television] John Pike at the studio. [Stewart and another actor] read, and at the end Pike said, "Go with the English guy, but lose the wig." And that was the best three words we could have heard. He knew that Patrick was bald, and he had seen all the photographs of him, and we had played him a tape of Patrick's clips. That was the greatest sales point for The Next Generation .

https://youtu.be/pIjk0xLm8jc In the years since then, social media users have circulated a photograph of Stewart showing him in his Star Trek uniform with a hairpiece atop his pate, purportedly taken on that day when he was required to don a "wig" for his reading with the studio:

Although this photograph is real, it had nothing to do with Stewart's audition for the show. It appears to be a still shot related to the filming of the fifth season episode "Violations," which included a flashback sequence during which Dr. Beverly Crusher recalled Picard's taking her to the morgue on Starbase 32 to see the body of her dead husband, Jack, who had died on a mission under Picard's command:

https://youtu.be/hp5i73fpPtk Since Jack Crusher's death had taken place 14 years prior to the setting of "Violations," Stewart was fitted with a hairpiece for the scene to convey that the events depicted in the scene had occurred well in the past:

Altman, Mark A. and Edward Gross.   The Fifty-Year Mission: The Next 25 Years .     New York: St. Martin's Press, 2016.   ISBN 978-1-250-08946-5   (pp. 90-92).

By David Mikkelson

David Mikkelson founded the site now known as snopes.com back in 1994 as a creative outgrowth of his wide-ranging interests in a variety of subjects (particularly folklo ... read more

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http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/BaldOfAuthority

Bald of Authority

Edit locked.

Most likely this is just art imitating reality , given that older people tend to occupy positions of authority in society (due to having more experience) and older people (men in particular) are more likely to be bald than younger people. It also seems likely to have come from, in part, the practice of ancient Egyptian pharoahs to shave their head bald when they ascended the throne. Even still, there are quite a few fictional leaders across genders and ages that are bald because of this trope.

Whatever the reason , the proof is in the examples: if they show up in a work and there's a group, team, or organization to be led, a bald character will often be The Leader of it. And by bald, we do mean bald: no "balding" or partial baldies here, complete chrome domes, only.

This can apply to any kind of leader, whether they are a leader of an entire country , a battalion , a precinct , or are the head manager of a home goods store. What matters is not just the formal position they occupy in a group or organization, but also that they are treated by those around them as the main person to defer to for leadership, direction, agenda setting, and commands. Bald leaders who have Authority in Name Only are subversions of this trope. And remember: leaders can be morally and ethically good, evil, neutral, and everything in-between; this trope can and often does overlap with Bald of Evil .

For bald characters who don't necessarily lead a group, but use their wisdom and enlightenment to provide guidance and advice in a more Mentor Archetype way, see Bald Mystic . For headwear that serves a similar purpose, see Hat of Authority .

