The neverending toupic, uh topic

[GSchnitzer]

Back when I was a kid, having grown up and lived very near William Shatner's home in Studio City, I personally recall seeing him without his hairpiece, washing his car in his driveway on some weekend day when I was out and about riding my bicycle around the neighborhood. So I think it's old news to those who were Mr. Shatner's neighbors.

Greg, as a long time observer of the Shatman's hairline, I have to ask - what lies beneath the captain's toupee?

Thinning hair? The odd tuft, as is often mentioned by fellow cast members? Or is he completely bald?

Well, I can only tell you what it looked like in, oh, it would have been about '72 or '73. I'd describe it as thinning and receding. It was a brief glimpse and forty years ago. But my recollection is that it was about like this funny but accurate Photoshopped picture:

(My recollection is that he wasn't cartoonishly bald like Lex Luthor.)

Lord knows what it looks like now.

 

[Botany Bay]

Hey thanks

It's truly amazing that there is no genuine photo of a bald Shat floating around after all these years, particularly in this age of cell phone cameras etc.

When he was in my part of the world, he got around in a cowboy hat, and of course, the toup was on during public appearances.

Our idiot local tabloid newspaper tried to ambush him at the airport when arrived for his visit here, but he had his hat on just in case.

Shat 1 Papparazzi 0

 

[alchemist]

Hey thanks

It's truly amazing that there is no genuine photo of a bald Shat floating around after all these years, particularly in this age of cell phone cameras etc.

When he was in my part of the world, he got around in a cowboy hat, and of course, the toup was on during public appearances.

Our idiot local tabloid newspaper tried to ambush him at the airport when arrived for his visit here, but he had his hat on just in case.

Shat 1 Papparazzi 0

Just for the record, the pictures are available, even from the filming of the series. But the folks who respect Mr. Shatner's wishes aren't going to show them.

And please don't ask.

 

[jayrath]

Not only did Shatner wear a toupee, but Nimoy's ears were fake! It's true! I have pictures! And Chapel? She wasn't even really a BLONDE!!! And the Enterprise was just a model! At least, a friend of a friend told me that he had read that on a blog once. ROFL! And -- and -- like, Shatner isn't really Kirk, but he was acting!!!! And they ALL wore MAKE-UP!!!!!! WTF!!!!!!!!!! They all presented it as TRUE! But now we know far better! LMFAO!!!!!

 

[Christopher]

^Uhh, that would've been funnier without the last word...

 

[T'Bonz]

Warning for flaming.

Not only did Shatner wear a toupee, but Nimoy's ears were fake! It's true! I have pictures! And Chapel? She wasn't even really a BLONDE!!! And the Enterprise was just a model! At least, a friend of a friend told me that he had read that on a blog once. ROFL! And -- and -- like, Shatner isn't really Kirk, but he was acting!!!! And they ALL wore MAKE-UP!!!!!! WTF!!!!!!!!!! They all presented it as TRUE! But now we know far better! LMFAO!!!!!

(morons)

 

[smalltalk66]

About Connery: Sean never had much of a issue about his hairpiece. He showed up in Japan during a press conference for You Only Live Twice without one, and didn't care what people thought. He also reportedly wanted play Bond bald for Never Say Never Again, but the producers told him no.

 

[Professor Zoom]

How come nobody cares about DeForrest Kelley's hairpiece? Or Jonathan Frakes? Or anyone else? Hairpieces are common, especially when you have a matinee idol leading man involved. It costs money and takes much effort to look perfect in Hollywood. How about those million dollar, bright white smiles? No coffee or cigarette stains? Or just natural discoloration? Not in Hollywood.

Don't forget Walter Koenig. He's also bald. His hairpiece in B5... I mean, come on...

 

[jayrath]

I would very much like that all future threads regarding Shatner's hair be immediately banned as trolling.

 

[Mutai Sho-Rin]

I would very much like that all future threads regarding Shatner's hair be immediately banned as trolling.

I think you should very much give up on this issue and avoid further unhappiness. Maybe just ignore the thread. Is it that hard?

 

[T'Bonz]

I would very much like that all future threads regarding Shatner's hair be immediately banned as trolling.

While it's never good to make fun of someone, discussion of the toupee or hairstyle is certainly not trolling.

Besides, his toupee certainly looked much better than the dead rat skin that appears to be on top of my orthopedic doctor's head.

