Is Shatner really bald?

[Ryan Thomas Riddle]

Biut seriously, why is anyone getting worked up about this thread, I had Red Ranger go off on me for no reason, btflash is having kittens because I refuse to believe, other posters are whipping out their copies of The Making of Star Trek... c'mon now... this isn't the Warren Commission, here.

Relax, already.

-Shawn

I'm not getting worked up over it. If he did or didn't, doesn't matter but you did pose the question in the OP:

Emphasis mine

I've heard rumors for years that Shatner wore a toupee even during TOS (Hell, FG did a joke about it) but I've never gotten any confirmation on that. Is that true? Are there any pics of the Shat (non-shopped) of him sans the rug?

-Shawn

I posted the excerpt from Up Till Now because you asked to see it. Moreover, in an attempt to provide you with "any confirmation," I also provided you what Bob Justman put "on record" on the subject. I did so because (1) I had access to the book and (2) in the sense of completeness.

If it's a hair piece to make it look fuller and more forward on his head, that doesn't make it a toupee as you would think of it.

A toupee is a partial wig worn to cover partial baldness. It's etymology is French related to "top" or "tuft." If one wore a piece to make his hair fuller and more forward on the head (his tuft), then it is very much a toupee in the strictest definition.

 

[CaptainHawk1]

What is he defining as a toupee? He's not specific? If it's a hair piece to make it look fuller and more forward on his head, that doesn't make it a toupee as you would think of it.

What I'm getting at is that there's never been any proof that he's bald... not that his hairline has receded or that he has thin hair. I'm talking bald.

Well, he's not bald, as in hairless. As I said before, he did have thin, receding hair and wore a toupee hairpiece - which doesn't mean a full wig - in the series, blended into his own hair. I've read an interview with Fred Philiips where he talked about Shatner removing his hairpiece for the final aged makeup in "The Deadly Years", and I've heard Yvonne Craig boast about seeing Shatner in his trailer without the toupee during her week on "Whom the Gods Destroy". By ST IV, Shatner had gone for a very expensive hair weave.

So, maybe you're just splitting hairs over terms?

Not really... I'm just trying to figure out if he looks like this...

That's really what I'm trying to get at.

After reading some of these recent responses, I'm starting to think that I'm coming off a lot more caustic in this thread than I ever intended.

-Shawn

 

[CaptainHawk1]

Biut seriously, why is anyone getting worked up about this thread, I had Red Ranger go off on me for no reason, btflash is having kittens because I refuse to believe, other posters are whipping out their copies of The Making of Star Trek... c'mon now... this isn't the Warren Commission, here.

Relax, already.

-Shawn

I'm not getting worked up over it. If he did or didn't, doesn't matter but you did pose the question in the OP:

Emphasis mine

I've heard rumors for years that Shatner wore a toupee even during TOS (Hell, FG did a joke about it) but I've never gotten any confirmation on that. Is that true? Are there any pics of the Shat (non-shopped) of him sans the rug?

-Shawn

I posted the excerpt from Up Till Now because you asked to see it. Moreover, in an attempt to provide you with "any confirmation," I also provided you what Bob Justman put "on record" on the subject. I did so because (1) I had access to the book and (2) in the sense of completeness.

the Up Till Now quote is great and completely appropriate because it's from the horse's mouth but it doesn't answer the question. The Justman quote, however-- and I'm not suggesting that it's not true-- is a lot less credible as he's the only one who's made that claim and it's awfully vague.

If it's a hair piece to make it look fuller and more forward on his head, that doesn't make it a toupee as you would think of it.

A toupee is a partial wig worn to cover partial baldness. It's etymology is French related to "top" or "tuft." If one wore a piece to make his hair fuller and more forward on the head (his tuft), then it is very much a toupee in the strictest definition.

Fine and dandy, dandy and fine. It may be a 'toupee' (I can't believe you gave the etymology of the word 'toupee'-- that's dedication! ) but the question is to what level is his thin hair or baldness?

-Shawn

 

[Vance]

Therin, warning for bad joke. Comments to MA. :P

But, seriously, this has been pretty conclusive settled now, hasn't it? Complete with relevant pics? Bill's got to be laughing his ass off as his daughters show him this. (They apparently do read the site.)

I could offer up more detail on what Shatner went through, since it was really a major issue from going to black and white television to color. The studio lighting was much harsher for color shots, since the lighting would be 'split' and the image made much darker. So, like I said, people who were using light dyes in the studio, (or, in some cases, nothing at all) for the purposes of film suddenly had to go VERY thick and heavy with the hair under the insane lights.