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• Joker in AKIRA is bald, black, huge, and the leader of the motorcycle gang known as The Clowns. It's not exactly a democracy, but it still works.
• Dot Pixis is the completely bald commander responsible for the entire Southern territory within Wall Rose. Despite his eccentric personality , he's one of the few people willing to listen to Eren instead of killing him on the spot after Eren transforms publicly for the first time.
• Keith Shadis is the bald instructor of the Southern Branch of the Trainee Corps and former commander of the Survey Corps. Despite his stint as commander ending disastrously, no one seems to hold it against him besides Hange, who criticizes his defeatist attitude.
• Black Cat : Nizer Bruckheimer is the bald leader of Chronos' Cerberus commando team.
• Genryusai Shigekuni Yamamoto is the late Captain of the First Squad and Captain-Commander of the Thirteen Court Guard Squads and the uncontested most powerful person in Soul Society, having gotten his position centuries ago by simply destroying all rival factions . His baldness is in part justified by his old age, as in his younger days, he did have hair. But even then, it was styled such that the top of his head was completely bald with the hair only growing on the sides.
• Ichibe Hyosube is the bald leader of Squad 0, also known as the Royal Guard, which is tasked with protecting the Soul King, the Royal Palace, and the Royal Family. He was the one who gave everything related to shinigami and Soul Society its names. In line with his position as an authority figure, he has the power to manipulate and control people and objects once he learns their true name .
• BNA: Brand New Animal : Barbara Rose is the wise and intelligent mayor of Anima City. She appears as a bald woman most of the time; this is because she's really a naked mole-rat, a completely hairless type of animal.
• Crows : Hana is bald and The Leader of his faction the Hana Gumi and later, the Whole SUZURAN as its first Boss . He is the best fighter in the group, cementing his position through Rank Scales with Asskicking .
• Fullmetal Alchemist : Basque Grand is the bald, Brigadier General during the Ishval War. He's shown to be a Reasonable Authority Figure , killing the former Brigadier General Fessler and taking his spot when it became clear Fessler was a General Ripper who didn't care about the high deaths of his own men and was about to call for the slaughter of surrendering Ishvallan civilians. Mind you, in the 2003 anime , he himself was a General Ripper.
• Gamaran : In the sequel series Shura , Ise Ramon is the bald leader of the Genkai Tenpei, a team of natural born martial artists serving the Bakufu and trained in exotic fighting styles, and easily one of the strongest fighters in the setting.
• Kengan Ashura : Gen Shikano is the bald CEO of Gandai, a smaller company under the sprawling umbrella that is the Kengan Association. This also overlaps somewhat with Bald Head of Toughness , as Gen is a former Kengan fighter himself, given the epithet "The Good Fight Making Machine."
• Nana : Yasu shaves his head completely bald after going Prematurely Bald and is The Leader of the Black Stones, handling almost all of the business decisions the band makes. He is shown to be the most responsible and level headed of the group. This not only doubles as Delinquent Hair given the band's punk rock aesthetic, but helps to further emphasize Yasu as a Foil for Takumi, the Jerk with a Heart of Jerk leader of rival band Trapnest, who has long black hair.
• Sword Art Online : Agil is tall, bald, black and has a goatee. He's one of Kirito's trusted friends while trapped in Sword Art Online and fights as well as he looks with a large battle-axe. In real-life, he owns a bar. He was once the de-facto leader of a group of tank players who fought on the front lines separate from the Aincrad Liberation Squad and Dragon Knights Brigade, in the earlier days of SAO.
• Tales of Wedding Rings : Marse's father, the Emperor of Giseras, is the bald, stern, uncompromising leader of the mightiest nation in the world of Arnulus.
• Teferi, from Magic: The Gathering . His baldness only becomes clear during Time Spiral; previously, his hairstyle was unknown due to his hat.
• In the comic series Stormwatch , bald white guy Henry Bendix is technically the leader, but for the most part, field commander and bald black guy Jackson King (Battalion) calls the shots. He takes over for Bendix as Weatherman, too.
• Across most Superman works, his Arch-Nemesis Lex Luthor is almost universally a bald, highly intelligent Villain with Good Publicity . In fact, be it coincidence or deliberate , his hair is often a measure of his morality — Lex Luthors like the one from Superman: Earth One and La Résistance member from Superman Vol 2 #21 are good guys and have heads full of hair, while Lex from Smallville lost his hair at the beginning of his Start of Darkness . He is also the CEO of his own company, Lexcorp, and in many versions, practically has half of Metropolis under his control, as he has built many of the establishments, and countless citizens work for him whether they know it or not. He also was briefly President of the United States.
• Ultimate Marvel : Ultimate Nick Fury , who was explicitly based off of Samuel L. Jackson with his permission, and played by him in the Marvel Cinematic Universe . (Fury is white and has hair in mainstream continuity, although a version of Samuel L. Jackson's Fury was later introduced as his son.) Fittingly, the artists started depicting him with a shaved head around the same time that he became the leader of The Ultimates ; in his first appearance in Ultimate X Men , when he was still a S.H.I.E.L.D. field agent, he had a fade haircut. note  Surprisingly enough, he wasn't always modeled after Samuel L. Jackson
• The Walking Dead : Alpha is the bald, female leader of the Whisperers, the main faction that Rick and his crew face off against after the time skip . She is portrayed in part as a Reasonable Authority Figure in comparison to her followers who are much more bloodthirsty and willing to kill on sight.
• X-Men : Charles Xavier is a Chrome Dome Psi and the original founder and first leader of the eponymous group. As the leader of the X-men and the headmaster of Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters, he's idealistic, empathetic, paternalistic, and a perennial Mentor Archetype to every student. Depending on the adaptation, how he became bald changes, but most describe it as a consequence of him developing his abilities as a teenager.
• Lilo & Stitch : The Grand Councilwoman is the level-headed leader of the United Galactic Federation who has no hair on her head, seemingly in part because she is an alien.
• The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie : King Neptune, ruler of the entire ocean, note  not the same Neptune that appears on the show, by the way is completely bald... and completely in denial of it , claiming despite all evidence to the contrary that he just has a slightly thinning bald spot. It's heavily implied that this is the main reason he's so upset about his crown being stolen, and wears a paper bag over his head until he gets it back.
• Austin Powers : Dr. Evil is a parody of James Bond villains and is similar in terms of appearance of the often depicted as bald , frequent Bond antagonist, Blofeld.
• Black Hawk Down : Bald Captain Mike Steele leads a Ranger rifle company.
• Doctor Strange (2016) : Overlapping with Bald Mystic due to her supernatural abilities and role as Mentor Archetype to Stephen Strange, The Ancient One is depicted as the completely bald leader of Masters of the Mystic Arts in the film.
• End of Watch : The police captain is bald and seems to be a very respected Reasonable Authority Figure . Taylor, a lower ranked officer and one of the two leads, is a bit of a fanboy.
• Exodus: Gods and Kings : Pharaoh Ramses II is completely bald, as was custom for pharaohs at the time, and has a major god complex , thinking and acting as if he was the true sole authority in Ancient Egypt .
• Excalibur : Downplayed. The bald Sir Leondegrance, played by Patrick Stewart , gets his shot to pull Excalibur from the stone and become king at the start of the film and fails. Arthur successfully tries afterwards. While everyone debates whether or not to make Arthur king, Leondegrance immediately pledges his allegiance to Arthur. However overwhelmed by the fighting, Arthur falls into a deep sleep. When he awakens, Leondegrance is king, but Arthur soon replaces him after he helps Leondegrance in battle and marries his daughter Guinevere.
• The Fifth Element : The President of the Federated Territories is both bald and black, played by former wrestler Tom 'Tiny' Lister.
• In the James Bond films, SPECTRE leader Ernst Stavro Blofeld is portrayed as chrome-domed in You Only Live Twice , On Her Majesty's Secret Service , and For Your Eyes Only overlapping with Bald of Evil . In all other films where the character shows up, this trope is averted.
• In Land of the Dead , a big, bald, black zombie leads the other zombies to march on Fiddler's Green.
• In The Last Queen , Emir Salim al-Toumi, a 16th century ruler of Algiers , is bald.
• The Last Samurai : Katsumoto is the bald leader of the Samurai and also their strongest warrior , who personally leads them into every battle.
• The Matrix : Morpheus is the bald, captain of the ship "Nebuchadnezzar", a ship named after King Nebuchadnezzar II of the Neo-Babylonian empire, who is considered the empire's greatest leader, underscoring how great of a leader Morpheus is. Morpheus's great leadership comes primarily from his wisdom, spirituality , and unwavering faith in Neo being "The One".
• Primal : Supervising Marshal John Ringer is the black bald leader of an elite U.S. Marshal team, escorting an extremely high-risk prisoner back to the U.S. He has a 'take no shit' attitude and immediately clashes with Great White Hunter Frank Walsh; a civilian who refuses to respect his authority.
• The Rock : General Hummel, the leader of the terrorists holding tourists hostage at Alcatraz and threatening to launch deadly nerve gas into San Francisco, is bald. He also subverts Bald of Evil , as Hummel is at worst an Anti-Villain , who is firmly unwilling to kill innocent people and is bluffing about using the gas .
• General Chang and the Borg Queen, the respective Big Bads of Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country and Star Trek: First Contact .
• Star Trek: Nemesis : The leader of the Reman rebels, and later the Romulan empire is Praetor Shinzon, a clone of Captain Jean-Luc Picard , one of the franchise's primary Reasonable Authority Figures who also sports a Bald of Authority . Shinzon is shown to be completely bald, having been artificially born and experiencing accelerated development.
• Star Trek (2009) : Played with Nero, captain of the Romulan mining vessel Narada , who sports a bald tattooed head along with every other crewmember. note  The Star Trek: Countdown prequel comics explain of a Romulan tradition that, when a loved one dies, Romulans tattoo themselves. As the ink fades over time, so does their grief. However, in this case, after Romulus was destroyed, the ink was deeply embedded so that it never fades and they never forget everyone they've lost. Played straight with Captain Robau of the USS Kelvin in the prologue.
• The Ten Commandments (1956) : Pharaoh Rameses is shaved bald, as was his father Sethi, when he ascends to the throne as a symbol of his rank (as the son of the still-living Pharaoh, Rameses has a shaved head but sports a ponytail in back).
• Underworld (2003) : Vidar is the bald leader of the Nordic Coven. Notably, he is the only bald vampire among his coven, where everyone else was blonde or silver-haired.
• The Guild of Specialists : Master Aa is the Large and in Charge bald leader of the Sujing Quantou, a Chinese military order.
• Inheritance Cycle : Ajihad, who has a beard but no hair, is the leader of the Vardan .
• Mai-HiME Destiny : Rei Kanzaki, Reito's older brother, is the principal of Fuuka Academy and his baldness is his most defining characteristic .
• Isaac Asimov and Janet Asimov 's The Norby Chronicles : Admiral Boris Yobo is head of Space Command, which puts him in charge of Space Academy, where Space Cadet Jeff Wells is in training. Initially it appeared that Fargo had left the service, but the first book reveals that he'd actually become a secret agent working with Yobo to discover the secret identity of the first book's villain. So aside from being the highest-ranked person that we meet in the Solar Federation, he takes a personal interest in the Wells family and is directly responsible for Jeff having enough credits to purchase Norby in the first place. The novels tend to describe him as the descendant of African kings, emphasizing his skin-tone and leadership skills at the same time. His baldness is emphasized in Norby and the Court Jester because the planet Izz insists on everyone wearing braids, and since his natural baldness prevents him from having any other hair, he has to grow a mustache and braid that instead.
• Record of Grancrest War : Captain Gluck is completely bald. This overlaps with Bald Head of Toughness as he has the ability to turn his entire body into metal , which gives him Super-Toughness .
• We have Lord of the Westerlands and Hand of the King to Aerys Tywin Lannister who use to have long curly locks like his children and grandchildren. When at the first sign of hairloss Tywin ordered his barber to shave his head.
• Janos Slynt Commander of the City Watch has a shiny scalp.
• Ser Jeor Mormont who was the head of his house and is now Lord Commander of the Nights Watch lost most of his hair except for his impressive beard.
• Lord of Horn Hill Randyll Tarly who doubles as Baldof Evil due to being an Abusive Parent .
• Lord of Dragonstone Stannis Baratheon who has no hair on top of his head.
• The Hands of the Emperor : Since the fashions of court (and probably century-old rules) dictate it, the Emperor of Astandalas keeps a completly shaved head.
• In The Adventures of Sinbad 's second season, Rongar, who had been bald and black all along, was revealed to be a prince (technically, exiled ex-prince) in his home realm.
• Babylon 5 : The Centauri emperor Turhan is bald and is characterized as a Reasonable Authority Figure , having dedicated his life and reign as emperor in fixing the damage his family and the Centauri has inflicted, with his last act being a public apology for those crimes. This is emphasized by his character not wearing the traditional Centauri peacock wig, which is used to denote power and status, instead laying his bald head bare .
• Played with. Gates is the most senior member of the crew and serves as the Walrus's Quartermaster, i.e. the elected representative of the crew's interests for practicality, understanding of the crew's needs; he'd arguably be the better choice for The Captain . However, he is not and he remains deeply loyal to Captain Flint, while still acting as a check on Flint's authority.
• The Book of Boba Fett : Five years after being thrown into the Sarlacc Pit in Return of the Jedi , the completely bald, former bounty hunter Boba Fett seizes control of Jabba the Hutt's criminal empire and becomes Daimyo of Tatooine.
• The Call of Warr : Inverted. Gravesite is The Captain of a unit of soldiers and is initially depicted as a wise commander with long, flowing hair. However, when he has his position usurped by Prince , it is revealed that his hair is just a wig and he is actually bald underneath. So while Gravestite was technically always bald, his baldness is mostly associated with the loss of authority in the show and the wig is associated with having authority, to the extent that when Prince becomes the new leader , he starts wearing the wig.
• In Chuck , "Big Mike" Tucker is the bald, black manager of the Buy More—though he's really more of a figurehead as he's about as interested in doing any work as the rest of the staff (i.e. not very) and so it's Chuck who ends up doing most of the actual leading, in between saving the world, or the series of evil assistant managers.
• Heroes : The President is black and bald. He is played by Michael Dorn .
• Law & Order: Special Victims Unit : Captain Cragen was the completely bald police chief that led the eponymous Special Victims Unit. He later retires and appoints the very much not bald Olivia Benson as the new head of the unit.
• Outlander : Dougal MacKenzie , the War Chieftain, is the only bald Highlander in the fighting force of Clan MacKenzie . In addition to being in charge of the fighting men, he serves as the right-hand of and enforcer for his brother, Colum, the Clan's Laird, going where Colum's disabled legs don't allow him to travel, imbued with full authority to act in the best interest of the Clan.
• NUMB3RS : Even though he is mainly Don's second-in-command, David Sinclair does become leader of the team on several occasions, particularly when Don was injured in "The Fifth Man".
• Oz : Simon Adebisi is a bald thug who initially is just another member of the Homeboys. However, after the two previous leaders are killed, Adebisi takes over via Asskicking Leads to Leadership and quickly becomes The Dreaded thanks to being a brutal psychopath . He eventually manages to take over Em City through sheer cunning, in exchange for preventing any deaths from happening within the cell block.
• Star Trek: The Next Generation : Jean Luc Picard is one of the most iconic examples of the trope as the bald, diplomatic , compassionate , captain of the Enterprise -D. It is indicated that he has undergone male-pattern baldness somewhere in his late-twenties to early-thirties as he is depicted with hair in his younger years as an Ensign, when he was much more brash and arrogant. His present baldness helps to underscore how he has grown considerably Older and Wiser over the years.
• Star Trek: Deep Space Nine : Starting with season 4 of the series Captain Benjamin Lafayette Sisko is very much this when he also goes completely bald. note  He would have been much sooner had studio executives allowed him to.
• Stargate SG-1 : George Hammond is the stern, but accommodating Major General that issues orders down to the main crew in this series and is completely bald.
• Total Recall 2070 : Da Chief Martin Ehrenthal, both bald and black, is the head of the local division of the CPB. He's an incredibly competent administrator, not afraid to stand up to any Consortium representative or someone from the Assessor's Office trying to browbeat him or his agents to back away from their investigations.
• In the 1970s and 80s, the bald, black " Evil Genius " Lightning Hernandez was the unofficial leader of all the rudos on the Dominican Republic television program "International Wrestling", making this overlap with Bald of Evil .
• In The Gamer's Alliance , Ismail is a bald, black man who becomes the captain of the Black Guard of Vanna.
• The King and I : Invoked. The King's original Broadway actor, Yul Brynner, had his head shaved at the makeup artist's recommendation. Brynner carried this trope on into the movie, and bald kings are featured in several of the revivals for the musical and adaptations in other mediums.
• Arcana Famiglia : Dante is the bald director of the Arcana Famiglia, a group tasked with protecting the island of Regalo. He's also the head of intelligence for the group due to his ability to alter memories. His leadership role is invoked by the arcana he controls and derives power from: The Emperor, which in traditional tarot symbolizes wisdom and is the ruler of the world.
• Castlevania: Lords of Shadow : Roland de Ronceval is a Fake Ultimate Hero who believes himself to be The Chosen One to defeat Dracula. Naturally, he was a Paladin of the Brotherhood of Light, for which he shaves his head bald, and commander of the greatest army ever brought to destroy Dracula.
• Kane from Command & Conquer is the bald, charismatic leader of the Nod faction.
• Destiny : Zavala is a bald, well respected Vanguard commander who leads the City's standing forces and is portrayed as a Reasonable Authority Figure , acknowledging and rewarding the Guardians who complete missions for the Vanguard.
• Shartan, the leader of the elves that aided Andraste in her rebellion against the Tevinter Imperium in the franchise's lore. His Temple of Sacred Ashes spirit appears bald, and in Inquisition the player can find some murals that depict him as bald, as well as codices that imply he modeled himself off of ancient elvhen freedom-fighting folk heroes who also had bald heads. Likely the legacy of Fen'Harel, or Solas.
• Clarel de Chanson is the bald Warden-Commander of Orlais who appears in the Adamant Fortress missions in Dragon Age: Inquisition . She's a deconstruction of The Unfettered nature of most Wardens, with a single-minded determination to oppose the Blight, even if that means sacrificing her subordinates to summon demons to fight them .
• The Elder Scrolls : Emperor Uriel Septim VII , a Reasonable Authority Figure and Big Good throughout the series, has a shiny bald head in his Daggerfall appearance.
• Elevator Action EX : Guy is the main player character's bald boss who directs the spies, as well as a playable character himself.
• Final Fantasy X : Cid is bald, The Captain of his own airship, and the leader of the Al Bhed ethnic minority group. In the sequel, Final Fantasy X-2 when Yuna, Rikku, and Payne become the captains of their own airship, Cid becomes a Leader Wannabe once let aboard, barking orders as if he was in charge again.
• Fire Emblem Fates : Fuga is the wise, serious chief of the Wind Tribe who has no hair on his head (save for his eyebrows).
• Fire Fight : Your Commanding Officer in the military airplane shooter is bald.
• Grand Summoners : Ganan has no hair on his head and is the Reigard branch guildmaster.
• Guild Wars : King Jalis Ironhammer of Deldrimor is the completely bald king of the dwarves who is characterized as being patient, thoughtful, and wise and a Reasonable Authority Figure .
• Hotline Miami 2: Wrong Number : The Colonel is the bald, commanding officer (later Lieutenant General) of an elite spec-ops unit called the "Ghost Wolves", and is depicted as caring deeply for the members of his unit .
• In Overwatch Doomfist is a leader of the terrorist group Talon. He is not only bald and charismatic, but is a dedicated brawler.
• The Big Bad of the main game, Masayoshi Shido is a dark take on this, combining it with Bald of Evil . He's a politician who's running to become the next prime minister of Japan so he can rule the country with an iron fist and shape it to fit his distorted vision. He believes he and he alone is the only one with the will capable of steering Japan in the right direction and is willing to cheat, lie, and kill his way to ensure power. He also will abuse his power to ruin the lives of anyone he perceives as challenging his authority and will to do what he pleases as he pleases, something Joker (and the player) learns immediately as Shido is the one who fabricated a false assault charge against Joker when Joker tried to keep Shido from sexually assaulting a woman in the street. Put simply, he's a proto-authoritarian leader in need of the position to fully exercise the authority he believes is his right. Ironically, Shido is just an Unwitting Pawn for the Greater-Scope Villain who's really pulling the strings that put the game in motion.
• The egg-head shaped Principal Kobayakawa is a subversion, since despite being the one in charge of the school, he's a lower ranked member of the Antisocial Force that's trying to get Shido elected , and as such he takes his orders from the SIU Director, who's taking his orders from Shido. Naturally, when Kobayakawa fails to uncover the identity of the Phantom Thieves who very obviously started at his school, Shido shows just how little authority Kobayakawa has by having him killed .
• Queen at Arms : Played with since Berin, while bald, is only the Assistant-Commander. That said, he's a Hypercompetent Sidekick to Commander Bryce, who in contrast, is a General Ripper and exhibits possible signs of dementia, making Berin the actual Reasonable Authority Figure between the two.
• Radiata Stories : Dynas is the head of the Radiata Knights and his cue ball is as shiny as his helmet.
• Splinter Cell: Double Agent has Emile Dufraisne, the bald leader of the JBA.
• Star Wars Jedi: Survivor shows Cere Junda has shaven her head since the last game , and is overseeing the reconstruction of a Jedi archive in a secure location.
• In the Xenosaga games, "Representative Helmer", the leader of Second Miltia, is both bald and black.
• Roy in The Order of the Stick is black in a family of bald men and the leader of his team, although he's a bit more hammy and much more snarky than usual examples of this trope. The King of Nowhere also qualifies, from what we see of him in a flashback panel (which is among the reasons Roy was confused with him at one point).
• Prelude to Axanar has Admiral Marcus Ramirez, Chief of Starfleet. He's bald, black, and fearless against the Klingon Empire.
• Angel Wars : Swift is higher-ranked than the main characters, on top of being Large and in Charge . Downplayed in that Michael and Arianna both outrank him.
• BattleTech (1994) : The bald Aleksandr Kerensky was the greatest general of the Star League Defense Forces and remains one of the most beloved figures in the entire universe, whose Undying Loyalty to the Star League led him to buck the rules if it meant doing what he believed was just and right.
• Codename: Kids Next Door : Numbuh One is a completely bald child and the leader of the Sector V branch of the eponymous Kids Next Door, an international organization of kids that combats adult tyranny and villainy. He is the most level-headed of the group (apart from his Properly Paranoid and Conspiracy Theorist ways) and has a will of titanium when it comes to taking on the grown-ups. His baldness was actually caused by the group's arch rivals, the Delightful Children from Down the Lane, in a Noodle Incident .
• Rugrats : Save for a few strands of hair, Tommy Pickles is completely bald and the de facto leader when he and the rest of the babies go on adventures in the show, often deciding what the plan is for each episode. He's also shown to be the bravest of the group , being the first to charge into the unknown or stand up against Angelica, who often bullies them. His baldness is justified , as he's a literal baby who has yet to fully grow hair, but it remains noteworthy since he's the only one (until his younger brother Dill is born ) of the kids to be bald.

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Arresting the hmkg commander.

Two Russian spooks overlook the fact that the funnily-dressed man they're to arrest/abduct/coerce has an actual military unit - His Majesty The King's Guard - at his beck and call.

Example of: Mugging the Monster

Alternative Title(s): Bald Black Leader Guy , Bald Authority Figure

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• Mirror Universe
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The Vulcans , or Vulcanians , [1] were a warp-capable humanoid species from the planet Vulcan . They were widely renowned for their strict adherence to logic and reason as well as their remarkable stoicism.

