Quark Actor Armin Shimerman Says He Was “Grateful” for One Part of Ferengi Makeup

Armin Shimerman, who played Ferengi bartender Quark on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, says he’s “grateful” for one aspect of his old Ferengi makeup. The makeup process to turn Shimerman into Quark took about two hours, and involved whole-head prosthetics, fingernails, and makeup applied to the face and hands. As a series regular, Quark’s makeup also extended to the back of Shimerman’s head, so Quark didn’t have to wear the headdresses that fellow Ferengi Rom (Max Grodénchik) and Nog (Aron Eisenberg) did, which were designed to cover gaps in prosthetic appliances, but there’s something else Shimerman liked about his makeup in particular.

On the podcast The Delta Flyers, Season 9, episode 4, Shimerman discusses DS9 season 1, episode 4, “Babel” with Delta Flyers co-hosts and Star Trek: Voyager actors Robert Duncan McNeill and Garrett Wang. McNeill comments on a moment where Quark gives a particularly toothy grin, and asks for more information about the Ferengi teeth that Shimerman wore as Quark. This prompts a comparison between Quark’s makeup and the Changeling makeup worn by Rene Auberjonois as Constable Odo. Read his quote below and listen to The Delta Flyers, starting around the 35-minute mark:

Robert Duncan McNeill: “How did you eat with the teeth?”

Armin Shimerman: “You took the teeth out, that’s what you did.”

Robert Duncan McNeill: “In real life, but what if you had to eat in a scene? What did you do? Was it messy?”

Armin Shimerman: “Difficult, yeah. It was messy. … But I was always grateful that I didn’t have René [Aubuerjonois]’s makeup, because his [Constable Odo] makeup came down to his lips, and every time he ate, the makeup would come up. So for many reasons, I was grateful for the teeth, and that my makeup didn’t come down that far.”

How Ferengi Makeup Helped Shimerman’s Animated Return as Quark

Quark’s Ferengi Teeth Made a Comeback for Star Trek: Lower Decks

Armin Shimerman brought back Quark’s Ferengi teeth for his animated return as Quark Star Trek: Lower Decks, season 3, episode 6 “Hear All, Trust Nothing”, when the crew of the USS Cerritos paid a visit to Deep Space Nine. Returning as a voice actor meant that Shimerman wouldn’t need to endure the long process of applying Ferengi makeup, since he wouldn’t be physically seen on screen, but Shimerman insisted on recording his lines for Lower Decks with Quark’s old Ferengi teeth. The dental appliance made Shimerman sound just like Quark did on Deep Space Nine, ensuring consistency between live action and animated performances.

Fortunately, Quark’s Ferengi teeth were the least fussy part of Shimerman’s Star Trek: Deep Space Nine makeup, since they could be inserted and removed with relative ease compared to the complicated facial prosthetics and fingernails. Quark’s storyline in Star Trek: Lower Decks saw him getting up to all his old Ferengi tricks, using ill-gotten “Quark 2000” replicators for his own personal benefit before Colonel Kira Nerys (Nana Visitor) and DS9’s other guests, the Karemma, got wise to Quark’s antics. It wouldn’t have been the same if Quark sounded any different, and fans have Shimerman’s Ferengi teeth to thank for that.

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine is available to stream on Paramount+.