The producers suggested that Wesley be promoted to the rank of lieutenant. Wheaton’s response was priceless: “So what am I supposed to tell my landlord when I can’t pay my rent? ‘Don’t worry, I just made lieutenant’?”.
Incidentally, Wil Wheaton has the amusing distinction of being the first Star Trek actor – and the only member of Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987) – to be born after the franchise began.
The painful truth about Geordie’s visor
Geordie’s iconic visor was created on the first day of filming using a car air filter and a hair rubber band, revealing a quick improvisation.
Although the visor was a key element of Geordie’s look, wearing it wasn’t an easy walk for actor Levar Burton. In an interview with the BBC, he revealed that wearing the prop gave him daily headaches and that he had to literally screw it into the sides of his head. Despite the discomfort, Burton pulled it off, keeping the iconic device as a major part of Geordie’s personality.
Wikipedia
After the end of the second season, the producers originally planned for Geordi to undergo an experimental procedure that would restore his natural vision and eliminate the need for the iconic VISOR eyepiece.
However, after realising how important VISOR had become as a symbol for the disabled community, they decided to scrap the idea. Geordi La Forge’s VISOR remained an integral part of his character throughout all seven seasons of Star Trek: The Next Generation.
Levar Burton’s Secret Slumber
Here’s another great story about Levar Burton that I just have to share.
During the first season of Star Trek: The Next Generation, he would sit on the bridge for long periods of time, often with almost no lines.
This led to some rather boring moments, and Levar would sometimes doze off or even fall asleep completely. What was the most interesting part? His eyes were hidden behind his visor, so no one noticed anything!
‘They lie through their teeth…’
In the 90s, Marina Sirtis was undoubtedly one of the most beautiful women to grace the world of fiction. Known for her British accent, she actually had Greek roots and spoke the language fluently.
Marina Sirtis, who played Counsellor Troi, is often inundated with compliments on how good she looks, even today.
When pictures of her appear on social media, fans can’t resist praising her, claiming she hasn’t changed a bit since Star Trek.
“I have a picture hanging on my wall of all of us together. It’s an actual photo that Entertainment Weekly put on the cover, and it hangs on my living room wall. It reminds me of my best friends. And you know what? I think we all look exactly the same. All the boys have less hair. Michael Dorn is much thinner now than he used to be. Patrick (Stewart), I think, looks the same. And people always come up to me and say, ‘You haven’t changed a bit.’ Of course, they’re lying through their teeth because 25 years later it’s impossible. But I think we still look really good. So it’s not that frustrating to look at ourselves in the first series,” she says.
Denise Crosby was originally cast as Troy’s counsellor, while Sirtis was cast as Lieutenant Mach Hernandez, the head of security. However, just before filming on the pilot began, the two roles were swapped. And we’re glad they did!
Behind the Wig: Hair Drama on TNG
If you take a closer look at Star Trek: The Next Generation, you’ll notice a fun behind-the-scenes detail that many fans missed: Marina Sirtis, who played Counsellor Troi, actually wore a wig for most of the series! Her real hair was styled around the wig to give her those signature flowing curls that fans loved so much.
Meanwhile, Gates McFadden, who portrayed Dr Beverley Crusher, also wore a full wig for the first few seasons. The wig game was very popular in the 80s and 90s!
Gates McFadden’s own hair caused a lot of trouble in Season 1. Her fine red hair was constantly suffering from studio lights, causing her to have to spend a lot of time washing and re-styling it to match the continuity. By the third season, the solution was found in using a collection of expensive natural hair wigs. And while Gates flaunted these luxurious wigs, Marina couldn’t help but feel slightly envious! At conventions Marina admitted that she was a little jealous of Gates’ collection of wigs, because she had to settle for cheaper, nylon ones. But that’s okay – by season four, Marina finally had her own natural hair wig. Talk about a hair upgrade…..
So next time you rewatch the show, check out these iconic hair tricks – it’s a fun little nugget of TNG history!
From unknown to icon
Marina Sirtis wasn’t a big star when she was offered a role on Star Trek. She admits that she had never watched the original series. ‘I’ll admit I never watched the series, but I knew it was popular,’ she once said.
“I had no idea what I was getting into. They said it would be a year’s work, but the promised ten months turned out to be the longest job of my life. The next six years were a bonus.”