In 2161 , their homeworld became a founding member of the United Federation of Planets . ( TOS : " Mudd's Women ", " Amok Time "; TNG : " Encounter at Farpoint ", " Data's Day ", " Gambit, Part II "; Star Trek: First Contact ; ENT : " Broken Bow ", " Zero Hour ", " Awakening ", " These Are the Voyages... ") Vulcans were known by the Borg as Species 3259 . ( VOY : " The Raven ")

• 1.1 Mirror universe
• 1.2 Alternate reality
• 2.2 Medical conditions
• 2.3 Hybridization
• 3.2 Education
• 3.3 Logic and emotions
• 3.4 Attitudes to deception
• 3.5 Spirituality
• 3.6 Romantic relationships
• 3.7 Food and drink
• 3.8 Holidays
• 3.9 See also
• 4 Science and technology
• 5 Individuals
• 6.1 Appearances
• 6.2 Background information
• 6.3 Apocrypha
• 6.4 External links

History and politics [ ]

In 2154 , T'Pol stated that Vulcans had evolved on Vulcan. ( ENT : " The Forge ") Roughly a century later , however, Spock theorized that the Vulcans might be descendants of the Arretans . ( TOS : " Return to Tomorrow ") According to Narek , the myth of Ganmadan dated back to before the Romulan and Vulcan ancestors first arrived on Vulcan. ( PIC : " Et in Arcadia Ego, Part 2 ") In 2369 , evidence was discovered that several species including the Romulans , and therefore also the Vulcans, could be traced back to DNA that had been seeded on many planets by ancient humanoids 4.5 billion years ago . ( TNG : " The Chase ")

The Vulcans were once an extremely violent and emotional people (even by Earth standards) who waged almost constant warfare on one another. ( ENT : " Impulse ", " Awakening "; TOS : " Balance of Terror ", " Let That Be Your Last Battlefield "; VOY : " Random Thoughts "; SNW : " A Quality of Mercy ") Paranoia and homicidal rage were common. ( ENT : " Impulse ") They believed in a variety of gods , such as war, peace, and death . ( TNG : " Gambit, Part II ") As their level of technology increased, the Vulcans eventually reached a point where their violent nature threatened the extinction of their own species. ( ENT : " Awakening ")

Surak, father of Vulcan logic

In an effort to avoid this fate, a Vulcan named Surak developed a new philosophy , thereby igniting the Time of Awakening . Surak maintained that the root cause of all the problems on Vulcan lay in the uncontrolled outpouring of the people's emotions. His followers swore to live their lives by an ethical system devised by Surak and based purely on logical principles. Emotions were to be controlled and repressed. ( TAS : " Yesteryear ")

Although this new philosophy spread rapidly across Vulcan, a minority, many of whom were known as "those who march beneath the raptor 's wings ", rejected Surak's ideals. A destructive war began, including the use of atomic bombs , and among the victims was Surak himself. ( ENT : " The Forge ", " Awakening ")

Eventually, however, those who opposed logic left Vulcan and founded colonies elsewhere ( TNG : " Gambit, Part I ", " Gambit, Part II ") – most notably on the planet Romulus , where they founded what eventually became the Romulan Star Empire . ( TOS : " Balance of Terror ", " The Enterprise Incident "; TNG : " Unification I ", " Unification II ") At some point in history, the Romulans and the Vulcans engaged in a hundred-year-long war against one another. The war was instigated by the actions of a member of the Q Continuum . ( VOY : " Death Wish ")

Another group that rejected Surak's philosophy was known as the " V'tosh ka'tur ", or "Vulcans without logic". The V'tosh ka'tur believed in controlling emotions by allowing themselves to actively experience them rather than suppressing them. Some of these also left Vulcan, and took up a nomadic existence. ( ENT : " Fusion ") Many turned to crime, however, and subsequently sent for rehabilitation at facilities such as the Ankeshtan K'til Retreat . ( SNW : " Spock Amok ", " The Serene Squall ") A prime example of a V'tosh ka'tur was Sybok , who underwent failed rehabilitation at Ankeshtan K'Til for involvement in piracy before ultimately trying to use emotion rather than logic to find answers to the creation of the universe. ( SNW : " The Serene Squall "; Star Trek V: The Final Frontier )

First contact with Humans in 2063

The Vulcans conducted a series of survey missions to the Sol system , as early as 1957 . ( ENT : " Carbon Creek ") Vulcans were, in fact, one of the first species to develop warp drive , though a century passed between the first warp flight and the breaking of the warp 2 barrier . ( ENT : " First Flight ") T'Pol told Archer that Vulcans "don't share" Humans ' "enthusiasm for space exploration," but a Syrrannite on Vulcan later advised Archer that this may not have been true. ( ENT : " Fight or Flight ", " The Forge ")

The official First Contact between Vulcans and Humans came on April 5 , 2063 , when a Vulcan survey ship , the T'Plana-Hath , detected the warp flight of Zefram Cochrane 's Phoenix . The Vulcans met with Cochrane at his launch site on the day following the flight. ( Star Trek: First Contact )

Subsequently, the Vulcans offered their technological guidance to Humans, but were criticized on Earth for holding back their development. ( ENT : " First Flight ", " Broken Bow ") A century after First Contact, the High Command had become worried about Humans, who, like Vulcans, had had devastating wars, but after which had rebuilt and started traveling to the stars much faster. There were those on the High Command who wondered what Humans would achieve in the century to come, and did not like the answer. ( ENT : " The Forge ")

By the mid- 22nd century , Vulcan culture had strayed from the path that Surak had originally laid out for them, to the point that Surak's katra did not recognize it as the culture he had helped to create. They had ceased being explorers and the High Command, once devoted to that goal, had instead become involved in a conflict with the neighboring Andorians . ( ENT : " Awakening ", " The Forge ")

The Vulcan High Command used an ancient monastery at P'Jem as a secret listening post to spy on the Andorians until June of 2151 , when the listening post was discovered by the Andorians and a landing party from Enterprise NX-01 . Later, the Humans helped negotiate a peace between the Vulcans and Andorians over a disputed class D planetoid known to the Vulcans as Paan Mokar . ( ENT : " The Forge ", " The Andorian Incident ", " Cease Fire ")

Vulcans also became less tolerant of political and philosophical challenges towards the High Command's operations, notably engaging in purges of the Syrrannite group, who claimed that Vulcan society was no longer following the teachings of Surak. These tensions came to a head in a crisis called the Vulcan Reformation , which resulted in the overthrow of the High Command (and its leader, V'Las , who was secretly allied with the Romulans), as well as a restructuring of the Vulcan government including the dissolution of the High Command. T'Pau became a minister in this government. A less aggressive policy towards Earth was also adopted. ( ENT : " The Forge ", " Awakening ", " Kir'Shara ", " United ")

By the 21st and 22nd centuries, the Vulcans had also made contact with the Cardassians , Trill , Tholians , Klingons (as early as 2016 ), and scores of other races. ( DS9 : " Destiny "; ENT : " Broken Bow ", " Future Tense ")

As of the 23rd century , Vulcan had never been conquered in its collective memory. That memory went so far back that Vulcans could not conceive of a conqueror. ( TOS : " The Immunity Syndrome ")

By the 24th century , Vulcan remained one of the principal Federation members, and was deeply involved at all levels of that society. Vulcans were present in the Federation colonies found within the Demilitarized Zone established between the United Federation of Planets and the Cardassian Union by the terms of the Federation-Cardassian Treaty of 2370 ; they were among the colonists' representatives during discussions with the Cardassians concerning terrorist attacks by the anti-Cardassian Maquis movement established in the Zone. At least one Vulcan, Sakonna , acted as a gun runner and interrogator for the Maquis and made use of her people's ability to mind meld in the latter role. ( DS9 : " The Maquis, Part I ", " The Maquis, Part II ")

The Vulcans' tradition of exploration continued; in the 24th century, a Vulcan ship was the first to make formal contact with a Gamma Quadrant civilization, upon encountering the Wadi . ( DS9 : " Move Along Home ") The Vulcans were at the forefront of exploration in the Gamma Quadrant, encountering the Rakhari and finding the remains of the Hur'q civilization. ( DS9 : " Vortex ", " The Sword of Kahless ") In the 24th century, the Vulcan ministry of security was known as the V'Shar . ( TNG : " Gambit, Part II ")

By 2369, the Vulcans had a saying known to the Federation: " We're here to serve. " ( DS9 : " Captive Pursuit ")

Despite the enmity between the Federation and the Romulan Star Empire, some Vulcans attempted to forge a more cordial relationship with their cousins, ultimately hoping to reunify the two cultures. Many of these efforts met with little success. ( TNG : " Unification I ", " Unification II ")

Mirror universe [ ]

History turned out much differently for the Vulcans of the mirror universe . When the Vulcans made first contact with Earth of this universe in 2063, Zefram Cochrane shot the first Vulcan to publicly set foot on Terran soil, believing his vessel to be the vanguard of an intended invasion. The Terrans stormed the T'Plana-Hath and studied Vulcan technology. Eventually, the Vulcans were conquered by the Terran Empire . ( ENT : " In a Mirror, Darkly "; DIS : " Die Trying ")

By the 2150s , Vulcans were considered slaves to Terrans and not treated as equals. Vulcans later participated in a rebellion against the Empire in the 2250s . By 2267 , the half-Vulcan Spock had become first officer of a starship and eventually rose to the top of the Terran Empire itself. After the Empire was conquered by the Klingon-Cardassian Alliance , Vulcans served as slaves to the Klingon-Cardassian Alliance. Using fans, several of them cooled the Intendant aboard Terok Nor . ( ENT : " In a Mirror, Darkly, Part II "; TOS : " Mirror, Mirror "; DS9 : " Crossover ")

Some Vulcans, such as Tuvok , joined the Terran Rebellion . ( DS9 : " Through the Looking Glass ")

Alternate reality [ ]

In the alternate reality , the planet Vulcan was destroyed by a Romulan named Nero in 2258 . Over six billion Vulcans were killed, with an estimated ten thousand survivors. After witnessing the atrocity, Spock noted in his log that the Vulcan species had become endangered . ( Star Trek ) Spock's prime reality counterpart founded a colony for the survivors, which, by the following year, had been settled and named New Vulcan . ( Star Trek Into Darkness )

Physiology [ ]

Scan of a Vulcan's DNA

Species which shared some physiological and behavioral traits with Vulcans were categorized as Proto-Vulcan humanoids . One example of this were the Mintakans . ( TNG : " Who Watches The Watchers ") In addition, Rigelian physiology was very similar to that of Vulcans. ( TOS : " Journey to Babel ")

Vulcans were generally similar to Humans in appearance, distinguished mainly by their pointed ears and upswept eyebrows. Their skin color was most commonly pale with a bronze or greenish tint, though some had brown skin. Vulcan physiognomy could resemble Humans of European , Asian , or African descent. ( Star Trek: The Original Series ; Star Trek III: The Search for Spock ; Star Trek: Voyager )

Most Vulcans had straight, glossy black hair , though brown and/or curly hair was also possible. Vulcans had body hair similar to Humans, and some males could be very hirsute. Vulcan males were capable of growing facial hair , but most chose to shave it. ( TOS : " Mirror, Mirror ", " Patterns of Force "; Star Trek V: The Final Frontier ; VOY : " Year of Hell "; ENT : " In a Mirror, Darkly, Part II "; Star Trek )

Vulcan teeth included anterior tricuspids , which could be protected from decay for decades by sealing them with a trifluorinate compound . ( ENT : " Dear Doctor ")

In contrast to their external similarities, Vulcan internal anatomy differed radically from that of Humans. For instance, their heart was where a Human's liver would normally be, ( TOS : " Mudd's Women ", " A Private Little War ", " The Omega Glory "; Star Trek Beyond ) and beat several hundred times per minute. ( TOS : " The Naked Time ", " Journey to Babel ") Vulcans also had no appendix . ( TOS : " Operation -- Annihilate! ") They did, however, have mitochondria . ( TNG : " Data's Day ")

A greenish bruise

Vulcan blood was copper -based and was copper- or rust-colored when deoxygenated in the veins and green when oxygenated, in the arteries, or when bleeding. Bruises and dermal abrasions took on a greenish color. ( TOS : " The Naked Time ", " Obsession ", " Patterns of Force "; DS9 : " Field of Fire "; VOY : " Repression "; ENT : " Shadows of P'Jem ", " In a Mirror, Darkly, Part II ")

Vulcan body chemistry used little, if any, sodium chloride compared to that of Humans. ( TOS : " The Man Trap ")

Vulcans possessed a highly efficient respiratory system to extract the oxygen they needed from Vulcan's thin atmosphere . They were most comfortable in high temperatures. A Vulcan of advanced age could become more sensitive to lower temperatures. ( TOS : " The Deadly Years "; ENT : " The Forge ")

The Vulcan digestive tract was highly adaptable. Although alien foods , notably Human food, would occasionally disagree with a Vulcan, given time, their body could adapt to the alien food. ( ENT : " Unexpected ")

Vulcan hearing was very sensitive. ( TOS : " Return to Tomorrow ", " The Way to Eden "; ENT : " Singularity ") Vulcan females possessed a heightened sense of smell . ( ENT : " Broken Bow ", " The Andorian Incident ")

Having evolved on a planet which was mostly desert , Vulcans developed ways of surviving in desert conditions. For example, they could survive for several days without water and had inner eyelids which protected their eyes . ( TOS : " Operation -- Annihilate! "; ENT : " Strange New World ", " The Forge ")

