Quark Time: My Interview with a Ferengi
In the world of Star Trek, they're called Ferengi. The super-capitalists of the universe. The acid-tongued anti-heroes of the 24th century. The rude and crude alien dudes who'd sell their mothers for a little latinum.
(That's cold hard future cash to all you non-Trekkies out there.)
Fitted with rubber head, light bulb-sized nose, craggy looking false teeth and ears the size of a toaster oven, actor Armin Shimerman has molded his feisty Ferengi bartender, Quark, into one of the most popular characters in Star Trek history.
I had a chance to talk with Shimerman recently and found him to be as spirited and quick-witted as the alien he plays on TV. Here are some excerpts from our conversation:
Why do you think people relate to Quark?
To be frank, I think Star Fleet, which has always been center stage for all the Star Trek shows, is a little bit boring. They're a little too goody-goody for my taste. perhaps the audience agrees with me. So my ability to sort of stick pins in them every now and then – and to play what I consider a much more human character – is probably why the audience takes delight in Quark.
(That's cold hard future cash to all you non-Trekkies out there.)
Fitted with rubber head, light bulb-sized nose, craggy looking false teeth and ears the size of a toaster oven, actor Armin Shimerman has molded his feisty Ferengi bartender, Quark, into one of the most popular characters in Star Trek history.
I had a chance to talk with Shimerman recently and found him to be as spirited and quick-witted as the alien he plays on TV. Here are some excerpts from our conversation:
Why do you think people relate to Quark?
To be frank, I think Star Fleet, which has always been center stage for all the Star Trek shows, is a little bit boring. They're a little too goody-goody for my taste. perhaps the audience agrees with me. So my ability to sort of stick pins in them every now and then – and to play what I consider a much more human character – is probably why the audience takes delight in Quark.
Did you watch Star Trek when you were growing up?
I did. I was a major fan of the original show and I can't believe that 30 years have gone by. That, and my hair. So it was a great honor, a day of enormous joy, when they told me I was going to be part of this history that I had watched as a teenager.
The Quark character involves a lot of makeup. How long to get ready for a shoot?
It takes about two hours. It's come down from four.
What changed?
They took a couple appliances out. My makeup artist has been doing it long enough that she can do it in her sleep, so she's a little bit quicker. But it's still truly an artistic creation because every day the face part of the makeup has to be painted. The rubber in my mask is a canvas that she works on and that's where her creativity shows up.
Is playing the role in as much makeup as you do a good thing?
It's a very good thing. It's hard to explain to people who aren't actors, but it's a very liberating thing. Because the makeup covers me up, I don't really worry about what I look like. And when you take that responsibility away, then you all of a sudden can do outrageous things, and make choices that are much, much more creative. The only thing I can liken it to is if you've had a drink or two and you put a brown paper bag over your head. You will do things in that brown paper bag that you would NEVER do if that bag wasn't there. I've made some rather bold choices because the makeup has given me the opportunity.
I did. I was a major fan of the original show and I can't believe that 30 years have gone by. That, and my hair. So it was a great honor, a day of enormous joy, when they told me I was going to be part of this history that I had watched as a teenager.
The Quark character involves a lot of makeup. How long to get ready for a shoot?
It takes about two hours. It's come down from four.
What changed?
They took a couple appliances out. My makeup artist has been doing it long enough that she can do it in her sleep, so she's a little bit quicker. But it's still truly an artistic creation because every day the face part of the makeup has to be painted. The rubber in my mask is a canvas that she works on and that's where her creativity shows up.
Is playing the role in as much makeup as you do a good thing?
It's a very good thing. It's hard to explain to people who aren't actors, but it's a very liberating thing. Because the makeup covers me up, I don't really worry about what I look like. And when you take that responsibility away, then you all of a sudden can do outrageous things, and make choices that are much, much more creative. The only thing I can liken it to is if you've had a drink or two and you put a brown paper bag over your head. You will do things in that brown paper bag that you would NEVER do if that bag wasn't there. I've made some rather bold choices because the makeup has given me the opportunity.
Quark's rocky relationships with characters like Odo, the "changeling" security chief, provide a lot of the humor and human interest on Deep Space Nine. Which relationship on the show works best for you?
