Why do some Ferengi characters wear headgear in Star Trek: Deep Space 9?

One of the best things about Star Trek: Deep Space Nine was that the space station setting meant that the alien characters had more opportunities to take the lead roles. Some of the series’ most beloved and interesting characters are non-human, such as Cardassian tailor/spy Garak (Andrew Robinson) and Ferengi bar owner Quark (Armin Shimerman). In fact, there are a couple of fun Ferengi that live on Deep Space Nine, and over the course of the series they’ve gained some depth, and the Ferengi have become more than just money-obsessed villains with huge ears.

Just like Michael Dorn, who played the Klingon warrior Worf, helped shape Klingon cultureShimmerman was able to influence Ferengi culture. He originally played an evil Ferengi named Letek in Star Trek: The Next Generation and hoped that by playing Quark he would be able to transform the Ferengi into more complex, complete people and erase past images. Unlike the Ferengi of the past, Quark possessed empathy and was incredibly discerning in his clothing, showing care in his appearance. He was also the first Ferengi not to wear a veil on the back of his head, although later the Grand Nagus (Wallace Shawn) would also be without a veil.

So what gives? Why do some Ferengi wear a veil and others don’t? For years, supporters have joked that it’s a matter of budget and that it’s cheaper than making full dentures. But like the Ferengi themselves, there’s a little more to it than meets the eye.

The economic efficiency joke has some basis in truth, though in fact the Ferengi veil was created due to a lack of communication between the two creative departments on “The Next Generation,” as Shimerman explained in the episode “The Delta Flyers“podcast:

“The costume design department and the make-up department didn’t consult about how low the makeup went and how high the costume went. And so in TNG, when I was being made up as a Ferengi, when the whole process was done, we realized that there was a 3-inch gap in the back of my head, and Michael (Westmore, the makeup artist) went out and got a piece of material that attached the prosthetic to the rubber “.

If the Ferengi were just quick one-episode villains, there was no need to get into the rest of the cast. However, when Shimerman was hired to play Quark on Deep Space Nine, he asked for one big change: the addition of ear holes. In an interview with Deseretthe actor explained that the original Ferengi prosthetics required the ears to be pinned back, which could start to hurt after a full day of filming. “The back of the Ferengi was never finished from the very first day I was there playing Letek,” Shimerman explained. “So, since they made the ear holes, they decided to finish the neck. That’s why I don’t have a veil in the back.”

Quark was simple the first really important ferengi. So we have the behind-the-scenes explanation for why some Ferengi wear veils and others don’t, but what about the in-universe reasons?

For a dozen or so awesome ferengi episode “Deep Space Nine”, some Ferengi wear veils and others don’t. Notably, Quark’s brother Rom (Max Grodenczyk) and his son Nog (Aron Eisenberg) both wear the veil in almost every episode, with the exception of “Take Me Out to the Holosuite”, where they wear baseball caps. Nog even has a veil in his Starfleet uniform, implying that they have some sort of cultural or religious significance to be allowed. Starfleet isn’t even okay Bajor earringsso it is clear that the veil must mean something. Unfortunately, there was no definitive canonical explanation, and fans were mostly left to guess. However, there is one small tip in the fix with LA Times where Shimerman wrote as Quark to correct where the newspaper posted a photo of Nog with his name on it. In the letter, Quark chastises the paper, asking, “Do we all Ferengi look the same to you? You should be ashamed! Not only is there an obvious height difference, I haven’t worn a veil behind my head in forever.”

While Shimmerman was probably just having fun, this suggests that the Ferengi veils indicate some sort of lower status (which Quark would have given up when he became a business owner, and the Grand Nagus certainly wouldn’t have). It’s funny that Nog and Rom both wear veils that could be considered “traditional” when they are the biggest tradition breakers. Eventually, Nog joined Starfleet and Rom forces the Ferengi to join the Federation when he becomes the Great Nagus! Whatever the reason for the veil in the universe, one thing is for sure: Rom and Nog make them beautiful.