Vulcans had a superior metabolism to Humans. Caffeine and sapotoxins had little effect on them. ( ENT : " Breaking the Ice ") They were also capable of surviving for long durations without food or sleep. Under stress, Vulcans could do without sleep for weeks. ( TOS : " The Paradise Syndrome ") Tuvok once claimed that, as a Vulcan, he was capable of going without sleep for two weeks, although, shortly after making this claim, he fell asleep in the command chair after having gone a little over ten days without sleep. ( VOY : " Muse ")

Vulcans were, on average, three times physically stronger than Humans, and had considerably faster reflexes. ( DS9 : " Take Me Out to the Holosuite ")

Vulcans were very sensitive to nitrous oxide gas , which rapidly rendered them unconscious. ( TAS : " The Practical Joker ")

Vulcans typically had a lifespan of two hundred years or more. Their aging was correspondingly slower; a Vulcan of age 65 had the appearance of a 20th century human in their late 20s, and was considered in their "quarter-life". ( ENT : " Broken Bow ", " Zero Hour "; TNG : " Sarek "; LD : " Empathological Fallacies ")

A medical scan of Soval's brain

A medical scan of Spock's brain

A medical scan of Tuvok's brain

Perhaps the most interesting aspect of the Vulcan physiology was the brain . The Vulcan brain was described by The Doctor as " a puzzle , wrapped inside an enigma , housed inside a cranium . " ( VOY : " Riddles ") Indeed, The Doctor has also noted how " the Vulcan brain never ceases to amaze me. " ( VOY : " Blood Fever ")

A Vulcan's brain was in direct control of most of the bodily functions, acting as a control unit for many organs. Despite this, a Vulcan body from which the brain had been removed was capable of functioning and even walking around (albeit in a zombie-like state) with a portable life support system. ( TOS : " Spock's Brain ")

Unlike most humanoid species, traumatic memories were not only psychologically disturbing to Vulcans, but had physical consequences as well. The Vulcan brain, in reordering neural pathways, could literally lobotomize itself. ( VOY : " Flashback ")

Vulcans learned to gain conscious control of many of these functions, allowing them to regulate their bodies to a high degree by simple will-power. When injured, a Vulcan could go into a trance-like state, using this ability to concentrate all of his or her energy on repairing the injury. ( TOS : " A Private Little War ") However, Vulcans did have certain levels of pain they were unable to suppress, forcing them to endure the experience. ( VOY : " Resistance ")

This trance could be self-induced and gave the physical appearance of near-death. It was similar, in principle, to Vulcan neuro-pressure techniques which could be used to relax the mind and body. ( TOS : " By Any Other Name "; VOY : " Riddles "; ENT : " The Xindi ")

The substance trellium-D acted as a neurotoxin to Vulcans, destroying the neural pathways which controlled their emotions. Treatment had to be provided quickly after exposure; otherwise, the damage was irreversible. ( ENT : " Impulse ")

The most famous aspect of the Vulcan brain were the inherent telepathic abilities, such as the mind meld . Vulcans were natural touch-telepaths. Though considerable training was required to utilize this ability to the fullest (like performing the fal-tor-pan ), simpler contacts did not require any concentration, training, or even conscious knowledge of the act. ( VOY : " Blood Fever ")

Vulcans called focal points in the bioelectric field of the brain qui'lari . ( DS9 : " The Muse ")

Stronger minds were capable of non-contact telepathic projection and scanning, usually over short distances, ( TOS : " The Devil in the Dark ", " The Omega Glory "; VOY : " Random Thoughts ", " Prey ") but sometimes even over interstellar distances. ( TOS : " The Immunity Syndrome "; Star Trek: The Motion Picture ; DIS : " Lethe " )

Another psionic ability of the Vulcan race was the telepathic suggestion or compulsion, consciously performed by Spock, ( TOS : " Dagger of the Mind ", " A Taste of Armageddon ", " The Omega Glory ") Sybok , ( Star Trek V: The Final Frontier ) Tuvok, ( VOY : " Repression ") and T'Pol, ( ENT : " In a Mirror, Darkly ") and unconsciously performed by Sarek. ( TNG : " Sarek ")

Although Vulcans did not, typically, allow themselves to experience uncontrolled strong emotions, they could sense them in others. ( ENT : " Fallen Hero ")

Vulcans were capable of performing a synaptic pattern displacement , or the transfer of one individual's consciousness into another. ( Star Trek III: The Search for Spock ; DS9 : " The Passenger ")

The psycho-suppression system responsible for the Vulcan suppression of emotions was located in the mesiofrontal cortex . ( VOY : " Meld ")

Approximately every seven years, adult Vulcans had to endure pon farr , the Vulcan mating period. It was marked by intense emotions and primal urges (known as plak tow , or "blood fever") that could kill the Vulcan if not satisfied. Physiological symptoms included elevated dopamine levels and fever . For such an orderly society of quiet sobriety, the madness which accompanied the outbreak of pon farr was an unavoidable evil. ( ENT : " Bounty ", " In a Mirror, Darkly "; TOS : " Amok Time "; VOY : " Blood Fever ")

Medical conditions [ ]

There were several diseases from which the Vulcan species suffered, including:

• Pa'nar Syndrome
• Tuvan Syndrome
• Bendii Syndrome
• Choriocytosis

Hybridization [ ]

Vulcans and Humans could not reproduce without medical intervention according to 2150s medical knowledge. ( ENT : " E² ", " Demons ", " Terra Prime ")

In 2155, Terra Prime extremists created a binary clone from T'Pol and Trip Tucker . The child, whom they called Elizabeth , had many genetic flaws due to the method of her creation and she died. ( ENT : " Demons ", " Terra Prime ")

In 2230, Spock was born on Vulcan to Sarek and Amanda Grayson . ( ENT : " Terra Prime "; TOS : " Journey to Babel ", " The Squire of Gothos "; Star Trek Beyond )

The Vulcan heritage in Vulcan-Human hybrids was dominant, with copper-based blood, pointed ears, and the full range of Vulcan abilities.

Society and culture [ ]

IDIC, the Vulcan national symbol

Six different Vulcan scripts

Vulcans were generally non-violent, but logic dictated that combat was sometimes necessary. Vulcans could and did use weapons and practiced martial arts called tal-shaya and Suus Mahna . ( TOS : " Journey to Babel "; ENT : " Marauders "; DIS : " Context Is for Kings ")

Vulcans considered death to be the completion of a journey. Therefore, they did not fear it happening; however, the loss of one's katra was to be avoided if possible, since the katra lived on beyond the physical death. ( Star Trek III: The Search for Spock ) They also practiced euthanasia for the infirm and elderly, and saw nothing wrong with practicing ritual suicide when they reached a certain infirmity with age. ( VOY : " Death Wish ") As they knew death was an inevitability, they believed that fear of death was ultimately illogical. ( Star Trek Beyond )

The government on Vulcan was a representative democracy . Individual political advancement was based on meritocratic principles. ( ENT : " Awakening ")

Although Vulcans were highly integrated into the Federation, in the 23rd century, some Vulcans viewed service in Starfleet to be less prestigious than attending the Vulcan Science Academy , ( TOS : " Journey to Babel ") though in the twilight years of that century, this apparently became much less of an issue. ( VOY : " Flashback ") Furthermore, among all the Federation members whose people served in Starfleet, Vulcans were the only ones to be accommodated with starships crewed entirely by their own species, such as the USS Intrepid and the USS T'Kumbra . ( TOS : " The Immunity Syndrome "; DS9 : " Take Me Out to the Holosuite ")

Vulcans played a game known as kal-toh . ( VOY : " Alter Ego ", " The Omega Directive ", " Endgame ")

Vulcans had a traditional funeral dirge . ( VOY : " Tuvix ")

Vulcans occasionally gave gifts . However, Vulcan custom did not include receiving a gift back from a recipient. ( Star Trek Beyond )

Vulcans possessed family names , although they were pronounceable by Humans only after many years of practice. ( TOS : " This Side Of Paradise ", " Journey to Babel ")

Many Vulcan females had names beginning with "T'" and particularly "T'P" ( T'Pol , T'Pring , T'Pau , T'Mir , T'Pel, T'Pan), but not all ( Valeris , Sakonna , Saavik , Selar ); many males had names beginning with "S" ( Spock , Sarek , Sybok , Surak , Stonn , Soval ); again, though, there was variation ( Tuvok , Lojal , Vorik , Taurik , Koss ).

Education [ ]

Naturally, the development of a Vulcan's lifelong devotion towards logic was encouraged at a very early age. Vulcan parents utilized careful and gentle methods to train their infants in primary logic. ( VOY : " Human Error ") Vulcan children learned, by example, how to detach themselves from their emotions as well, and it often aided in difficult childhood situations. ( ENT : " Fusion ", " Home "; TAS : " Yesteryear "; VOY : " Innocence ", " Gravity ") Despite logic being paramount in education, Vulcan children were allowed much freedom as well, and enjoyed a number of passions their controlled states allowed them to coordinate.

As parents, Vulcans never restricted their children from real life. Doing so only hindered their ability to develop their own identity. A Vulcan parent's attachment to their children could not be described as an emotion. They were part of the parent's identity and the parent was incomplete without them. ( VOY : " Innocence ")

Children at Vulcan nursery schools danced. ( TOS : " Whom Gods Destroy ")

When they were older, they learned in skill domes . The Vulcan Learning Center employed these. ( Star Trek , DIS : " The Vulcan Hello ", " Battle at the Binary Stars ")

A Vulcan program suitable for young children which taught basic problem solving skills was available at Deep Space 9 's school in 2370 . ( DS9 : " Whispers ")

The Vulcan Science Academy and Vulcan Medical Institute were two notable post-secondary institutions.

Logic and emotions [ ]

Contrary to stereotype, Vulcans possess strong emotions. They use meditation as a way to suppress those emotions. For instance, emotions like remorse, relief, joy, and embarrassment were all displayed by Spock when he thought Captain Kirk was dead and then saw him alive. ( TOS : " Amok Time "). Indeed, Vulcan emotions were far more intense, violent, and passionate than those of many other species, including even Humans. ( TNG : " Sarek ")

It was this passionate, explosive emotionality that Vulcans blamed for the vicious cycle of wars which nearly devastated their planet. As such, they focused their mental energies on mastering them. The essence of their logical society was in arriving at the truth through logical process. Emotions were illogical, thus making them impure, and deterrent to truth. Vulcans were born with the same emotions that afflicted their violent ancestors, but continual mental conditioning generally gave them the impassivity they sought. ( TAS : " Yesteryear ")

Though not all could arrive at the ultimate pure logical state, the exacting process of mental control gave Vulcans enough to conform to the ideals of Vulcan society. The ultimate level of logical thought was achieved through the attainment of kolinahr , which was said to purge them of all remaining emotions. ( Star Trek: The Motion Picture )

Attitudes to deception [ ]

Vulcans were renowned for their honesty, and indeed it has been claimed that "Vulcans could not lie ." However, they would do so for what they perceived as logical reasons, though they rarely referred to their dishonesty as "lying." ( TOS : " The Enterprise Incident "; Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan ; Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country ) For instance, an elder denied the existence of technology and spies at the monastery at P'Jem in order to protect an ongoing surveillance operation. ( ENT : " The Andorian Incident "). Also, T'Pol's second foremother directly lied to another Vulcan, telling the commander of a rescue party that her crewmate had died in a crash, so that he could remain on Earth to "study" Humanity. ( ENT : " Carbon Creek ")

In 2259 of the alternate reality, Spock managed to deceive Khan Noonien Singh into transporting armed torpedoes aboard the USS Vengeance , as Khan believed they still carried members of his crew . Khan wasn't aware that Spock had anticipated his betrayal and removed Khan's crew from the torpedoes with the intent to detonate them and cripple the Vengeance . When Khan stated that he'd know if they weren't his, Spock assured him that " Vulcans do not lie " and that " the torpedoes were his ". This demonstrated that Vulcans, while still technically telling the truth, didn't always necessarily tell the entire truth if it was to their advantage. ( Star Trek Into Darkness )

Tuvok at one point stated, when responding to Seven of Nine questioning him as to whether Vulcans were capable of lying " we are capable of telling lies. However, I have never found it prudent or necessary to do so. " ( VOY : " Hunters ")

Spirituality [ ]

The Vulcans held a number of spiritual beliefs. Their religious system was polytheistic . They also believed in the katra , the soul and consciousness of a person, which could be transferred psionically prior to death. ( TAS : " Yesteryear "; Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan ; Star Trek III: The Search for Spock ; TNG : " Gambit, Part I "; ENT : " The Forge ", " Awakening ")

Meditation was a central component of Vulcan life. The Vulcan Sh'vhal type ship of the late 24th century was known to feature a dedicated meditation chamber that the crew could use alone or in small groups. ( LD : " wej Duj ")

What little is known about Vulcan religious beliefs indicates that, beginning prior to the "Time of the Awakening", they were polytheistic. Surak 's teachings became the primary focus of Vulcan spirituality/mysticism, but, as late as the 23rd century, it was still not unheard of to find Vulcans honoring the traditional gods. There were, however, no demons in Vulcan literature. ( TAS : " Yesteryear "; TNG : " Gambit, Part I "; VOY : " Heroes and Demons ")

Romantic relationships [ ]

Vulcan wedding ceremony

Vulcan ceremonial wedding grounds, circa 2260s

When Vulcan children came of age, having sometimes been betrothed to childhood companions by age seven, underwent the pon farr , the link compelled them to follow through with full marital rituals, which cemented their relationship. ( TOS : " Amok Time "; ENT : " Breaking the Ice ")

It was traditional for the female to propose marriage by presenting a necklace to the male. She may signal her intention to do so by wearing ritual mating colors on an auspicious date, such as the anniversary of a first courtship event . ( SNW : " Strange New Worlds ")

If, for whatever reason, the female did not wish to go through with the marriage, then the ceremony of koon-ut-kal-if-fee ("marriage or challenge") was invoked. The male fought for the right to keep his mate against a challenger of her choosing. The female became the property of the male who won the contest, unless he chose to release her. The koon-ut-kal-if-fee was a fight to the death. ( TOS : " Amok Time ")

As of 2266 , hearsay held that Vulcan men treated their women strangely. ( TOS : " The Naked Time ")

According to Spock, it was "undignified for a woman to play servant to a man that is not hers" as his reason for throwing food (from Nurse Chapel) against the wall. ( TOS : " Amok Time ") Yet, a century earlier, T'Pol brought Jonathan Archer food and blankets in sickbay, and in an alternate timeline, tended to him as a nursemaid ( ENT : " A Night in Sickbay ", " Twilight ").

