Star Trek Let Kim Cattrall Design Her Undiscovered Country Character From Scratch
In Nicholas Meyer's 1991 film "Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country," the usual crew of the U.S.S. Enterprise-A was joined by a new member of the senior staff, Lieutenant Valeris (Kim Cattrall). Valeris, Trekkies will be able to tell you, was initially meant to be the character of Saavik, played by Kirstie Alley in "Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan" and by Robin Curtis in "Star Trek III: The Search for Spock" and "Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home." According to a DVD commentary track provided by longtime "Star Trek" designer Mike Okuda, Saavik was changed into a new character when show creator Gene Roddenberry objected to the character's unexpected turn to villainy. Valeris proves to be in league with some of the villains of "Star Trek VI," you see, and Roddenberry couldn't abide a turncoat.
Additionally, Cattrall didn't like the idea of being the third actress to play the same role. The character was changed to please everyone.
Valeris was far more assured and comfortable a character than Saavik. Indeed, Cattrall brings a notable, enjoyably smug energy to the role, allowing Valeris to stand up to characters like Spock (Leonard Nimoy) and Captain Kirk (William Shatner). She was meant to be a protégé of Spock, poised to take over the Enterprise's science station when Spock retired. According to the book "The Fifty-Year Mission: The Complete, Uncensored, Unauthorized Oral History of Star Trek: The First 25 Years," edited by Mark A. Altman and Edward Gross, Cattrall claimed she was allowed to invent her character pretty much from the ground up. She chose Valeris' unusual hairdo and color. She even said she chose the character's name (with some input from Nicholas Meyer).
Eris, the goddess of Discord
The name "Valeris," it seems, was a portmanteau, combining the name of a Greek deity with some Vulcan gibberish that Meyer came up with. Cattrall said:
"I took the name 'Valeris' from the Greek god Eris, the god of strife. And we dropped the vowel because it sounded more Vulcan. I felt it was very much my own. I don't think she's like the other women in 'Star Trek.' In the sixties, they were mostly beautiful women in great-looking, tight outfits with fabulous makeup and hairdos, more set decoration than real motivators in the mechanics of the plot."
In many ways, the original "Star Trek" was a very progressive show, but it inarguably had a sexist streak a mile wide. There were a lot of female characters who clearly existed as sex objects for Roddenberry's vivid fantasies. Cattrall had a point. It wouldn't be for many years that "Star Trek" would take on a more feminist bent. Cattrall also said elswhere in "The Fifty-Year Mission," however, that despite Valeris being stronger and more capable than the "eye candy" women of the 1960s, she also kind of wished she got to wear a traditional "Star Trek" miniskirt.
Kim Cattrall also says she was the one who suggested her Vulcan hair to Nicholas Meyer. It seems that Cattrall wanted to find a look that was similar to Spock, while still being her own. Hence the dark hair (like Spock) and a cut that would accentuate her pointed Vulcan ears.
And she really did it, too
If anyone doubts that Cattrall didn't actually dye her hair or shave her head — for those who think she wore a wig — I encourage you to seek out the 1992 Rutger Hauer monster cheapie "Split Second." Clearly, that film was shot around the same time as "Star Trek VI," as Cattrall still has the same shaved-sideburns hairdo. See the picture above for evidence.
Of her Valeris hair, Cattrall said:
"I wanted a very definitive Vulcan woman. I was a warrior. I wanted a bold look to make it very different from what had come before. I came in to Nick after everything was settled and I said I want to have traces of Leonard, so I dyed my hair black and had it done very sixties and shaved my sideburns, because I felt my ears would look much stronger. I was a revolutionary and I wanted my appearance to reflect that. The great thing about the hairdo was the way I could sort of surreptitiously put it behind my ear and that was really fun."
Of course, Cattrall's performance was the more intriguing aspect of Valeris, and her natural assurance on camera informed her character. Her seeming professional defiance also proved to be a bluff, as the plot would dictate that she be involved in a secret plot. Cattrall's presence made Valeris an invaluable addition to the film.
Although "Star Trek" makeup is usually carefully guarded, Cattrall said she got to keep some of hers after shooting wrapped. "I've kept all my ears," she said. "It's a wonderful memory of having done the movie."