Star Trek: 10 Things You Didn’t Know About Ro Laren
8. The Bajoran Makeup Was Created By Michael Westmore To Suit Michelle Forbes
Makeup genius Michael Westmore created the iconic Bajoran nose ridges to suit Michelle Forbes. That meant that every succeeding Bajoran character, including Nana Visitor herself, owed something to the first Bajoran seen on-screen.
Though alterations would be made along the way, such as the removal of the T-bar across the top of the nose, the Bajoran ridges have remained more-or-less the same for over thirty years.
Westmore sculpted the nose ridges around Forbes' expressions. He wanted to give her a look that would be distinct, but also fit her with a nose piece that would move with her, adapting to her expressions, her speech, and her frequent frowns. While this is quite a simple look, one that has endured for so long, it was carefully considered.
Ro Laren has seven ridges on her nose, something that remained the same from first appearance to last. She would undergo the same update as the rest of the Bajoran people, losing that T-bar before her return to the show in Preemptive Strike.