Vulcan wedding ceremony, ca 2260s

Touching each other with both the middle- and the forefinger was a custom practiced by married couples and was part of the Vulcan marriage ceremony. ( TOS : " Journey to Babel "; VOY : " Bliss "; ENT : " Home ") It could also help to calm down male Vulcans during pon farr . ( Star Trek III: The Search for Spock )

Food and drink [ ]

Although not always, most Vulcans were primarily vegetarians . They also did not touch food with their hands unless wearing special gloves. ( ENT : " Broken Bow ", " Home ") The v'tosh ka'tur were a major exception, however. ( ENT : " Fusion ")

Vulcans were fermenting wines , notably Vulcan port , during the 21st century. ( DS9 : " The Maquis, Part I ")

Guests in a Vulcan household were expected to rise before sunrise to prepare the morning meal. ( ENT : " Home ") Plomeek broth was considered a traditional Vulcan breakfast. ( ENT : " Unexpected ")

Holidays [ ]

See also [ ], science and technology [ ].

• Vulcan starships
• Vulcan starship classes

Individuals [ ]

• List of named Vulcans
• List of unnamed Vulcans

Appendices [ ]

Appearances [ ].

A list of all appearances of Vulcans (excluding the regular appearances of Spock , Tuvok , and T'Pol ):

• " Amok Time " (Season Two)
• " Mirror, Mirror "
• " Journey to Babel "
• " The Savage Curtain " ( Excalbian recreation only) (Season Three)
• " Yesteryear " (Season One)
• " The Time Trap "
• Star Trek: The Motion Picture
• Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan
• Star Trek III: The Search for Spock
• Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home
• Star Trek V: The Final Frontier
• Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country
• Star Trek Into Darkness
• Star Trek Beyond
• " Encounter at Farpoint " (Season One)
• " The Last Outpost "
• " Coming of Age "
• " Symbiosis "
• " Conspiracy "
• " The Outrageous Okona " (Season Two)
• " The Schizoid Man "
• " A Matter Of Honor "
• " The Dauphin "
• " Shades of Gray " (footage from "The Dauphin")
• " The Ensigns of Command " (Season Three)
• " Yesterday's Enterprise "
• " Captain's Holiday "
• " Ménage à Troi "
• " Qpid " (Season Four)
• " Ensign Ro " (Season Five)
• " Unification II "
• " Unification I "
• " The First Duty "
• " Imaginary Friend "
• " Suspicions " (Season Six)
• " Gambit, Part I " (Season Seven)
• " Gambit, Part II "
• " Lower Decks "
• " Preemptive Strike "
• Star Trek Generations
• Star Trek: First Contact
• Star Trek: Insurrection
• Star Trek Nemesis
• " Emissary " (Season One)
• " The Nagus "
• " The Forsaken "
• " The Maquis, Part I " (Season Two)
• " The Maquis, Part II "
• " Crossover "
• " Through the Looking Glass " (Season Three)
• " Shakaar "
• " The Visitor " (Season Four)
• " Homefront "
• " Bar Association "
• " Rules of Engagement "
• " Shattered Mirror "
• " For the Cause "
• " Broken Link "
• " Trials and Tribble-ations " (Season Five)
• " Rapture "
• " Behind the Lines " (Season Six)
• " Favor the Bold "
• " Valiant "
• " Image in the Sand " (Season Seven)
• " Afterimage "
• " Take Me Out to the Holosuite "
• " Prodigal Daughter "
• " The Emperor's New Cloak "
• " Field of Fire "
• " Caretaker " (Season One)
• " Persistence of Vision " (illusion only) (Season Two)
• " Alter Ego " (Season Three)
• " Fair Trade "
• " Blood Fever "
• " Darkling " (hologram only)
• " Day of Honor " (Season Four)
• " Extreme Risk " (Season Five)
• " In the Flesh " ( Species 8472 posing as Vulcan)
• " Counterpoint "
• " Gravity "
• " Bliss " (illusion only)
• " Repression " (Season Seven)
• " Flesh and Blood " (hologram only)
• " Body and Soul " (hologram only)
• " Renaissance Man "
• " Endgame "
• " Broken Bow " (Season One)
• " The Andorian Incident "
• " Breaking the Ice "
• " Shadows of P'Jem "
• " Fallen Hero "
• " Carbon Creek " (Season Two)
• " Shockwave, Part II "
• " Dead Stop "
• " The Seventh "
• " Cease Fire "
• " First Flight "
• " The Expanse "
• " Impulse " (Season Three)
• " Twilight "
• " Home " (Season Four)
• " The Forge "
• " Awakening "
• " Kir'Shara "
• " In a Mirror, Darkly "
• " In a Mirror, Darkly, Part II "
• " Terra Prime "
• " The Vulcan Hello " (Season One)
• " Battle at the Binary Stars "
• " Choose Your Pain "
• " Si Vis Pacem, Para Bellum "
• " Into the Forest I Go "
• " The Wolf Inside "
• " The War Without, The War Within "
• " Will You Take My Hand? "
• " Brother " (Season Two)
• " Light and Shadows "
• " If Memory Serves "
• " Project Daedalus "
• " The Red Angel "
• " Perpetual Infinity "
• " Through the Valley of Shadows "
• " Such Sweet Sorrow "
• " Such Sweet Sorrow, Part 2 "
• " Unification III " (Season Three)
• " That Hope Is You, Part 2 "
• " Anomaly (DIS) " (Season Four)
• " Choose to Live "
• " All Is Possible "
• " ...But to Connect "
• " Rubicon "
• " The Galactic Barrier "
• " Rosetta "
• " Species Ten-C "
• " Coming Home "
• " Q&A " (Season Two)
• " Maps and Legends " (Season One)
• " The End is the Beginning "
• " Nepenthe "
• " Broken Pieces "
• " Et in Arcadia Ego, Part 1 "
• " Et in Arcadia Ego, Part 2 "
• " The Star Gazer " (Season Two)
• " Farewell "
• " The Next Generation " (Season Three)
• " Disengage "
• " Seventeen Seconds "
• " No Win Scenario "
• " Imposters "
• " Dominion "
• " Surrender "
• " The Last Generation "
• " Second Contact " (Season One)
• " Much Ado About Boimler "
• " Veritas "
• " Kayshon, His Eyes Open " (Season Two)
• " Mugato, Gumato "
• " An Embarrassment Of Dooplers "
• " wej Duj "
• " First First Contact "
• " The Least Dangerous Game " (Season Three)
• " Hear All, Trust Nothing "
• " The Stars At Night "
• " Twovix " (Season Four)
• " In the Cradle of Vexilon "
• " Something Borrowed, Something Green "
• " Empathological Fallacies "
• " A Few Badgeys More "
• " The Inner Fight "
• " Old Friends, New Planets "
• " Kobayashi " (hologram) (Season One)
• " Supernova, Part 2 "
• " Strange New Worlds " (Season One)
• " Spock Amok "
• " The Serene Squall "
• " Ad Astra per Aspera " (Season Two)
• " Charades "
• " Under the Cloak of War "

Background information [ ]

The Vulcans were the first alien species created for Star Trek by Gene Roddenberry . ( " The Andorian Incident ", text commentary , ENT Season 1 DVD special feature )

^  The term "Vulcanian" has been described as an " Obsolete term meaning a native of the planet Vulcan. The term 'Vulcan' has come to mean both the planet and the native of same. " ( Star Trek Concordance , p. 248) The origin of the term from a production standpoint dates to 1966 , when NBC prepared a twelve-page booklet, entitled "Advance Information on 1966- 67 Programming: Star Trek ", which described the series' regular crewmembers. The description of Spock mentions that his father was a native of "Vulcanis," and his people were known as the "Vulcanians". ( The Star Trek Compendium , p. 25) As a result of early "growing pains" in the writing staff, the term "Vulcanian" was used sporadically (and sometimes interchangeably) during the first season , where it was heard in " Mudd's Women ", " Court Martial ", " A Taste of Armageddon ", " This Side of Paradise ", and " Errand of Mercy ". The Bajorans suffered similar "growing pains" when they were briefly known as the "Bajora" during their early appearances. The name "Vulcan" itself, in reference to the people, was first heard in " The Naked Time ". See also: Vulcanian expedition and Vulcanian Scientific Legion of Honor .

In notes that Costume Designer Robert Fletcher wrote about the various aliens in the film Star Trek: The Motion Picture , he included a description of the Vulcans. After pointing out the Vulcans were "from tv series", the brief continued as follows:

" Observed in the movie as Mr. Spock, others among crew, and the Masters on Vulcan planet scene. Unemotional, scientific people, their culture based on cold logic, reason and control. One of the Federation's most advanced races [....] Vulcans are mostly tall, slender, beautiful people, with strong sense of honor. Physically distinguished by upswept eyebrows and pointed ears. Their green blood is copper-based. "

Fletcher also imagined that, because their homeworld was rich in jade, the Vulcans made extensive use of that substance, such as with ruby jewellery and a red-colored giant statue is visible on the planet's surface, in the film. ( The Making of Star Trek: The Motion Picture , p. 133)

The depiction of Vulcans developed with the introduction of Tuvok on Star Trek: Voyager , as he was the first black Vulcan main character. In developing the character of Tuvok, the series' creators tried to put a new spin on the long-established alien species. However, Executive Producer and series co-creator Jeri Taylor later stated, " Subsequently I have learned we were not the first. In the third feature there was a black Vulcan priestess, so it was clearly established there were different colors of people on Vulcan. " (Taylor's statement is not entirely true, as the black Vulcan priestess was actually in the fifth Star Trek film, Star Trek V: The Final Frontier .) When he was cast as Tuvok, actor Tim Russ was an expert on Vulcans, and, in fact, his expertise of portraying a member of the species got him the part. ( Cinefantastique , Vol. 27, No. 4/5, pp. 59 & 60) " People are always asking me how there could even be a black Vulcan, " said Russ, shortly after the start of VOY Season 1 . " If Vulcans are humanoids and other humanoids were the species they most often encountered, then logic would follow that because of genetic mutation and random selection, you're going to have different colors and different variations of the species at one time. So, Tuvok is a black Vulcan. " ( The Official Star Trek: Voyager Magazine  issue 2 , p. 20)

In a story idea that the Star Trek: Deep Space Nine writers had that eventually became the two-parter " Homefront " and " Paradise Lost ", the Vulcans were to withdraw from the Federation. The cause of this schism was to be their concern that the Federation was becoming too concerned with the Changeling infiltration at the cost of civil liberties. Starfleet was to assume incorrectly that the Founders had infiltrated Vulcan society. ( Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Companion  (p. ? ))

In developing the Vulcans for Star Trek: Enterprise , Brannon Braga noted " one of our goals with this series was to make the Vulcans interesting again. I think they've been taken for granted... I think the Vulcans in this era are very complicated and paradoxical and make good antagonists. " ( Star Trek: The Magazine  Volume 3, Issue 2 , p. 10) Regarding the depiction of crazed Vulcan crewmembers of the starship Seleya in ENT : " Impulse ", Braga once remarked, " I loved the idea of Vulcan zombies. " ( Star Trek: Communicator  issue 151 , p. 29)

In the unproduced animated series Star Trek: Final Frontier , set in the far future, the Vulcans left the Federation at some point in the 25th century to discuss reunification with the Romulans.

In an ultimately unused line of dialogue from the script of Star Trek , Spock explained, " 'Cthia' is the stricture that binds our emotions... but few of us are that perfectly Vulcan. " [4]

For Star Trek Into Darkness , Vulcan ear prosthetics, in encapsulated silicone, were created by makeup artist David Snyder . A few changes were made to the Vulcan ears when compared to those from the previous film , Star Trek , on which Snyder had also worked. David LeRoy Anderson , the Makeup Department Head for Into Darkness , explained, " Our modifications were strictly mechanical, based on Dave's desire to make the application a little easier. Dave did a clay press of the existing sculpt and remodeled the ears to help mass-produce the pieces, and that gave us great edges. " The ears were applied by Snyder, using a cotton swab, and (at least in the case of Zachary Quinto as Spock ) a tiny amount of acetone. ( Cinefex , No. 134, p. 77)

Apocrypha [ ]

According to Star Fleet Medical Reference Manual (published in 1977 by "Star Fleet Productions, Inc."):

• Males height = 2.0 meters (6'6")
• Males weight = 70 kilograms (154.3 lbs)
• Females height = 1.7 meters (5'6")
• Females weight = 50 kilograms (110.2 lbs)
• Body temperature = 32.78 °C (91 °F)
• Heart rate = 242 bpm
• Blood pressure = 80/40

Vulcan blood vessels are more dilated than those of Humans. The larger blood vessels are the reason Vulcan blood pressure is lower. The dilated blood vessels and fast heart rate also play a key role in regulating Vulcan body temperature. A standard 91 °F body temperature is maintained by the internal cooling mechanism of fast blood circulation. ( Star Fleet Medical Reference Manual )

Vulcans do not have sweat glands, and cannot rely on evaporation as a means of cooling their bodies in the harsh heat of their planet's desert climate. Expelling heat through radiation is insufficient. Vulcans evolved an internal cooling mechanism. With an average body temperature of 91 °F, the high blood flow circulates cool blood throughout their body. ( Star Fleet Medical Reference Manual ) This systematic means of cooling gives credence to McCoy's comment "that green ice water you call blood." ( TOS : " The Paradise Syndrome ")

While " Little Green Men " implies that Vulcans were not warp-capable until at least 1947, in the novel Prime Directive they already possessed such technology in 1908: a Vulcan survey ship was responsible for the mysterious Tunguska event , redirecting a large meteor about to hit Western Europe – where it would have killed millions and done irreparable damage to Human civilization – so that it instead impacted in an area so remote that no Human deaths were recorded.

