Movies - TV
Why Romulans In Star Trek: TNG Look So Different From The Original Series
By WITNEY SEIBOLD
The Romulans first appeared on “Star Trek” on December 15, 1966, in the “Balance of Terror” episode and looked very similar to Vulcans.
However, when they appeared in “The Next Generation,” the Romulans were noticeably different, with larger ear points and raised ridged foreheads.
According to Paula M. Block and Terry J. Erdman’s book “Star Trek: The Next Generation 365,” makeup designer Michael Westmore wanted to make the Romulans look more threatening.
In “Star Trek” lore, the Vulcans and the Romulans were originally the same species but separated long ago and evolved differently on other worlds.
Westmore said, “From the very first moment [Romulans] appeared on-screen, the viewer had to take them seriously, rather than seeing them as stereotyped villains with pointed ears.”
The designer used the forehead to express they were villains and different from Vulcans by “giving them a built-in sullen expression they couldn’t get away from.”