Averbach-Katz learned what many “Star Trek” actors have to do: They have to adapt their performance style to accommodate the prosthetic foreheads, full-face makeup, contact lenses, and false teeth they’re required to wear. For advice, Averbach-Katz might have talked to Armin Shimerman, or one of the many actors required to wear oversized Ferengi heads, ears, and teeth. Or Jeffrey Combs, who also played an Andorian on “Enterprise,” and who had to wear special mechanical servos under his prosthetic head to make his antennae contract. Asked about his Andorian makeup, Averbach-Katz wrote:
“The prosthetics were like acting with a football helmet glued to your head, while at the same time a giant squid slowly eats away at your head. It’s a remarkable experience, and not for everyone.”
Ryn he had a beard in his first appearance, but it was too complicated to keep applying, so the makeup artists saved time and money by making Ryn clean-shaven. He continued:
“That beard added another two hours of makeup time because each strand had to be individually glued onto the mask and then cut to the perfect length. It was a lot. Acting is a unique challenge, because my face was completely covered, even my lips , so many little ways to convey emotion have been lost […]. On the other hand, the mask is so dynamic that, if you can stay focused and simple, [it] It actually tells most of the story for you (at least that’s what I would tell myself!).”
Ryn’s lack of facial hair was not only practical and time-saving, but a good character choice; Ryn shaved after being rescued from the Emerald Chain, visually denoting that he finally gained the means to take care of his appearance.
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