From Star Trek.comGreetings from somewhere not where I usually am. Now, we knew that they were bringing in Brent Spiner to play Dr. Soong's ancestor, but this production report caught my eye:
It was a very involved and elaborate production which began on Friday the 13th. Not risking any bad luck, the company stuck to basic Bridge scenes on that day, with only the principal cast plus one scene with Alec Newman as the Augment named "Malik." You might recognize Newman from the "Dune" TV miniseries.
[chanting]
Mua'Dib...Mua'Dib...Mua'Dib...
Based on that, the Enterprise team decided that the Orion males should also be green, and should look the part of slave traders (as they have been established several times to be). And that they should be really, really big.
Where do you turn for the largest, most intimidating guys you can find? How about taking a cue from "Tsunkatse"? Enter the largest wrestler in the WWE, known as "The Big Show," Paul Wight ? at 7'1" and 450 lbs. ? as "Orion Slaver #1." It took a lot of green body makeup to cover that hulking form. (Sorry for the pun.)
The casting people have to love this media synergy. I saw him interviewed on Conan O'Brien once; fairly down to Earth guy.