So . . . What Color is Kirk's Hair Exactly?

[urbandefault]

At the time he was cast in TOS, Shatner was successful as a "leading man type," not so much a character actor.

A lot of actors still start out that way, and if they're lucky and have the chops they can move into a "character" type as they age. Not to say that Shatner doesn't have the chops, but he never really had to embrace it.

True. I'm just wishing that Shatner in particular and the TOS cast in general had had a little touch of Dustin Hoffman's approach in Tootsie. Not the cross-dressing thing, but the actor who is super-dedicated to his craft and wants to become a character rather than force every character to be himself.

While I'm far from a Robert De Niro expert, I think he became famous in the 1970s by pouring himself the craft and almost disappearing into a role.

The ST films could have benefited from actors who were more dedicated and hard-working, and less vain and superficial. [And in the supporting cast, less rusty. It got to the point where some of them didn't need rehearsal, they needed lessons.]

Not everyone wants to be a method actor, or whatever. The "leading man" type was not only the preferred concept at the time but has resulted in dozens of truly great actors. What's interesting is that many who employed the other school of acting when they were young have essentially reverted the "leading man" type today. DeNiro, Hoffman, and others have essentially played every part they've been in for the past 10-15 years the same.

It could be that we've become so accustomed to Shatner's acting style that when we see him onscreen we assume that he's playing himself.

 

[ZapBrannigan]

Like this?

Didn't make this but whoever did, did a great job!

He looks fantastic with the tame mane. That, with some macho, I-don't-give-a-damn gray mixed in, would have been really good.

 

[Khan 2.0]

Funny that manip makes it look like a complete extension of TOS. Imagine how different TMP would've been if Kirk had his TOS hair

 

[Lieut. Arex]

green but it looked light brown on screen

 

[KimMH]

Brown/dark blonde/tribble.

green but it looked light brown on screen

 

[Gassy Man]

Like this?

Didn't make this but whoever did, did a great job!

He looks fantastic with the tame mane. That, with some macho, I-don't-give-a-damn gray mixed in, would have been really good.

I dunno. He kinda has a W.C. Fields thing going on with the nose and TOS hair.

 

[eyeresist]

Couldn't have happened. Aside from the popular conception of just what a leading man was supposed to be, Shatner was far too image-conscious (arguably vain) to do that.

The studio certainly wouldn't have allowed a bald hero. I guess he went curly later as the crewcut look was by then thought to look too "square".

Whoa. Amazing how little his face had really changed.

Those curls really do make him look older.

 

[Hartzilla2007]

t appears basically dirty blond in the early episodes (though some people, depending on where they are from and their own complexion and hair color may call this brown), and gets darker as the series wears on.

And interestingly enough in the JJ films seems to start darker and goes lighter.