Star Trek: 10 Controversies Behind Discovery’s Troubled Early Seasons

Way before the look of Star Trek: Discovery's Klingons became the focus of so much consternation, another Klingon was making waves in the news.

In April of 2017, Michael Dorn (aka Lieutenant Commander Worf of Star Trek: The Next Generation and Deep Space Nine) told the audience at an “Evening With Michael Dorn” at the Orlando Shakespeare Theater that he had been approached to appear on the upcoming CBS All Access series.

Dorn stated that the producers of Star Trek: Discovery had asked him to appear on the show as an ancestor of Worf, but that he had been offered an insultingly low paycheck.

According to Matt Palm at the Orlando Sentinel:

...There had been interest expressed, but he was not offered enough money. He said they had offered him less than 1 percent of what he made in his last contract as Worf.

Dorn himself later reflected on the episode in 2018, saying he was "really glad" he never made an appearance on Discovery, citing the extensive new Klingon makeup application. He elaborated on his feelings about the redesigned look:

...They decided "We are going to do something different than everybody else" and I think that is what they came up with for Discovery. There is no rhyme or reason to it, or to any of the stuff, so I think it is just a matter that they want to put a stamp on it.