Star Trek: 10 Things You Didn't Know About General Chang
Christopher Plummer redefined what it means to be Klingon.
As the world mourns the loss of a Hollywood giant in the shape of Christopher Plummer, Star Trek fans have been flocking en masse to rewatch The Undiscovered Country. Easily in the conversation with The Wrath of Khan and First Contact for the best of the Trek movies, Plummer's performance as the maniacal General Chang remains one of the film's great strenghts.
Allegorically telling the story of the Fall of the Berlin Wall, Star Trek VI was as much an exploration of the racism that existed in the latter half of the 23rd century as it is a depiction of Shakespeare as he was meant to be performed. Plummer's delivery of some of the finest lines in literature, while dressed in full Klingon regalia, is an iconic part of Trek's history.
But what of the character himself? Well, with the exception of the extended universe, General Chang has only appeared in this one film as well as Star Trek: Klingon Academy, but he's remained an important cultural figure. Thus his legacy, and his history, have both been either hinted at or just referenced directly in the years since his cinematic appearance.
So, who was this Klingon celebrity? How did he come to serve as prosecutor at the trial of Kirk and McCoy? And, weirdly, what's his connection to the DC Universe?
10. Smooth Criminal
Chang's design was a mix of the classic Klingons from the Original Series and the updated design from the movies. While he had a very subtle set of ridges on his forehead, he didn't have to don the long-haired wig that almost every other Klingon had to have. This came down entirely to Plummer.
Despite several phone calls with Leonard Nimoy, when approached by production to appear as Chang he initially turned them down. Director Nicholas Meyer, for his part, refused point-blank to consider anyone else for the role of Chang, as he had written it with Plummer in mind.
The heavy prosthetic make-up was the main sticking point. From the production's point of view, having pronounced ridges and long hair was simply par for the course when depicting a Klingon, but Plummer worried that this would affect the overall performance.
Thus the design of the character was toned down. He was bald, rather than long-haired and, although his skull was a normal shape, his ridges were much smaller than those that had been added to Klingons in previous movies.