External links [ ]

• Vulcan at StarTrek.com
• Vulcan at Memory Beta , the wiki for licensed Star Trek works
• 2 ISS Enterprise (NCC-1701)

‘Star Trek: Discovery’ Star Sonequa Martin-Green Looks Gorgeous While Celebrating 5 Seasons as 1st Black Female Captain

Sonequa Martin-Green broke ground in 2017 as the first Black female captain in the beloved Star Trek franchise. Now, she’s making the rounds to promote and celebrate her fifth and final season as Captain Michael Burnham. See the 39-year-old’s gorgeous style and how she’s honoring her groundbreaking character.

On April 29, Martin-Green chatted with Zakiya Carr Johnson during a screening of Star Trek: Discovery in Washington, D.C. The Russellville, Alabama native spoke with the Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer about the end of the hit Paramount+ series and how race influenced her experience .

Earlier in April, Martin-Green explained how she first navigated internalized racism regarding her role. “At the time, I thought, ‘This is all about hope.’ Hope is at the center of this franchise,” she said, according to CBS News . It’s our responsibility to keep that moving forward. People can think what they want to think, but they need a chance to grow.”

The Walking Dead star elaborated on being the first Black female captain : “It was overwhelming at the time. And it was heavy, but God really blessed me with it, and I learned so much from it. I learned so much about who I am as a Black woman. And I learned that I don’t have to fight for my value or my worth because I definitely felt that way.”

Another element of being a Black woman in such a groundbreaking role involved the appearance of Martin-Green’s character . The Space Jam: A New Legacy actor knew she wanted her hair to be “1,000%” natural. With the showrunners in complete agreement, they created a plan to transition Martin-Green’s gorgeous hair from a straight “Vulcan bowl” to a “short ‘fro” to braids, according to her conversation with Ashley & Company . “We all understood, this is a big moment; this is the moment that you know television history is made,” Martin-Green explained.

Karl Urban Opens Up About ‘Star Trek’ Co-Star Anton Yelchin’s Tragic Death

Martin-Green took control of Star Trek: Discovery in more helpful ways than one. She eventually became an executive producer, helping shape the series to its conclusion in late May. Trekkies are eagerly anticipating the rest of season five. Martin-Green gave a hint to CBS News. She stated that the final season will be “bigger than we had ever done before.” She explained, “We love these characters. We love the people. We love the story,” perhaps implying a possible movie extension of the Star Trek: Discovery universe.

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Black Women In Star Trek

In detail view, see the Star Trek character portrayed and episode. Enterprise - Discovery - Short Treks - Strange New Worlds The Original Series - The Animated Series The Next Generation - Deep Space Nine - Voyager Lower Decks - Prodigy - Picard Star Trek Movies Information Credit: Memory Alpha | Daystrom Institute - Peace and Long Life

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17. Alyma Dorsey

Stunts | The Matrix Resurrections

Alyma started singing opera at 8 years of age which led to her Vocal Performance Degree at Florida State University. After playing on the Junior Olympic volleyball team, Alyma was recruited by Florida State University volleyball team. A budding modeling career soon approached and after graduating, ...

Star Trek: Picard Romulan guard (Broken Pieces) Stargazer security officer (The Stargazer) stunt performer for Michelle Hurd

18. Amirah Vann

Actress | Underground

Amirah Vann was born on June 24, 1980 in Queens, New York City, New York, USA. She is an actress and producer, known for Underground (2016), Tracers (2015) and Arcane (2021).

Star Trek: Picard (TV Series) Zani

19. Andrea Davis

Actress | The Expanse

Andrea Davis is best known for her work in the Amazon Prime hit series The Expanse where she plays Admiral Tesfaye. Andrea is also known for her standout performance as Sal in Thyrone Tommy 's film Learn to Swim (2021) (a 54th NAACP Image Awards (2023) Nominee and an Official Selection of Canada's ...

Star Trek: Short Treks (TV Series short) Teacher (Children of Mars)

20. Anele Lundborg

Actress | The Coroner: I Speak for the Dead

Anele Lundborg is a South African born actor, writer and director based in Atlanta, Georgia. She is best known for her voice over role as Boomer in PlayStations hit game 'Horizon Forbidden West'. She is fluent in three South African languages which was vital for her voice acting on 'Black Panther: ...

Star Trek: Short Treks (TV Series short) Voice (The Girl Who Made the Stars )

21. Angela Meryl

Stunts | Skyfall

Veteran stunt woman and actor. Year after year, Meryl reaps rewards of acknowledgment including a historical two-time, Taurus Award nomination for her performance in the opening scene of Quentin Turentino's blockbuster-- Kill Bill; A Taurus Award for "Best Overall Stunt By A Woman," for the movie ...

Star Trek: Enterprise (TV Series) Stunt Performer - The Augments and Borderland

22. Antonette Rudder

Antonette Rudder is known for Star Trek: Strange New Worlds (2022), The Hot Zone (2019) and People of Earth (2016).

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Majalan Aide (Lift Us Where Suffering Cannot Reach)

23. April Grace

Actress | Magnolia

April Grace was born in Lakeland, Florida, USA. April is an actor and producer, known for Magnolia (1999), I Am Legend (2007) and A.I. Artificial Intelligence (2001).

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (TV Series) Transporter Technician Maggie Hubbell Star Trek: The Next Generation (TV Series) Transporter Technician Maggie Hubbell (Emissary) Star Trek: Picard (TV Series) Admiral Sally Whitley (The Star Gazer)

24. Ariel D. King

Actress | American Crime Story

Ariel D King is an actress, model and singer who was born on the 4th of July in Riverdale, Illinois. Ariel was awarded the Hollywood Discovery Award at the Hollywood Film Awards in 2010. She portrayed OJ Simpson's daughter Arnelle Simpson on American Crime Story, an anthology series centered around...

Star Trek Into Darkness Starfleet Civilian

25. Bahia Watson

Actress | The Handmaid's Tale

Bahia Watson was born in Carman, Manitoba, Canada. She grew up in Winnipeg. An actress, artist and storyteller when she is not on stage or in front of the cameras, Bahia is always writing as well as always imagining. A selection of her stage credits include playing the young princess Elizabeth in "...

Star Trek: Discovery (TV Series) May (Saints of Imperfection - An Obol for Charon - Point of Light - New Eden)

26. Arista Arhin

Actress | Lockdown

Arista Arhin is an Emmy-nominated actress from Toronto, Canada. At the age of 10, Arista decided to pursue her passion for acting. Her first big break came when she was cast as Ozlyn in the award-winning children's live-action educational television series Odd Squad (TVOKids/PBS Kids). Since then, ...

Star Trek: Discovery (TV Series) Young Michael Burnham

27. Ashlei Sharpe Chestnut

Actress | Star Trek: Picard

Ashlei Sharpe Chestnut was born in Gainesville, Florida, USA. She is an actress, known for Star Trek: Picard (2020), Cruel Summer (2021) and The Good Fight (2017).

Star Trek: Picard (TV Series) Ensign Sidney La Forge

28. Barbara Eve Harris

Actress | FUBAR

Barbara Eve Harris was born in Tobago to Jamaican parents and moved to Canada at the age of 6 with her family. Raised and educated in Ottawa, the national capital, she graduated from the University of Ottawa with a B.A. (concentration in Theatre and Philosophy). The initial plan was for Law School,...

Star Trek: Picard (TV Series) Emily (Emmy) Bosch (The Impossible Box)

29. Bahni Turpin

Actress | Crossroads

Bahni Turpin was born on June 4, 1962 in Pontiac, Michigan, USA. She is an actress, known for Crossroads (2002), Malcolm X (1992) and Cold Case (2003).

Star Trek: Voyager (TV Series) Ensign Swinn / Swinn (Resolutions and Tuvix)

30. Barbara Mamabolo

Deep Impact

Barbara Mamabolo was born in 1986 in Thornhill, Ontario, Canada. She is an actress and writer, known for Deep Impact (1998), Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen (2004) and Stranger (2017).

Star Trek: Short Treks (TV Series short) Bounty Hunter (The Escape Artist)

Actress | Ass Parade

Bronze was born on December 3, 1971 in Los Angeles, California, USA. She is an actress.

Star Trek: Voyager (TV Series) Resort woman (aka Erica Samuel) (Darkling)

32. Beverly Hart

Actress | Star Trek V: The Final Frontier

Beverly Hart is known for Star Trek V: The Final Frontier (1989), The Nude Bomb (1980) and X-Ray (1981).

Star Trek V: The Final Frontier High Priestess

33. Breece Wilson

Actress | Brown Sugar

Breece Wilson is known for Brown Sugar (2002).

Star Trek: Voyager (TV Series) Vulcan Starfleet cadet

34. Brit Manor

Actress | Ray Donovan

Brit Manor is an actress, dancer, model and recording artist from Los Angeles, CA. She graduated from Los Angeles County High School for the Arts (LACHSA) and New York University TISCH School of the Arts in Drama as a University Scholar. Among her film, TV and international theatre credits, Brit ...

Star Trek: Picard (TV Series) Tough Fuelie (Maps and Legends)

35. Candice Renee

Actress | Star Trek Into Darkness

Candice Renée is an L.A. native who began her acting career at age 12 when she booked her first play while training. After that, there was no turning back. She received an acting degree while in New York and continued to perform on stage. After transitioning to TV/Film, she has landed roles on ...

Star Trek Into Darkness Additional Voices

36. Caprice Crawford

Producer | Fatal Rescue

Caprice Crawford is an American producer and actress based in Berlin. She has been acting and singing in front of the camera since the age of 16. In 1990, she moved to New York City to attend the William Esper Studio, the world's foremost studio dedicated to Meisner based actor training. By 1992, ...

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (TV Series) Bajoran Comfort Woman (Wrongs Darker than Death or Night)

37. Candace Crump

Stunts | Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit

Candace Crump is known for Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit (1993), The Broken Hearts Club: A Romantic Comedy (2000) and Made in America (1993).

Star Trek: The Next Generation (TV Series) Stand-in for Whoopi Goldberg

38. Chelsea Harris

Actress | Snowpiercer

Chelsea Harris was born in Columbus, Georgia, USA. She is an actress, known for Snowpiercer (2020), Designated Survivor (2016) and Top Gun: Maverick (2022).

Star Trek: Picard (TV Series) Dr. Naáshala Kunamadéstifee (Maps and Legends)

39. Chandra Galasso

Actress | Warehouse 13

Chandra Galasso is known for Warehouse 13 (2009), Soft Deceit (1994) and Star Trek: Strange New Worlds (2022).

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Lieutenant (Strange New Worlds)

40. Christina Dixon

Among a variety of creative professional work, Christina Dixon is an actress, writer and producer. Known for What We Do In The Shadows (2022), The Boys (2020) and 12 Monkeys (2017). Jamaican heritage, Canadian born and currently residing in Toronto, Ontario. An accomplished commercial and television ...

Star Trek: Discovery (TV Series) Lt. Cmdr Asha (Mirrors)

41. Claire Qute

Actress | Lady Ada's Secret Society

Claire QUTE was born in Kingston, Ontario, Canada. From a very young age, she has been incredibly passionate about acting and filmmaking. Growing up as a biracial girl with big dreams in a small town had its challenges, but she channeled all of her experiences into creative outlets like acting, ...

Star Trek: Discovery (TV Series) Teen May Hologram (New Eden)

42. Cynthia Addai-Robinson

Actress | The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power

Cynthia Addai-Robinson is an English-born actress. She was born in London; her mother is from Ghana and her father is an United States citizen. She moved to US when she was four, and was raised by her mother in a suburb of Washington, DC. She is a graduate of Montgomery Blair High School in Silver ...

Star Trek Into Darkness San Francisco Woman

43. Cynthia Graham

Actress | Star Trek Voyager: Elite Force

Cynthia Graham is known for Star Trek Voyager: Elite Force (2000), The Bernie Mac Show (2001) and Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (1993).

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (TV Series) Lt. Wheeler (Inter Arma Enim Silent Leges) Star Trek Voyager: Elite Force (Video Game) Crewman Elizabeth Laird / Klingon (voice)

44. Daphney Damaraux

Actress | All Night

Daphney Damaraux is known for All Night (2018) and Las Vegas (2003).

