Averbach-Katz learned what many “Star Trek” actors must: one must adjust their performance style to accommodate the prosthetic foreheads, full-face makeup, contact lenses, and false teeth they are called upon to wear. For advice, Averbach-Katz could have spoken to Armin Shimerman, or one of the many actors required to don outsize Ferengi heads, ears, and teeth. Or Jeffrey Combs, who also played an Andorian on “Enterprise,” and who had to wear special mechanical servos under his prosthetic head to make his antennae twitch. When asked about his Andorian makeup, Averbach-Katz wrote:
“The prosthetics were like acting in a football helmet that was glued to your head, while at the same time, a giant squid slowly consumes you head-first. It’s quite an experience, and not for everyone.”
Ryn had a beard in his first appearance, but it was too complicated to keep applying, so the makeup designers saved time and money by making Ryn clean-shaven. He continued:
“That beard added an extra two hours of make up time because each strand had to be glued to the mask individually, and then cut to the perfect length. It was a lot. Acting in it is a unique challenge, because my face was completely covered, even my lips, so many of the small way to convey emotion are lost […]. On the flipside, the mask is so dynamic that, if you can stay focused and simple, [it] actually does a lot of the storytelling for you (at least that’s what I would tell myself!).”
Ryn’s beardlessness wasn’t just practical and time-shaving, but a good character choice; Ryn shaved after he was rescued from the Emerald Chain, visually denoting that he finally gained the wherewithal to care about his appearance.
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