Armin Shimer-man is in a rather unusual position.
He's one of the stars of the extremely popular television show "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine." And yet, he goes virtually unrecognized in public.Of course, that's not particularly surprising. Because on "DS9," Shimerman's face is buried under makeup and prosthetics that turn him into a Ferengi named Quark.
Local "Star Trek" fans will get a chance to see what the real Shimerman looks like on Saturday, when he appears at a "Trek" convention at Little America Hotel in Salt Lake City.
"It is always a little shock for the kids when the lights come up and there's me standing there without my makeup," the actor said in a phone interview this week. "It's a little bit of a disappointment.
"But on the other hand, I have the great advantage of not looking like Quark and therefore, I have pretty much my anonymity."
Shimerman, a charming, quick-witted man, is also considerably different in temperament than the character he plays. ("I sound a little bit different and I behave a little bit different - thank goodness," he said.)
The proprietor of the drinking and gambling establishment on the Deep Space Nine space station, Quark, "like most Ferengi, is an offensive, sexist and greedy alien predominantly concerned with making a profit" - or so he's described in the show's press materials.
Shimerman's Ferengi, however, is not quite so simple. The actor has brought a certain charm to Quark, and the writers have allowed him to become a more fully developed character.
Which isn't easy when you're operating under that much makeup.
Shimerman knew what he was getting himself into, however. He played a Ferengi the first time the species ever appeared - in a first-season episode of "Star Trek: The Next Generation."
"I had done it before and I was aware of the difficulties of the makeup," he said. "I was a little reluctant. I spent a day seriously considering whether I wanted to get involved with this, because there probably will be some damage to my skin because of it."
He turned to longtime friend Jonathan Frakes (Cmdr. William Riker on "ST:TNG") for advice.
"He pointed out the advantages to doing this show - mostly a steady paycheck," Shimerman said. "He convinced me.
"I really couldn't pass up the opportunity. One, because it was good for my career. And, two, because I've always been a `Star Trek' fan and I actually get to be part of the adventure now."
"It's not only wonderful to be employed, but it's wonderful to be part of something I watched growing up. It's really incredible."
Joining a "Star Trek" series involves more than just signing on to another show. It's becoming part of a cultural phenomenon.
"I always think of it as stepping into a modern mythology," Shim-er-man said. "I mean, there are lines from all of the shows - not so much from ours yet, but from the other two - that are part of the vernacular.
"In centuries to come, they may look back and say, `The origin of that particular phrase comes from a show called "Star Trek." ' And that's pretty powerful stuff."
Becoming part of that phenomenon is getting easier for the actor. The makeup now takes "only" three hours instead of four to apply, and it's more comfortable.
"Up until the time that I played Quark, the Ferengi had no ear-holes in the makeup," Shimerman said. "So your ears were pinned back for the entire time you had the makeup on. And after about seven or eight hours, that got to be incredibly painful."
So, at his request, earholes were added. And, for the first time, the entire head was finished off.
"The back of the Ferengi had never been completed from the very first day that I was there playing Letek," Shimerman said. "So since they made the earholes they decided to finish up the neck. That's the reason I don't have the veil in the back."
He also went to his dentist to get some help with those snaggly Ferengi teeth.
"I actually forget about the makeup, Shimerman said. "Once it's on, it's on. Everyone on the set knows what I look like with the makeup. No one looks twice, so I even forget for hours on end that I have it on."
And, once again, he has no regrets that he's hidden behind a Ferengi facade.
"I've been asked many times if I'm disappointed that nobody knows who I am. Not a disappointment in the least," he said.
He doesn't feel bad when his co-stars are stopped by autograph-seekers.
"I just chuckle to myself and keep walking. I've worked around enough people who have no privacy, I value it as much as I possibly can," he said. "I like the fact that no one knows what I look like. It's not only good personally, I think in the long run it'll be good for me professionally as well."
In other words, he may escape the typecasting that plagued many of the original "Star Trek" actors.
"Hopefully, my being covered up for all these years will prevent that from happening to me," Shimerman said.
CONVENTIONEER: It's been less than six months since "Deep Space Nine" premiered, but Shimerman has already appeared at about a dozen "Trek" conventions.
"I enjoy them because I get to meet people and I get feedback on my work," he said. "I also get paid, which is nice."
And he has previous convention experience, having taken part in several "Beauty and the Beast" gatherings. (He played a small part in that cult series.)
But Trekkers shouldn't expect him to know all the answers.
"If they ask me what a Level One diagnostic is, I haven't the faintest idea," he said.
BIT PART: Although Shimerman played one of the first Ferengi in the first season of "Star Trek: The Next Generation," it wasn't his first appearance on the show.
"Before that happened, I basically played a talking prop," he said.
That prop was a Betazoid "Wedding Box." Shimerman underwent about eight hours of makeup that left only his chest, arms and head visible (under layers of paint). When activated, he announced that Lwaxa Troi was coming to the Enterprise and that Deanna Troi was going to get married.
"It was a very small part that I did because I wanted to do something on `Star Trek.' The best thing was that because I did that, almost immediately I was cast as a Ferengi," Shimerman said.
Which, of course, led to a regular role on "Deep Space Nine."
"Sometimes you take a gamble like that, and this one paid off in spades," he said.
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(Information)
Salt Lake City's latest "Star Trek" convention is Saturday, July 3 from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the Little America Hotel, 500 S. Main. General admission tickets are available from Smith'sTix, and are $14 until the day of the show. On Saturday, tickets will be $17 at the door. Reserved seating tickets are also available at $35. In addition to an appearance by "Deep Space Nine" star Armin Shimerman, the convention will also feature presentations, auctions and a variety of memorabilia for sale.