Star Trek: Enterprise (TV Series) Crewman / Alien Ambassador

45. Darwyn Carson

Actress | True Confessions

Darwyn Carson was born in Ohio, USA. Darwyn is an actor and writer, known for True Confessions (1981), The Last Halloween (1991) and Signs and Wonders (1995).

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (TV Series) Romulan Tal Shiar operative ("Improbable Cause")

46. Dawn Stern

Actress | The Sentinel

Dawn earned her B.S. in Theatre Performance from Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville (SIU-E) and has been a proud Equity member since 1987. Early in her career she worked in St. Louis and Chicago markets where she earned her AFTRA, AEA, and SAG union cards. Dawn moved to Los Angeles in ...

Star Trek: Enterprise (TV Series) Latia Female (Two Days and Two Nights)

47. Davida Williams

Actress | Quantum Leap

Born and raised in Los Angeles, CA, Davida Williams began acting at the age of eight. She began by guest starring in roles on The Fresh Prince of Bel Air, Star Trek, Sister Sister, Days of Our Lives and Hangin' with Mr. Cooper. Her first big screen performance was in Younger & Younger a film ...

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (TV Series) Lisa (Children of Time)

48. Dawn Lovett

Actress | Exit to Eden

Dawn Lovett is known for Exit to Eden (1994).

Star Trek: The Next Generation (TV Series) Klingon bar patron (Preemptive Strike) Star Trek: Voyager (TV Series) Sikarian (Prime Factors)

49. Deborah Lacey

Actress | Love Under New Management: The Miki Howard Story

Deborah Lacey was born on September 12, 1956 in South Pasadena, California, USA. She is an actress, known for Love Under New Management: The Miki Howard Story (2016), Straight Outta Compton (2015) and Mad Men (2007).

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (TV Series) Sarah Sisko / The Face / Sarah (What You Leave Behind - 'Til Death Do Us Part - Penumbra - Shadows and Symbols - Image in the Sand)

50. Deni Tyler

Self | Disney's California Adventure TV Special

Deni Tyler is known for Disney's California Adventure TV Special (2001).

Star Trek: The Next Generation (TV Series) Tyran technician (The Quality of Life)

51. Debra Wilson

Actress | Over the Hedge

Debra Wilson was born on April 26, 1962 in South Ozone Park, Queens, New York City, New York, USA. She is an actress and writer, known for Over the Hedge (2006), Batman: The Enemy Within (2017) and Scary Movie 4 (2006). She has been married to Cliff Skelton since April 8, 2006.

Star Trek Prodigy Miners (A Moral Star, Part 2 - Lost & Found: Part 1) Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (TV Series) Lisa Cusak (The Sound of Her Voice) Star Trek: The Experience - The Klingon Encounter (Short) Security Officer Star Trek: Lower Decks Z’oto (Something Borrowed, Something Green)

52. Donna Duplantier

Actress | Bullet to the Head

Is a New Orleans native. Her family's history in the city has been traced back as far as the 1800s. Her father was one of the first African American geologists at Texaco oil and her mother was a nurse for over 30 years throughout the metropolitan city. She graduated from George Mason University ...

Star Trek: Enterprise (TV Series) Georgia Tandy Prostitute #2 (Carpenter Street)

53. Elizabeth Goldstein

Actress | How to Be a Player

Elizabeth Goldstein is known for How to Be a Player (1997), Bloomers (2011) and The Stolen Moments of September (2007).

Star Trek: Voyager (TV Series) Allantra (Alliances)

54. Etalvia Cashin

Etalvia Cashin is an actress born of French Creole descent - with primary roots from the Ivory Coast of West Africa, she is also a distinctly special mix of Irish, Spanish, & Native American. Originally from Houston Texas, she is a prime example of the Creole woman from the bayous of Southeast ...

Star Trek Starfleet Cadet (uncredited)

55. Faye Barge

Actress | Young & Hungry

Faye Barge is known for Young & Hungry (2014), 3rd Rock from the Sun (1996) and True Jackson, VP (2008).

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (TV Series) Stand-in duties were Felecia M. Bell in the episode "Through the Looking Glass", Tina Lifford in the episodes "Past Tense, Part I" and "Past Tense, Part II", and Penny Johnson Jerald in episodes such as "The Dogs of War"

56. Felecia M. Bell

Actress | Night Man

Felecia M. Bell was born on June 12, 1960 in Valley Village, California, USA. She is an actress, known for NightMan (1997), Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (1993) and Smallville (2001).

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (TV Series) Jennifer Sisko (Shattered Mirror - Through the Looking Glass - Emissary What We Left Behind: Star Trek DS9 (Documentary) Self (as 'Felecia Bell Rutkowski')

57. Gina Ravera

Actress | Showgirls

Gina Ravera was born on May 20, 1966 in San Francisco, California, USA. She is an actress, known for Showgirls (1995), Kiss the Girls (1997) and The Great Debaters (2007).

Star Trek: The Next Generation (TV Series) Ensign Tyler (Phantasms)

58. Fran Bennett

Actress | Wes Craven's New Nightmare

Fran Bennett graduated from the University of Wisconsin with an M.A. and subsequently spent twelve years acting and as voice and movement director with the Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis. Her Broadway debut was a leading role in the short-lived play Mandingo at the Lyceum Theater in 1961. ...

Star Trek: The Next Generation (TV Series) Fleet Adm. Shanthi (Redemption II)

59. Gabrielle Union

Actress | Bring It On

Gabrielle Union was born on October 29, 1972, in Omaha, Nebraska, to Theresa (Glass), who managed a phone company, and Sylvester E. Union, a military sergeant and business executive. When she was eight, her family moved to Pleasanton, California, where she grew up and attended high school. There, ...

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (TV Series) N'Garen (Sons and Daughters)

60. Galyn Görg

Actress | RoboCop 2

Galyn Görg was an actress, professional dancer, and producer. She is known as an actress for Point Break (1991), RoboCop 2 (1990) and Judgment Night (1993). Galyn was born in Los Angeles, California. Her mother, Gwyn Gorg (Gwyndolin Lee Görg), is a writer, storyteller, and educator. Her father, Alan ...

Star Trek: Voyager (TV Series) Nori (Warlord) Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (TV Series) Korena (The Visitor)

61. Geri-Nikole Love

Actress | Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.

Geri-Nikole Love is an American Actress. Born in Oxfordshire, England on an Air Force Base, she split her childhood in Central Florida and Atlanta, GA. She moved to New York City after high school to obtain a BFA in Theatre at NYU's Tisch School of the Arts. Since graduating, she became a ...

Star Trek: Picard (TV Series) Lieutenant Urtern (Farewell - The Star Gazer)

62. Gioya Tuma-Waku

Actress | FBI: Most Wanted

Gioya Tuma-Waku is a Congolese stage and screen actress who was raised in South Africa before relocating to the US in pursuant of her career. Her love of performance started at a very young age and by age 10 she knew that her passion and future lay in acting. In 2015 she graduated from the American...

Star Trek: Short Treks (TV Series short) Multiple (The Girl Who Made the Stars)

63. Grace Harrell

Actress | Manband! The Movie

Grace Harrell is known for Manband! The Movie (2007), Relationships (2021) and Don't Touch If You Ain't Prayed (2005).

Star Trek: Generations Alien Civilian in Ten Forward (uncredited) Star Trek: The Next Generation (TV Series) Operations Division Officer / Waitress Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (TV Series) Female Peliar Zel native ((The Maquis, Part I) Holographic Alien Masseuse (A Man Alone) Star Trek: Voyager (TV Series) Ocampa (Before and After)

64. Golden Brooks

Actress | Girlfriends

Golden Brooks was born on December 1, 1970 in Fresno, California, USA. She is an actress and writer, known for Girlfriends (2000), The Darkest Minds (2018) and Beauty Shop (2005).

Star Trek: Enterprise (TV Series) Alicia Travers (Storm Front, Part I and II)

65. Hanelle M. Culpepper

Director | Within

Selected for the inaugural class of 2019 ReFrame Rise directors, Hanelle M. Culpepper is an energetic and unflappable award-winning director whose television credits range from superhero action adventures to thrillers and genre films to character-driven dramas. In 2019, she was chosen to direct the...

Director Star Trek: Discovery Star Trek: Picard

Actress | Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country

Iman was born on July 25, 1955 in Mogadishu, Somalia. She is a producer and actress, known for Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country (1991), L.A. Story (1991) and No Way Out (1987). She was previously married to David Bowie , Spencer Haywood and Hassan ?.

Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country Martia

67. Isis Carmen Jones

Actress | Sister Act

Isis Carmen Jones is known for Sister Act (1992) and Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987).

Star Trek: The Next Generation (TV Series) Young Guinan (Rascals)

68. Inez Edwards

Actress | Moonlighting

Inez Edwards is known for Moonlighting (1985), Family Matters (1989) and Talkin' Dirty After Dark (1991).

Star Trek: The Next Generation (TV Series) Science Division Officer (Frame of Mind - Tapestry) Klingon (Birthright, Part I & II) Klingon Pilgrim (Rightful Heir)

69. Iona Morris

Actress | X-Men

Iona Morris was born on May 23, 1957 in Columbus, Ohio, USA. She is an actress and director, known for X-Men: The Animated Series (1992), Robotech: The Movie (1986) and Megazone 23 (1985).

Star Trek: Voyager (TV Series) Umali (Workforce Part I & II) Star Trek: The Original Series (TV Series) Little African American Girl (Miri)

70. Jajube Mandiela

Actress | Red Lights

Jajube Mandiela was born and raised, and is based, in Toronto, Canada. Best known for 8 seasons as Chantay on Degrassi, she also voiced Pristine on Crash Canyon and appeared in Disney's Jump In! and feature film Red Lights. On stage, her acting highlights include Blue Planet and El Numero Uno (Young...

Star Trek: Discovery (TV Series) Holo Officer #2 (Die Trying)

71. Ito Aghayere

Ito Aghayere is a Nigerian, Canadian, American born in Alberta, Canada. She is an actress, known for Star Trek: Picard (2022), Carol's Second Act (2019) and Logan Lucky (2017). She graduated from Duke University with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science, and received her Master of Fine Arts ...

Star Trek: Picard (TV Series) Guinan (Mercy - Monsters - Watcher)

72. Jamillah Ross

Actress | Polar

Jamillah Ross is known for Polar (2019), Slumberland (2022) and Firestarter (2022).

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Vulcan officiant (in The Broken Cricle)

73. Janelle James

Actress | Black Monday

Janelle James is a New York- and Los Angeles-based comedian who can be seen on The Comedy Lineup on Netflix, Black Monday on Showtime, and Abbott Elementary. James has toured with Chris Rock, Amy Schumer, and David Cross among others, and runs the Eugene Mirman Comedy Festival (now the Janelle ...

Star Trek: Lower Decks Katrot (Empathological Fallacies)

74. Janet MacLachlan

Actress | The Thirteenth Floor

Janet MacLachlan was born on August 27, 1933 in New York City, New York, USA. She was an actress, known for The Thirteenth Floor (1999), Tick, Tick, Tick (1970) and Tightrope (1984). She died on October 11, 2010 in Los Angeles, California, USA.

Star Trek: The Original Series (TV Series) Lt. Charlene Masters (The Alternative Factor)

75. Jasmine Akakpo

Actress | Dave

Jasmine Akakpo is known for Dave (2020), Queen Sugar (2016) and Reasonable Doubt (2022).

Star Trek: Picard (TV Series) Titan Ensign (No Win Scenario)

76. Jasmine Pierce

Writer | Saturday Night Live

Jasmine Pierce is known for Saturday Night Live (1975), Lucky Hank (2023) and The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon (2014).

Star Trek New Voyages: Phase II (TV Series) Lieutenant Uhura / Uhura

77. Jayne Dineo

Star Trek: Discovery (TV Series) Discovery Sciences Crewmember (Terra Firma, Part 1)

78. Jenifer Lewis

Actress | The Princess and the Frog

Jenifer Lewis is one of Hollywood's most familiar faces, with more than 300 appearances in film and television. Dubbed a "national treasure" by TV Guide.com, Jenifer stars on the hit show Black-ish (ABC), where her hilarious portrayal of "Ruby Johnson" earned her a nomination for the 2016 Critics ...

Star Trek: Lower Decks (TV Series) Bartender (An Embarrassment of Dooplers)

79. Jennifer Gatti

Actress | Star Trek: The Next Generation

Jennifer Gatti was born in Manhattan, New York, USA. She is an actress, known for Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987), The Young and the Restless (1973) and Vice Principals (2016).

Star Trek: Voyager (TV Series) Libby (Non Sequitur) Star Trek: The Next Generation (TV Series) Ba'el (Birthright Part I & II)

80. Jenna Z. Wilson

Actress | Island Prey

Jenna Z. Wilson was born on January 6, 1981 in Long Beach, California, USA. She is an actress and producer, known for Island Prey (2001), Carver (2015) and Beckinfield (2010).

Star Trek: Voyager (TV Series) Dancer (Homestead)

81. Jenny Lumet

Writer | Rachel Getting Married

Jenny Lumet was born on February 2, 1967 in New York City, New York, USA. She is a producer and writer, known for Rachel Getting Married (2008), The Mummy (2017) and The Man Who Fell to Earth (2022). She has been married to Alexander Weinstein since May 2, 2007. They have one child. She was ...

Producer Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Star Trek: Discovery Star Trek: Picard Writer Star Trek: Short Treks Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Star Trek: Discovery

82. Jenny Itwaru

Actress | xXx: Return of Xander Cage

Jenny Itwaru is known for xXx: Return of Xander Cage (2017), The Invisible Man (2020) and The Handmaid's Tale (2017).

