Collins Talks Star Trek Villain Make-up + TrekMovie Adds More Detail

Last week, actor Clifton Collins, Jr. confirmed the race that he and his fellow villains (including Eric Bana) will be playing in the new Star Trek movie. This week, the actor is talking about their make-up routine and what it was like working with director, J.J. Abrams. Plus TrekMovie has a bit more detail on what the villains will look like. [spoilers]

 

 

Clifton Collins on working with J.J. Abrams:

He’s an amazing human being, a great family man and a great artist. He loves to have fun, and we were working 18-hour days.

Collins on the Romulan make-up process:

It took, on a good day, two and a half hours in makeup. On a bad day, four. I love hiding in all my roles, whether it’s an accent or physical mannerism … that’s the fun for me.

More on Romulans make-up
So why was Collins spending all that time in the chair? TrekMovie previously confirmed that the Romulan villains in the Star Trek movie would all be bald.


Collins during (L, February 4) and after the "Star Trek" shoot (R, July 22)
showing how he had to de-hair to be a Romulan

And the recent official Star Trek posters revealed that the Romulan leader Nero (Eric Bana) has a major tattoo on his forehead (see TrekMovie ‘re-colorized version below to get a closer look). However it isn’t just Nero who is sporting ink. TrekMovie has confirmed that all the Romulans (including Collins) have tattoos and that that tattoos vary from character to character. Hence the need for all that make-up chair time for Collins.


TrekMovie’s ‘recolorized’ version of the official Nero image,
giving a better view of his tattoo

More from Collins at the National Ledger

 

Collins is known for his roles in such films as Traffic, The Last Castle, and Capote. In addition to Star Trek, his other upcoming films include the historical baseball drama The Perfect Game and the action sequel Crank 2: High Voltage.

 

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What do the women look like?

Sounds good. Can’t wait!

I’m curious about the women too, although I doubt we’ll see any along with these guys.

ummm.. I’m looking at that poster again. Does he not have pointed ears?

We have seen plenty of badass Klingon women, and even badass Andorian women. It’s time for badass Romulan women!

So, in this film do ALL Romulans sport tattoos and have bald heads or is this just Nero’s group?

I can’t imagine a 4 hour tat job. Details!

Maybe Romulan women stay at home and cook dinner for their badass husbands :-)
Hey, don’t judge me. If all Humans are equal in the future, we at least need some good old sexist aliens to fill the gap.

The Romulan women all wear pink, polka-dotted poodle skirts.

What can I say, everything comes back into style eventually — even in the 23rd and 24th centuries.

#6, #4

I think that Nero’s group will be Romulans-in-hiding, meaning that no one will know they are Romulans, hence the tatoos (disguises?) — and hence Nero’s non-pointed (and mutilated?) ears.

This would fit in nicely with TOS, since Kirk and crew supposedly never knowingly saw what a Romulan looked like until “Balance of Terror”.

I wonder if the bald head and mutilated ear(s?) are some form of humiliation for failing in something because of Kirk. Hence the desire for revenge. It would not be unlike what is done to a Muslim man when shaving off his beard to shame him in front of his enemies! Just a thought!

@10 – that’s a good theory. a very good theory. I’ve been wondering about the whole issue of seeing the romulans for the first time in TOS as well.

Maybe they’ll even have the slight ridges on their forhead initially too. I just think it would be great if we can see them in full romulan garb, complete with slight head ridges and pointed ears. Then, before they go back in time they do all that you just said, remove their ridges and pointed ears and don tatoos.

#10

That’s what I was thinking as well.

#10—“I think that Nero’s group will be Romulans-in-hiding, meaning that no one will know they are Romulans, hence the tatoos (disguises?) — and hence Nero’s non-pointed (and mutilated?) ears.”

I would not discount that possibility, but I think the tatoos represent these Romulans’ membership in a rogue faction that is disenchanted with the changing political climate on Romulus (facilitated to some degree by Ambassador Spock) and acting without the sanction of the Praetor and the Romulan Senate. I also think that Nero has only the one mutilated ear and it is possibly the result of a battle injury.

“This would fit in nicely with TOS, since Kirk and crew supposedly never knowingly saw what a Romulan looked like until ‘Balance of Terror’.”

Again, that is possible, but there is no clear indication yet that any humans or their allies from the 23rd Century will actually see the villains prior to the events of “BOT”, or at all for that matter. If they do come into visual contact, it could just as easily be after “BOT”. The story takes place in different parts of the timeline, and we could see the story jump from childhood to Academy graduation to Pike’s command and later to the Enterprise post-“BOT” (after all, if Chekov is at the navigator’s console, that would make more sense).

#12—-Please…no ridges.

#11—“I wonder if the bald head and mutilated ear(s?) are some form of humiliation for failing in something because of Kirk. Hence the desire for revenge.”