Though Shatner's toupee could be the most obvious, pretty much everyone on TOS had to wear one at some point, depending on the shot. It would be a bit (though, thankfully not too long) before lighting techniques for color process would improve enough so that either more subtle toupees/wigs could be worn, or actors could go natural again.

If you want a more telling example of this in practice, compare Robert Conrad's hair from season one of Wild Wild West (which was still in black and white) with season two.

 

[Tinkertoyz76]

does it honestly really even matter. i mean come on people you like the man for his Performance of kirk. who the flock cares if he has thinning hair, no hair, wears a wig or not. seriously

What is he defining as a toupee? He's not specific? If it's a hair piece to make it look fuller and more forward on his head, that doesn't make it a toupee as you would think of it.

What I'm getting at is that there's never been any proof that he's bald... not that his hairline has receded or that he has thin hair. I'm talking bald.

Well, he's not bald, as in hairless. As I said before, he did have thin, receding hair and wore a toupee hairpiece - which doesn't mean a full wig - in the series, blended into his own hair. I've read an interview with Fred Philiips where he talked about Shatner removing his hairpiece for the final aged makeup in "The Deadly Years", and I've heard Yvonne Craig boast about seeing Shatner in his trailer without the toupee during her week on "Whom the Gods Destroy". By ST IV, Shatner had gone for a very expensive hair weave.

So, maybe you're just splitting hairs over terms?

 

[CaptainHawk1]

does it honestly really even matter. i mean come on people you like the man for his Performance of kirk. who the flock cares if he has thinning hair, no hair, wears a wig or not. seriously

What is he defining as a toupee? He's not specific? If it's a hair piece to make it look fuller and more forward on his head, that doesn't make it a toupee as you would think of it.

What I'm getting at is that there's never been any proof that he's bald... not that his hairline has receded or that he has thin hair. I'm talking bald.

Well, he's not bald, as in hairless. As I said before, he did have thin, receding hair and wore a toupee hairpiece - which doesn't mean a full wig - in the series, blended into his own hair. I've read an interview with Fred Philiips where he talked about Shatner removing his hairpiece for the final aged makeup in "The Deadly Years", and I've heard Yvonne Craig boast about seeing Shatner in his trailer without the toupee during her week on "Whom the Gods Destroy". By ST IV, Shatner had gone for a very expensive hair weave.

So, maybe you're just splitting hairs over terms?

ANd hence we've com full-circle. It's just a fun and stupid thread.

-Shawn

 

[RandyS]

Shatner is so bald, he wears THREE toupees.

 

[CaptainHawk1]

Shatner is so bald, he wears THREE toupees.

 

[Misfit Toy]

As a courtesy to btflash, I've decided not to post the contents of his last PM to me (he/she has sent 3 about this subject) as they were private correspondence be tween the two of us and I don't think it would be right to post those comments without his/her permission

Plus there's the whole "against the rules" thing.

Also - I completely agree - this is just a fun thread. I appreciate everyone keeping it that way.

 

[Rabittooth]

"Why are you getting so worked up over this? We're not curing cancer here, we're talking about the Shat's melon.

The above line made me pee a little.

Yeah...I think we've got this covered. Thin hair...not enough to use a piece in real life, but enough to require one under the harsher, more revealing conditions of TV and film.

-Rabittooth

 

[CaptainStoner]

It must have been hell wearing one on Generations, in the desert. And then having to die. It wasn't the fall that did him in, it was heat exhaustion from wearing a piece in the desert. That, and the lack of a love interest in the film. He always knew he'd die alone.

The previous paragraph shows little ability to differentiate between Shatner and Kirk. As it should be.

 

[137th Gebirg]

I always thought the scene in ST4TVH, where he is swimming underwater, was interesting as far as the hair thing goes. They show a shot looking at the top of his head, and it appears to be hair from his scalp flowing in the water. You can see the hair at the scalp. I thought at that point it was plugs or a very good weave. Check out the scene again if you get a chance.

I too remember this quite clearly and, even back then when I saw it in theaters, there were the rumors about his baldness. That immediately came to mind when I saw that scene and it looked pretty real to me. Of late, however, his Denny Crane 'do looks a little odd. And am I the only one to notice that under most studio lighting, his hair looks green?

 

[CaptainHawk1]

As a courtesy to btflash, I've decided not to post the contents of his last PM to me (he/she has sent 3 about this subject) as they were private correspondence be tween the two of us and I don't think it would be right to post those comments without his/her permission

Plus there's the whole "against the rules" thing.

Also - I completely agree - this is just a fun thread. I appreciate everyone keeping it that way.