Star Trek: Discovery (TV Series) Star Fleet Bridge Crew (The Wolf Inside)

83. Johnetta Anderson

Actress | Rebel Highway

Johnetta Anderson is known for Rebel Highway (1994) and Girls in Prison (1994).

Star Trek: Voyager (TV Series) Holographic bar patron

84. Jessica Boss

Actress | PostDates

Jessica Boss is an American actress of Nigerian descent. In high school, Jessica was on track to become a medical doctor. That all changed when she had to choose between taking art or theater as an elective class. Since she could only draw stick figures, she decided to take theater, and to her ...

Star Trek Bridgeport Cadet (uncredited)

85. Joan Pringle

Actress | Original Sin

Joan Pringle was born on June 2, 1945 in New York City, New York, USA. She is an actress and writer, known for Original Sin (2001), The White Shadow (1978) and The Lost City (2022). She is married to Vernon L. Bolling. She was previously married to Teddy Wilson .

Star Trek: Enterprise (TV Series) Rianna Mayweather (Horizon)

86. Joni Bovill

Actress | Better Call Saul

Despite being born the daughter of a poor sharecropper and a maid, Joni Bovill went on to become the first in her family to graduate from college. The multi-talented Mississippi native is best known for her recurring role as Ida in Amazon's hit show, Bosch, where she appeared in all seven seasons. ...

Star Trek: Odyssey (TV Series short) Praetor Yeshva / Procounsel Yeshva

87. Jordana Blake

Jordana Blake is known for The Handmaid's Tale (2017), Star Trek: Discovery (2017) and Riot Girls (2019).

Star Trek: Discovery (TV Series) Betarian Girl (The Butcher's Knife Cares Not for the Lamb's Cry)

88. Joy Brunson

Actress | This Is Us

Joy Brunson is the Founder and CEO of The Joy of Acting Studio based in Los Angeles, CA. She graduated from Spelman College with a degree in Women's Studies, focusing on the performative nature of the Black female body. Inspired by her love of golf and mentorship, Joy created the non-profit ...

89. Judyann Elder

Actress | Seven Pounds

Judyann Elder graduated from Emerson College in Boston as the first recipient of the Carol Burnett Award in the Performing Arts. She began her professional career in New York off-Broadway as a founding member and resident actor with the Tony Award-winning Negro Ensemble Company. She originated ...

Star Trek: The Next Generation (TV Series) Lt. Ballard (The Offspring)

90. Joyce McCoy

Star Trek: Voyager (TV Series) Mari (Random Thoughts) Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (TV Series) Terran Slave (Through The Looking Glass)

91. Joyce Agu

Stunts | Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country

Joyce Agu was born on July 4, 1960. She is an actress, known for Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country (1991), Don't Be a Menace to South Central While Drinking Your Juice in the Hood (1996) and The Bold and the Beautiful (1987). She is married to Uchenna Agu .

Star Trek: The Next Generation (TV Series) Ensign Gates / Dead Body Star Trek VI: the Undiscovered Country Excelsior Crewmember (uncredited)

92. Kandyse McClure

Actress | Battlestar Galactica

Kandyse McClure is a Canadian actress born on March 22, 1980 in Durban in South Africa. She graduated from West Vancouver Secondary School in 1998. She is an actress, known for main roles in TV series Battlestar Galactica (2004), Hemlock Grove (2013), and from the movies Carrie (2002) and Seventh ...

Star Trek: Picard (TV Series) Mira

93. Karen Robinson

Actress | Narc

Karen Robinson was born on February 28, 1968 in Leslieville, Toronto, Ontario, Canada. She is an actress, known for Narc (2002), Schitt's Creek (2015) and Lars and the Real Girl (2007).

Star Trek: Discovery (TV Series) Trill Leader Pav (That Hope Is You, Part 2 - Forget Me Not)

94. Karole Selmon

Karole Selmon is known for Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987), The Soloist (2009) and Wacko (1982).

Star Trek: The Next Generation (TV Series) Yareena (Code of Honor)

95. Kelli Dawn Hancock

Actress | Shameless

Kelli Dawn Hancock was born in Cleveland, Ohio, USA. She is an actress, known for Shameless (2011), Star Trek: Picard (2020) and The Rookie (2018). She was previously married to Asante Jones .

Star Trek: Picard (TV Series) Officer Stauss (Watcher)

96. Karen Washington

Actress | Zombie Nation

Karen Washington is known for Zombie Nation (2004), Blood Sugar Rising (2020) and The Un-Adventurers (2020).

Star Trek: Voyager (TV Series) Qomar dignitary (Virtuoso) Star Trek: Enterprise (TV Series) Civilian ceremony attendee (These Are the Voyages...)

97. Kiara Groulx

Actress | Odd Squad

Kiara Groulx is known for Odd Squad (2014), Star Trek: Discovery (2017) and The Bold Type (2017).

Star Trek: Discovery (TV Series) Rose (New Eden)

98. Keisha Tucker

Stunts | Black Panther

Keisha Tucker was born in Boston, Massachusetts and raised in the suburbs. She is known for Black Panther and Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. Keisha is always training and working on honing her skills. With her determination and passion for performing, there will be much more to come as this rising...

Star Trek: Picard (TV Series) xB (Nepenthe - Stardust City Rag)

99. Kelli Kirkland

Actress | Little Fockers

Kelli Kirkland was born in New York, USA. She is known for Little Fockers (2010), All About Steve (2009) and Dexter (2006).

Star Trek: Voyager (TV Series) Rinna (Favorite Son)

100. Kim Floyd

Stunts | Catwoman

Kim was born in Indianapolis, Indiana on December 17th to parents James and Margarett Floyd. She relocated to Los Angeles, California to pursue her acting career. Before moving to California, Kim worked in politics in Washington DC on Capitol Hill. She is the niece of former US Secretary of Defense...

Star Trek: Voyager (TV Series) T'Pel (aka Kimber Lee Renay) (Bliss)

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Anitta Reborn: The Brazilian Superstar on ‘Funk Generation,’ Her First U.S. Tour and the Mysterious Illness that Reset Her Career

Photographs by Victoria Stevens

For most of her life, Anitta didn’t think much about her death.

Despite growing up in the notorious favelas of Rio de Janeiro, the Brazilian multi-hyphenate just knew that her life would be as glamorous as she always imagined: she would sing, dance and act her way to global stardom. Gradually, that vision has been coming to life.

“I never thought that I wasn’t going to get what I wanted,” she says. “Everyone around me has been maybe more realistic, but I just have these visions for how my life will turn out. I don’t tell anyone, because I know how easily outside pressure can influence the results.”

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Then, Anitta was hit with a mysterious illness that racked her with chronic, full-body pain and fevers that at times rendered her unable to walk. She was tested for cancer and autoimmune diseases but still doesn’t have a solid diagnosis for what she was experiencing. In her search for relief, Anitta took a month off and retreated into the Yoruba faith she’d learned as a child from her father, taking trips to several countries to connect with ancient healing traditions, from kundalini yoga to meditation. A few hours after this interview took place, she flew to Greenland to spend a week alone, visiting shamans and hiking through “spiritual portals” — parts of the earth that are said to be sensitive to energy.

To advance that new approach, Anitta felt she needed a new team. In the aftermath of the underwhelming response to “Versions of Me,” she cleaned house, parting ways with her longtime manager, Brandon Silverstein, and Warner Music, the label she’d been with for her entire professional career.

At the time, she didn’t tell the world that she was on the verge of dropping out of the music industry. But she’s brutally honest about it now, explaining that her efforts to be palatable internationally were neutering the boldfaced individuality that made her a star in the first place.

“I didn’t feel happy,” she says. “I didn’t have the energy anymore. I was looking at the sales numbers too much, reading what the internet and critics had to say. And after having thought so much about what life could look like if I quit, or if I died … my priorities shifted.”

However, she was contractually obligated to deliver at least two more albums to Warner. So Anitta effectively launched a social-media campaign against her label, claiming its executives never believed “Envolver” — a rare RIAA Latin Diamond-certified single — would be successful without the aid of a co-billed artist, and that her team at Warner’s Latina division wasn’t doing enough to promote her music. “If there was a fine to pay, I would have already auctioned off my organs, no matter how expensive it was to get out,” she wrote on X. “But unfortunately, there isn’t.”

Ultimately, there was, in the form of a reported multimillion-dollar settlement with Warner — $6 million, some sources say (representatives for Anitta and Warner declined to comment on the deal) — as well as a reasonably amicable separation from Silverstein, who, shortly after their parting, was seen speaking abusively to someone over speakerphone in a widely circulated video. Anitta and reps for Silverstein declined to comment on the video, but she says carefully, “[Brandon] did what he needed to do, and what I wanted to do at the time, but my focus changed. He was always very respectful and understanding with me.”

Then, just a month after leaving Warner, she announced a new deal — with Universal Music’s Republic label — and shortly after that, a new manager: Miami-born Rebeca León, who’d helped steer Rosalía, J Balvin and Juanes to superstardom.

From there, Anitta quickly released new music — a three-song bundle titled “ Funk Generation : a Favela Love Story,” which was expanded into a full album under the same title that dropped on April 26. But instead of leaning uncomfortably into popular Western styles, she went back to the youthful baile funk sound of the favelas — a vibrantly danceable combination of samba, Miami bass, hip-hop and syncopated African beats.

Experiment, Anitta does: “Funk Generation” has lyrics in Spanish, English and Portuguese over sweltering rhythms of favela funk. She’s the first to acknowledge that it will be a challenge for some of her more pop-leaning fans, not to mention new ones.

“For a long time, the numbers have decided whether I won or failed, and that will push you to do something unoriginal,” she says. “I want to be very clear: That doesn’t mean I don’t love my old songs. With ‘Versions of Me,’ I was trying a little bit of everything to try to solidify myself in the mainstream, but I don’t care what the fuck is gonna happen with this next album. I love the adrenaline of not knowing whether people are going to like it.”

“That is the true definition of fearlessness,” León says, “when you only want to do what you do because you fucking love it.”

When Anitta first reached out, León had recently transitioned out of managing Rosalía to focus on growing her production company, Lionfish Studios. After working as a co-producer on a 2022 remake of “Father of the Bride,” León and Lionfish Studios are developing several female-driven projects said to have heavy music components that showcase the nuances and intricacies of Latin culture.

“I was on my pseudo break, and [Anitta] asked me to essentially assess her career with her,” León recalls. From that meeting, she found the singer’s resilience inspiring and the opportunities for her career virtually limitless. But she, too, found that in the process of chasing that crossover dream, Anitta had not been making the music she wanted to make.

“She’s gotten here. Now she’s fighting to do what she’s always wanted to do: bring [baile] funk, a marginalized genre, to the big stage,” León says.

And although the genre is lyrically hyper-sexualized, Anitta says her take on it is “all about the sound.” “Brazilian funk is very, very sexual and very explicit, but those lyrics don’t reflect what I’m living personally now,” she says.

“It’s more an exploration of my love for the beats, the parties, and how it all makes me feel,” says Anitta. “A lot of the producers on this album are people who came from the ghetto, the slums, the favelas. They live and breathe Brazilian funk — the kind of funk that has crazy lyrics, that nasty shit.”

Where 2022’s “Versions of Me” leaned into American pop production, “Funk Generation” was a crate-digging process for Brazilian producers like Gabriel do Borel and the duo Tropkillaz, who reference contemporary sub-genres of funk, altering its brass sections with sped-up tempos and repetitive electronic patterns. 

Despite her distancing comments, “Funk Generation” is seriously X-rated, both lyrically and musically. On the song “Savage Funk,” Anitta repeats the word “fuck” 58 times, phrasing her vocals so that they sound like a bassline.

Not that any of this is out of character: Anitta’s sexuality has always been a focal point of her public image. She’s often described herself as two people: Larissa de Macedo Machado, the person she grew up as, and Anitta. All superstars struggle with where the self ends and the star begins, but for her, it seems to be about self-preservation. “I can see myself leaving the name ‘Anitta’ behind,” she muses about the persona that embraces her “most animalistic desires,” “but I’ll never just be Larissa. I am very protective of her. It helps people to understand that there is the artist, and then there is the human who just wants to go home and hide.

“I use my sexuality as a freedom message,” Anitta concludes. “It’s not like I’m telling everyone to flash their pussies. But we have a right to express ourselves without feeling ashamed.”

Despite all of the self-empowering words, on May 18, Anitta will embark on a project that, in the past, she didn’t really want to do: her first global tour, a 20-plus-date trek in intimate venues dubbed the “Baile Funk Experience” in North America, South America and Europe.

“Touring is tiring,” she says, “and I don’t like going for extended periods without seeing my family. But I’m so engaged with this project that I want to do it. And I want to still keep it small; I want to be able to look people in the eyes. It’s not going to be enough for you to just stand there and watch. The person who goes to this concert will feel an urgency to be a part of it.”

As for what comes next, Anitta is pursuing acting gigs following her role in the Netflix drama series “Elite.” She plans to work her way up, as she always has. Of course, the future holds little mystery for her. “I know what’s going to happen next,” she says, cracking a mischievous smile. “I’m going to keep making very surprising turns — you’ll be left like, ‘Who is this person?’”

Styling: Maleeka Moss/The Only Agency; Makeup: Allan Aponte; Hair: Florido/The Only Agency; Props: BG Porter/Owl and Elephant

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