Not just pointed ears, Spock was supposed to have a very different look in Star Trek – Here’s why it was changed

When Star Trek debuted in the 1960s, it introduced viewers to a universe of sci-fi adventure, multi-cultural alien life forms, and multi-dimensional characters. Perhaps none of them was more iconic than Mr. Spock, the science officer who was half-human and half-Vulcan, and whose angular features and pointed ears made him an instant icon of the series. What many people wouldn't perhaps know is Spock's original appearance was actually much more alien — almost impossibly so!

As per Looper, some of the initial ideas about Spock included giving him a red skin and a satanic look, intended to make his alien heritage more prominent. Such artistic choices, as intriguing as they were, were eventually dropped due to disagreement from the studio executives. There was the concern that Spock's appearance would be offensive or too sensational for the average American viewer at the time.

As a result, the design team deliberately moved towards a more neutral, humanoid appearance, culminating in the now-familiar Spock who has become the epitome of Star Trek's enduring legacy.

Spock's early concept in Star Trek: More alien than human

According to GameRant, Gene Roddenberry originally had the idea of Spock as physically alien in appearance, a character whose physical appearance would immediately identify him as different from the rest of the crew. Red skin had been a suggestion made to accentuate his Vulcan heritage and enhance his otherness. Paired with pointed ears (which would be retained), arched brows and fiendish glances, the initial designs leaned heavily towards a darker visual imagery than the one that made it to the television screens.

The intention of these features was not to instill evil, but to question assumptions regarding life on other planets. Spock was meant to look unnerving, but behave sensibly and humanely, making viewers question their assumptions. However, CBS producers were afraid that a character who was devil-like in appearance might cause discomfort among the audience and also make them angry, especially in conservative households.

Network pushback and visual reconsiderations

According to CBR, as Star Trek went into production, comments from network executives resulted in a major overhaul of character designs. The red complexion was particularly troublesome because black-and-white television sets were common in homes during the 1960s. Red colors didn't display well on screens and would look dark or distorted, which could make Spock darker than he was meant to be.

Also, the 'satanic' appearance developed cautionary signs regarding the show's potential to attract a broad, family-watching audience. Desilu Productions, financing the pilot, had no interest in alienating viewers on strictly visual assumptions. Roddenberry was therefore compelled to adjust Spock's appearance, toning down the more melodramatic alien features.

Leonard Nimoy's contribution to finalizing Spock's appearance in Star Trek

As per the Star Trek website, Leonard Nimoy's casting helped to redefine Spock's appearance. Following Nimoy's casting, makeup artist Fred Phillips began working with more conservative prosthetics, such as the now-iconic pointed ears and upswept eyebrows. The changes were enough to make Spock unmistakably alien-looking but still acceptable and visually familiar to television audiences.

Nimoy also made his input. He did not like some of the more sensational ideas, like green- or red-skinned skin, that required too much makeup and could be distracting to his acting. What resulted was a character who looked just strange enough to be extraterrestrial, yet still human enough to be emotionally engaging.

The legacy of a design decision

While Spock's original idea was much more radical in nature, the final product was a much more enlightened choice. By diminishing the glaring alien aspects, Star Trek could explore Spock's internal struggle between emotion and logic without the distraction of an extreme appearance. It also allowed the show to withstand the strict censorship of 1960s television standards, granting it its place on prime-time television.

This behind-the-scenes evolution is a testament to the collaborative nature of television design. Spock's look wasn't entirely the result of one person's vision — it was subject to creative vision, technical constraints, and the cultural climate of the time.

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Today it's hard to imagine Star Trek without the reserved and measured Spock — but if the original concept had been used, the character might have gone in quite a different direction.

Also read: "Thousand years into the future": When the Star Trek: Discovery cast shared what to expect from Season 3 of the sci-fi show at Comic-Con 2019

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