Who says he must have a desire for revenge against Kirk? Since Nimoy is in the film, and Nimoy’s Spock has a much deeper history with the Romulans, would it not make more sense that Nero’s quarrel is with Spock rather than Kirk? After all, the Kirk revenge thing has been done (“Court-Martial”, TWOK), and by the post-Nemesis period (where the film begins), Kirk has been dead for quite some time.
I think that a rogue faction of Romulans would have much more reason to seek revenge against Spock than anyone else—and it would make more sense in a Spock-centric film.

There’s obviously some kind of ridge on Nero, though. Not as pronounced as the silly TNG ones, but clearly his nose has something added there.

Also, for everyone mentioning strong Romulan women, TNG & DS9 had several (my favorite being Commander Toreth from ‘Face of the Enemy’), and let’s not forget the Romulan Commander from ‘The Enterprise Incident’!

instead o’ Romulans why couldn’t they have gone another route?
How aboot a crazed machine thinkin’ it be God that… uhhhh…
No wait! An angry Mexican who takes o’er a starship and…. hmmmm…
Some bloke that can control all metal through magnetism…. no, huh?… well, how aboot whales- great big ol’ whales that… uhhhhhh…

Oh! I gots it- Pandas!

Once thought docile and nuetral, the wiley panda has broken free of its imprisonment, chewing up all treaties, and unleashing galactic ursine hell. In an act that could destroy the very bamboo-like fiber of the Federation, the Panda-monium Bear Empire sparks war by attacking Enterprise.

CHRIS PINE: Oh for God’s sake- they’re just cute little bears… that’s right isn’t it? They are bears, not just really big raccoons? Spock?

ZACHIE QUINTO: My older self from the future has informed me that the Pandas pose a perilous pandemic-like threat.

CHRIS PINE: Older self from the future…? Uh, Spock, maybe you should report to McCoy.

ZACHIE QUINTO: No, it’s true… these bald Romulans are really trouble.

CHRIS PINE: Bald Rom-what’s-its? Don’t you mean Pandas?

KARL URBAN: My God, Spock- next the Ghost of Christmas Past will pay you a visit; tell you to sing about Hobbits with hippies.

CLIFTON COLLINS: Four hours to put on a bear suit! And God, it’s hot in here!

KIKI KLING (real panda extra): grrrrruuuuuu… (dies from eating catered lunchmeats imported from China)

JJ: Oh no! Quick- there were never any pandas here! Everyone start saying “Romulan” instead! Yeah… Romulan…

BND: You, uh… gunna eat that?

1&3, The women have tats & piercings. Part of the new Star Trek: Miami Ink edition.

I like the idea of the tattoos, make them look a bit more sinister. Wonder when we will start to see these (the tattoos) show up on convention goers.

@12 – They added ridges to Klingons and nobody complained. What’s with the TOS purism here. I certainly hope the canon established in TNG and beyond is respected, in fact, it almost has to be since the plot starts in the 24th century.

@13 – ha ha ha, I love your screen name!

#20—Although I did not like TNG, I am by no means a TOS purist. I do not mind physical changes to the Klingons (behavioral changes were a different story), but Romulans looked like Vulcans in TOS and that was a big part of their backstory. In fact, at a glance, the two races were indistinguishable. I’m not giving you any good reason why I don’t want ridges on the Romulans other than the fact that I just don’t like them… JJ Abrams can do what he wants.
Perhaps Sean (#17)is right, and the ridges will be far less pronounced than in TNG—making it much more believable. A few thousand years of separation could vary the evolution of the two species in such a subtle way, but it has always been difficult for me to buy that radical departure from the physical appearance of the Vulcans.

Then again, maybe Nero’s ridges are far less pronounced because he is half-Vulcan….Hmmm…I smell Spock’s dirty work in “The Enterprise Incident”.

As long as they don’t have rubbery foreheads and enough green pancake makeup on to service the Savannah IHOP on St. Paddy’s Day… then, I’ll be happy. Tattoos and Tyson’d ears? Sure, why not?

Man, these “spoilers” are tiny. I want a big old “I am your father James,” said Hillary Clinton – sized spoiler.

I for one am glad they are going in a different direction with the Romulans, as long as they have to pointy ears is all that really matters. I for one didn’t like the TNG Romulans with the forehead and the wigs.

#23—How about, “You’re my father, Spock”?

#22. Then again, maybe Nero’s ridges are far less pronounced because he is half-Vulcan….Hmmm…I smell Spock’s dirty work in “The Enterprise Incident”.

Oh, gawd, I only thought it but you HAD to go and post it! Shades of Nemesis! NOOOOO!!!

Ummm…..I ‘aint seein’ ridges. Are ya’ jes makin’ thet up?

And a note to Clifton Collins Jr.:

Stop talking. You’re making it worse.

#26—“Oh, gawd, I only thought it but you HAD to go and post it! Shades of Nemesis! NOOOOO!!!”

I’ve been posting it for a year now, along with many others. I don’t see “shades of Nemesis”. I cannot remember much about that movie, but wasn’t Shinzon a jealous (human) clone of Picard? That’s hardly the same as a disgruntled half-Romulan love child of Spock’s with a serious axe to grind.