You've mentioned it. I think everyone is very happy with the chemistry between Odo and Quark. A lot of that has to do with the enormous adoration and friendship I have for Rene Auberjonois (who plays Odo). But one that's equally as good is the one between the two brothers, between myself and Max Grodenchik, who plays Rom. We provide the writers with an opportunity to investigate sibling rivalry, to investigate family issues. There haven't been a lot of family issues on Star Trek because there have rarely been members of the same family. So that's a very happy relationship. This season, there have been a whole lot of scenes between myself and Terry Farrell, who plays Dax, and I'm really reveling in that relationship. Terry is just a hoot, a great joy. She's a wonderful actress.
It seems to me and the friends I watch Deep Space Nine with that Captain Sisko has become a much stronger character since actor Avery Brooks shaved his head.
It's something he asked for. We were talking about the makeup before, about how, if you don't have something on your mind, you're much freer to do other things. I think that he feels he looks his best being bald, and then he feels good about acting.
How do you compare Deep Space Nine to the other Star Trek series?
I'm very prejudiced – but I think validly so – that Deep Space Nine is the best of the four. The reason being that we deal in human issues. We're not boldly going anywhere – we're trying to investigate the human condition in one particular space. We're trying to find out what makes people tick, how do people of diverse backgrounds live together. Our characters are not as "Star Fleet" as the other shows are. All those characters on Next Generation, on the original show, on Voyager – they're all heroes. They have no dark sides to them, for the most part, and they work together as a team.
On our show, almost every one of our characters has a dark side, Ido is the law keeper – he's also a fascist. Sisko is in command – but he's not sure he wants to be there. Kira is a wonderful female warrior – but she's also a jingoist. If it's not for Bajor, it's not good. All of our characters have a duality that I think makes them much more human and much more interesting.
The show in general, I think investigates the human condition more than science fiction. It's much more interested in finding out what people are about. We're much closer to shows like Northern Exposure and Picket Fences, let's say, than we are to the original Star Trek.
You've mentioned it. I think everyone is very happy with the chemistry between Odo and Quark. A lot of that has to do with the enormous adoration and friendship I have for Rene Auberjonois (who plays Odo). But one that's equally as good is the one between the two brothers, between myself and Max Grodenchik, who plays Rom. We provide the writers with an opportunity to investigate sibling rivalry, to investigate family issues. There haven't been a lot of family issues on Star Trek because there have rarely been members of the same family. So that's a very happy relationship. This season, there have been a whole lot of scenes between myself and Terry Farrell, who plays Dax, and I'm really reveling in that relationship. Terry is just a hoot, a great joy. She's a wonderful actress.
It seems to me and the friends I watch Deep Space Nine with that Captain Sisko has become a much stronger character since actor Avery Brooks shaved his head.
It's something he asked for. We were talking about the makeup before, about how, if you don't have something on your mind, you're much freer to do other things. I think that he feels he looks his best being bald, and then he feels good about acting.
How do you compare Deep Space Nine to the other Star Trek series?
I'm very prejudiced – but I think validly so – that Deep Space Nine is the best of the four. The reason being that we deal in human issues. We're not boldly going anywhere – we're trying to investigate the human condition in one particular space. We're trying to find out what makes people tick, how do people of diverse backgrounds live together. Our characters are not as "Star Fleet" as the other shows are. All those characters on Next Generation, on the original show, on Voyager – they're all heroes. They have no dark sides to them, for the most part, and they work together as a team.
On our show, almost every one of our characters has a dark side, Ido is the law keeper – he's also a fascist. Sisko is in command – but he's not sure he wants to be there. Kira is a wonderful female warrior – but she's also a jingoist. If it's not for Bajor, it's not good. All of our characters have a duality that I think makes them much more human and much more interesting.
The show in general, I think investigates the human condition more than science fiction. It's much more interested in finding out what people are about. We're much closer to shows like Northern Exposure and Picket Fences, let's say, than we are to the original Star Trek.
Mike Starling's original music is heard on numerous recordings and soundtracks, and his stories and photos have been featured in books, films, mags and other media.
starlingarchive.weebly.com is the authorized website for samples of published work by the Wisconsin-based writer, artist and musician Mike Starling. Photo of Starling on assignment in Ireland by J. Winke. Quark character photo is a publicity still. Actor Armin Shimerman photographed by Beth Madison. Posted under a license from the Wikimedia Commons. Website developed and managed by Nine Volt Media. ©MMXX-MMXXIII. All rights reserved.