Star Trek is back. And we’re all there for it. Star Trek: Strange New Worlds marks the return of the science fiction series we’ve all grown to love over the years. The series, which features Anson Mount, Jess Bush, and Rebecca Romjin in leading roles, has kept the faithful of the series intrigued, with its action sequences and characters hitting home more than once. Amidst the studded cast, there is one actor who deserves special credit for putting up a fight for an element she wanted to retain from the original Star Trek series.
Rebecca Romjin wanted a return of the Starfleet dress in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds
Rebecca Romjin is not new to playing roles in grand franchises, having already been associated with the X-Men for the first 3 films in the franchise. No wonder she knows a thing or two about what makes these series tick.
The 51-year-old had her own ideas for playing Una Chin-Riley AKA Number One in the series. One such idea concerned a trip back to the old days of Trek. She wanted the Starfleet dress, or ‘Skant’, originally sported by Nichelle Nichols, to make its comeback in the series.
The Starfleet dress would help her retain her feminine side
Number One has remained throughout the series as Captain Pike’s first officer, keeping herself composed even in the face of the toughest battles. And for Romjin, it was critical that the ever-reliable Number One retains her feminine core throughout the series. And going back to the mini-skirt was her idea of doing just that.
She said,
“Initially, I was inspired by the hair and the nails. There would be background artists on the original series that I would get screen grabs of and send that into hair and makeup and be like, ‘Let’s try something like this.'” (Slashfilm)
Sadly, it wasn’t going to be a walk in the park.
The Starfleet dress is here to stay
The Starfleet dress was a thing of the past. It might have made its debut in the 60s original series. But it’s been half a century since. Times have changed. And the makers weren’t exactly open to the idea, wanting to stick with the newer version of the uniform. Sharing her experience, The Punisher star said,
“I requested a Starfleet dress, which, the first answer was, ‘No. We’re just going to do pants and tops.’
Rebecca Romjin’s plea forced the makers to rethink their decision. It wouldn’t be long before they would realize that they had quite the opportunity. She continued,
And then they came back around and said, ‘No, we changed our mind. Why don’t we start building uniform wardrobes,’ where sometimes I’m wearing Starfleet dress and sometimes not.”
The Starfleet dress was put to good use, even being a part of some action sequences. That was also a result of Romjin’s wishes. She wanted to ensure that the dress was not limited to being a showpiece in the Enterprise. And she’s done that in style, repeating the feat achieved by Nichelle Nichols, who played Uhura in the original series 58 years ago.
