Kim Cattrall wanted a different uniform in Star Trek VI

Kim Cattrall played Lt. Valeris on Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country.

When Kim Cattrall got the part of Lt. Valeris, the Vulcan who would ultimately betray Spock and the rest of the Enterprise crew, she had an idea in mind as to how she wanted her character to look. She colored her hair black to resemble Leonard Nimoy’s and shaved around her ears to make them stand out more. (According to ForgottenTrek, she kept those ears after the movie ended as a memory.)

And there was one more change she wanted to make to her character. She wanted Lt. Valeris to wear a skirt like Nichelle Nichols had done as Lt. Uhura as she liked the look.

"“I think in science fiction, women should look great. Women should always look great … and so should men. That’s why people go to the movies.”"

Kim Cattrall liked the look of Nichelle Nichols in Star Trek: The Original Series

But director Nicholas Meyer nixed that idea right away. He thought that the audience would only be looking at her legs if she wore a skirt. Cattrall wasn’t a fan of Meyer’s decision, especially since she found the uniform she ultimately had to wear to be too hot and bulky. But she did agree that she wanted Valeris to be more than just eye candy, which she thought most of the women on Star Trek were in the 1960s.

"“I don’t think she’s like the other women in Star Trek. In the 60s, they were mostly beautiful women in great-looking, tight outfits with fabulous makeup and hairdos, more set decoration than real motivators in the mechanics of the plot.”"

Fortunately, Star Trek has come a long way, and women can wear skirts and still be a part of the plot, just look at Rebecca Romijn, whose character, Number One on Star Trek Strange New Worlds, is in a dress at Romijn’s request.