Y'know I wasn't sure about that but I assumed it because it's pretty standard on BBS's that you don't post someone's correspondence w/out their permission, but I was thinking courtesy first.

Also, you'll be happy to know that btflash and I have become friends and kindred spirits as we've fdiscovered that we both have a passion for building Trek models and a passion for being big-mouthed pains in the ass.

Thank you for the comments about the thread. That's why I got so torqued with Red Ranger, It is just a fun thread and he had to start trouble with me with his remarks. Willingto forgive and forget, though, if he is.

-Shawn

 

[ClayinCA]

Of late, however, his Denny Crane 'do looks a little odd. And am I the only one to notice that under most studio lighting, his hair looks green?

That's karmic balance for having his green "Kirk" shirt come out looking gold, all those years ago...

 

[Australis]

Hawk, you should join TNZ. You fit in good down there.

 

[Level 2 Diagnostic]

Interviews from the 60s with makeup artist, Fred Phillips, mentioned that, to save the stupidity of Phillips having to apply a bald cap over a toupee for the final stage of Shatner's "The Deadly Years" makeup, Shatner simply whipped off the toupee. So check his last elderly shots in that episode.

Really? Well, let's take a look....

Hmmm. Not all that helpful, is it?

 

[Adm_Drake]

Shatner wore his hairpiece throughout The Deadly Years. In the early aging segment, the piece was placed a bit further back on his head, combed straight back, and sprayed with silver hair color. You can clearly see the latex mat, especially in the remastered episodes:

http://tos.trekcore.com/gallery/albums/2x12/The_Deadly_Years_066.JPG

For Kirk's late aging segment, the piece was painted white, but it was still on.

By the way, if you check out Incubus, Shatner is wearing a different toupee which is placed further back on his head.

Shatner went through various pieces over the years, waring a top piece in the first two Star Trek movies. He switched to a full piece by the time Star Trek III was filmed. By the time of Trek IV, he was wearing a weave which is simply a wig sewn into the existing hair to keep it more secure.

Shatner ditched the wig in favor of a transplant done in 1999. In some of his videos he posts on youtube, it looks like he just woke up and has "bed-hair." The reason his hair seems to change color from time to time is because Shatner colors it. If you look at the roots, you can see his hair is mostly white.

 

[CaptainHawk1]

Hawk, you should join TNZ. You fit in good down there.

I was in TNZ back in the day (c. 2000 - 2002) and no good came from as it was complete free for all and downriht vicious. I've considered rejoining, but if what's in Miscellaneous (which is just a watered down TNZ) is any indication of what to expect now, I think i'll pass. There's more than enough hostility on this board to get by blood boiling w/out going into TNZ.

That's why I appreciate D3. He generally just makes things up and doesn't logically back up his argumemts and people tear him apart but he doesn't let it bother him... He just keeps on trucking with his goofy ideas.

I get bothered.

-Shawn

 

[Red Ranger]

<snippage>

As a courtesy to btflash, I've decided not to post the contents of his last PM to me (he/she has sent 3 about this subject) as they were private correspondence be tween the two of us and I don't think it would be right to post those comments without his/her permission (sorry, I have no idea what your gender is), but needless to say btflash is worked up about this and here is my response:

"Why are you getting so worked up over this? We're not curing cancer here, we're talking about the Shat's melon.

You're right, apparently I was mistaken about what was in the book, but it still doesn't change my position. And I think you're misunderstanding my position anyway. I'm not suggesting that Shat's not bald, I'm suggesting that there's no verifiable proof that he is. I'm sorry but Bob Justman's statement doesn't really carry that much weight with me for a couple of reasons. What is he defining as a toupee? He's not specific? If it's a hair piece to make it look fuller and more forward on his head, that doesn't make it a toupee as you would think of it.

What I'm getting at is that there's never been any proof that he's bald... not that his hairline has receded or that he has thin hair. I'm talking bald.

Stop fucking PMing me over this, it's fucking retarded!"

Biut seriously, why is anyone getting worked up about this thread, I had Red Ranger go off on me for no reason, btflash is having kittens because I refuse to believe, other posters are whipping out their copies of The Making of Star Trek... c'mon now... this isn't the Warren Commission, here.

Relax, already.

-Shawn

I think a little Scripture is in order here: "As you sow, so shall you reap!" BTW, me and my cat are doing just fine. Thanks for the good wishes, old chap! -- RR

 

[Saxman1]

I have a relative in the movie business. Believe it or not (most probably know this anyway), most actors/actresses wear hair pieces of some kind. The average person's hair doesn't stand up to studio lighting. If a person has thinner hair, it photographs as bald, flat or just plain unattractive.