I don't get that vanity. I'm a woman. I don't mind guys who are balding/are bald. Now if I was 20, yeah. But a middle-aged man shouldn't be chasing after a woman young enough to be his kid anyhow.

 

[CorporalCaptain]

My bald spot keeps getting bigger and bigger.

 

[Christopher]

^They tend to do that.

 

[jayrath]

I think you should very much give up on this issue and avoid further unhappiness. Maybe just ignore the thread. Is it that hard?

I not only enjoy this thread, it makes be very, very happy. In fact, it even makes me laugh out loud!

 

[Christopher]

How many female Trek cast members have regularly worn wigs, I wonder? Grace Lee Whitney's insane Janice Rand beehive was a wig, of course. I bet a number of Nichelle Nichols's elaborate Uhura coifs were wigs. Gates McFadden wore wigs for most of her TNG run, I believe because her own hair was too fine and the hot stage lights damaged it, or something like that. Janeway's long hair in the first few seasons was a wig, and it wasn't until season 4 that Kate Mulgrew was able to use her own shorter hair (except for "Parturition" in the second season, where Janeway had short hair for one week and then magically grew it all back by the following episode). Similarly, Jennifer Lien wore a short blonde wig as Kes for two and a half years, then got to use her own long, strawberry-blonde hair starting in "Before and After." And of course, since Roxann Dawson's Klingon forehead appliance went over her natural hairline, I'd assume she wore a wig throughout her 7-year run (ditto Michael Dorn, Andrew Robinson, and the like). Jolene Blalock wore a short brunette wig in every episode of ENT except the "In a Mirror, Darkly" 2-parter.

So really, it was quite common for female Trek leads to wear wigs; maybe it's a double standard to mock the male leads for doing the same.

I always felt Tim Russ should've worn a straight, gray-haired wig as Tuvok. He was supposed to be playing an older Vulcan, a wise mentor type, but he never looked the part. A gray wig would've helped.

 

[Redfern]

I always felt Tim Russ should've worn a straight, gray-haired wig as Tuvok. He was supposed to be playing an older Vulcan, a wise mentor type, but he never looked the part. A gray wig would've helped.

Yeah, when I first read about the Voyager premise, but before I knew of the casting decisions, I pictured a Vulcan vaguely resembling Sarek as he appeared in "Journey to Babel". I felt a tad "confused" when I saw a rather youthful Mr. Russ in full makeup. I thought, woah, way too young looking for 100+ years!

Sincerely,

Bill

 

[Star_Trucker]

How come nobody cares about DeForrest Kelley's hairpiece? Or Jonathan Frakes? Or anyone else? Hairpieces are common, especially when you have a matinee idol leading man involved. It costs money and takes much effort to look perfect in Hollywood. How about those million dollar, bright white smiles? No coffee or cigarette stains? Or just natural discoloration? Not in Hollywood.

Don't forget Walter Koenig. He's also bald. His hairpiece in B5... I mean, come on...

I can only guess as to why the others didn't get such scrutiny is that Shatner was in the lead role and the others are in supporting roles. Besides the Captain is the one all the eyes are on

As for anyone wearing a toupe, I don't give a toss really, but I do hope and ask that please, please wear one that looks fairly normal and not one that is so stand out obvious!! One that fits and not one that looks like something the cat dragged in sideways through the litterbox

 

[scotpens]

I would very much like that all future threads regarding Shatner's hair be immediately banned as trolling.

While it's never good to make fun of someone, discussion of the toupee or hairstyle is certainly not trolling.

Especially if it‘s the Shatman’s toupee we’re talking about. The man and his hairpiece are inseparable. They complement one another like fine food and wine. Shatner’s rugs loom large in his legend!

I don't get that vanity. I'm a woman. I don't mind guys who are balding/are bald. Now if I was 20, yeah. But a middle-aged man shouldn't be chasing after a woman young enough to be his kid anyhow.

Tell that to half the middle-aged male stars in Hollywood.

 

[Ssosmcin]

All I can says is, whatever he was wearing during the series (and prior) was amazingly realistic. Really nicely done and a great look for him. To be honest, I didn't realize he wore any kind of hairpiece during that time until much later.

 

[RedShirtNoob]

Did anyone else notice Angela's wandering eyes in the final scene of Balance of Terror? Several times she broke eye contact with Kirk and glanced northward.

I love Shatner and do not fault him one bit for his cosmetic compliments.