Despite the lengthy makeup application process, Larroquette would later say he truly enjoyed his time spent decked out in Klingon ridges and full warrior’s regalia. In an interview with Starlog Magazine (via Memory Alpha), Larroquette said he would be eager to wear those ridges again if the opportunity arose, calling the role “fun, a lot of fun.” Larroquette continued, “I just kept telling […] [Kirk actor] Bill Shatner–since I was the last surviving Klingon, I smell spin-off.” Jokingly, he added, “I could take this to a series. Maltz starts off and he has a little hot dog stand on Yakka III out there in the Doofus Galaxy.” The Emmy Award-winning actor went on to claim that after the film’s ending left Maltz stuck in a Federation prison, the Klingon’s plight led to “Free Maltz” campaign led by a group of New Zealand Trekkies calling themselves the “Klingon Occupation Force.”
According to Larroquette, no one had to twist his arm to get him on the Klingon bridge crew. As the actor told Starlog, “I was just called and asked. And I ran.” The “Night Court” star added, “I guess the idea of playing a Klingon was real fascinating to me.” To help prepare for the role, he read lines with Leonard Nimoy, who Larroquette said “knows that form inside and out, obviously, and since I had never played a Klingon before, it was sort of like, ‘No, this is how Klingons talk.'” Larroquette’s latest appearance as Maltz opens up the possibility that fans will get to see a second reprisal on “Star Trek: Lower Decks” or “Strange New Worlds.”Â