@ 10 and others

I agree that the missing ear part can help keeping continuity but with time travel you can stil make it fit… let me explain. Warning time travel explantion will follow, it’s easy to get lost now. ;)

So I assume that Spok (Nimoy’s Spock) will also travel back in time. That spock is the one from the TOS episode Balance of terror. Where all the crew didn’t know about the romulans. This is the episode will saw (most of us)

After the movie witch involves time travels we could say that this time travel alter the way Kirk and company will evolves, so the event in that episode (balance of terror) would be change. So they would have to make a new balance of terror ;) What i’m trying to explain, is after the movie, Nimoy’s Spock would not have know about the romulans, but Quinto’s Spock will know about them when the event in BoT will happen.

Do I make sense or did I lost everybody with time travel mechanics… I must say I’m little dizzy myself :-P

Where are the pointed ears?

True! They are supposed to never have seen a Romulan! In Balance of Terror! Ent. did a good job at keeping with that!

maybe Nero will look fine once he takes one of Harry Mudd’s ‘magic’ pills.

HARRY MUDD FOR PRESDIENT!!!

(Pass the tranya please…)

#31—see post #14.

Tattoos and pointed ears or not, Romulans are frakkin’ green-blooded. They’d have the same verdant palour as Spock, or a philodendron.

A panda’s whiteness can get a bit emerald when they be rollin’ fur too long in tha’ grass and fresh bamboo…

#34—And probably will in STXI…

Well the whole never seen Romulans before BOT thing *can* sort of be explained away. Because we’re dealing with time travel here. Their only concern will be to not significantly alter the timeline so that the events of BOT never take place.

hi, perhaps they have cutted ears, because they don’t want to have an obvious connection to their vulcan ancestors.

Again, since some seem to be confused about what I’m saying…

…Just because Quinto, Pine and crew may see Nero face-to-face, they may never find out he is a Romulan. This would be absolutely consistent with ‘Balance of Terror’.

Even BOT hinted that there could have been Romulan spies living on Vulcan right under the noses of the unwitting Vulcans.

#37—-I’m with you, there. I don’t want to see the 5-year mission disappear altogether as we know it. I think it is possible for there to be some subtle changes in the timeline (assuming of course that Nimoy’s Spock is only partially successful in disrupting Nero’s plan) without altering the outcomes of the adventures we have already seen.

As for “BOT”, even IF there is visual contact between humans and Romulans which takes place chronologically before that lone Bird Of Prey crosses the Neutral Zone and attacks the Earth outposts—-the only thing which will likely change is that Kirk and company would not be so stunned to see “Spock’s cousins” on the viewscreen. There is no reason why the rest of the story wouldn’t play out much as it did before (since Nero’s gang is from the 24th Century, and would probably have nothing to do with 23rd Century Romulans, unless that is part of their interference).

39 – “Even BOT hinted that there could have been Romulan spies living on Vulcan right under the noses of the unwitting Vulcans”

So, they are like microscopic Romulans? i think i’d pick a better place to hang out – like the tip of the ear…

#39—-“Even BOT hinted that there could have been Romulan spies living on Vulcan right under the noses of the unwitting Vulcans.”

And there were, long before that—-as was established in ENT.

“Just because Quinto, Pine and crew may see Nero face-to-face, they may never find out he is a Romulan. ”

That is assuming that the reason for their appearance is disguise. Nero may only have the one mangled ear, and the facial art symbolic of their solidarity in membership within a rogue faction of the RSE, led by Nero.

The young Kirk, Spock, etc. do not necessarily even have to see the villains, and certainly not before the events of BOT. That part of the story (if there is any visual contact at all) could take place chronologically after BOT.

Shoot, circumcising a baby is considered a minor procedure. One would think it would be no problem surgerically altering a Romulan to not have pointed ears.

Look outside the box. These guys could be Romulans without pointed ears, and it could be explained away with one sentence of dialog.

#43—The problem I see with that is that a 24th Century surgical procedure wouldn’t likely leave the ear so mangled. I think it is more likely that it is a battle injury which he refuses to repair, or the result of something that happened to him, of which Nero has a psychological need to remind himself on a daily basis.

He was run over by a chariot, and now has a charioteer.

#45—-That would certainly conform to the whole Romulan/Roman allegorical theme, but what would a 23rd-24th Century chariot look like? LOL.

#17 You’re very observant. Note the prominent shadow to the left of the bridge of the nose. The left eye looks more deep set than on humans relative to the nose.

#47—I see it also… after a closer look. This tells me one of two things:

1) Nero is of mixed heritage;
or
2) STXI Romulans have their ridges toned down a bit.

#44

Yeah I know what you are saying about the mangles ear. But I mean that in general there could be Romulans running around in Kirk’s time without pointy ears. And no one would ever know they were Romulans.

It fits with canon, and it also makes practical sense.

Darth Maul tattoos! They denote “evil” apparently.