The ‘Star Trek: Section 31’ Makeup Mission? Make Michelle Yeoh Look Even More Epic

Sometimes, even “Star Trek” gets to boldly go where the television series has never gone before. Michelle Yeoh’s Emperor Philippa Georgiou has been an implacable frienemy to StarFleet during much of “Star Trek: Discovery,” but she’s finally gotten her own spinoff story in “Star Trek: Section 31.” Or at least a version of her. 

Much of the “Star Trek: Section 31” production team is drawn from the proud ranks of “Discovery” artisans, including makeup department head Shaunna Llewellyn. “They brought all the family back together,” Llewellyn told IndieWire. Working closely with hair department head Ryan Reed and costume designer Gersha Phillips, the team’s mission was to craft a version of Georgiou and a sector of space that “Star Trek” fans haven’t seen before. 

“It was really ‘anything goes’ creatively,” Llewellyn said. “ I’ve looked at all the other stuff [Yeoh] did and I most definitely made sure I’d made color choices that we’ve never seen her in. We also did custom lashes so that she has these green lashes and the studded eyeliner, we did that custom, as well as custom nails. She never wears nails that length.” 

‘Star Trek: Section 31‘Jan Thijs/Paramount+

The goal of looks that take Georgiou from an “I run this intergalactic cabaret” boss behind the curtain to an echo of her black, mission-ready outfit from “Discovery” was to give Yeoh something more elegant but still as edgy as the daggers she can pull out of her trench coat. Yeoh is just as adept at wielding those longer nails, too, which Llewellyn had match the cape of her initial costume and then in her final outfit studded at the bottom with some enticing negative space, truly making them extensions of Georgiou’s sharp, mysterious persona in “Star Trek: Section 31.”  

Llewellyn’s starting point for the makeup design was initial illustrations by Phillips and Reed’s color choices in order to do something with the makeup that drew more focus to Yeoh’s imperious performance, but always in complementary colors. 

Behind the scenes of ‘Star Trek: Section 31’Courtesy of Paramount+

Llewellyn also had to consider the amount of stunt work that would be required of Georgiou, which Yeoh tends to do herself. The solution? Llewellyn gave Georgiou a cheeky echo of the Starfleet emblem, angled to the side, as a decal liner as part of her eye makeup. “It was always a darker look for her, but there was some fighting in it as well, which is why I didn’t go for a hand-painted graphic liner,” Llewellyn said. 

It was a fun change for Llewellyn and for the character, to do something slightly more playful and peacocking from the versions of Georgiou we’ve seen before. “This Philippa is almost like a different version of the Philippa from ‘Discovery.’ I mean, the first one was killed immediately, but then we had her mirror, who was basically the terror of the whole show for the longest time, but then in her time with the Discovery, she kind of learned she’s got a little bit more compassion, much to her dismay,” Llewellyn said. The version of Georgiou we meet in “Section 31” slightly splits the difference, with just the right amount of drive and power, grudging respect and care for those who’ve earned it, and a touch of amorality — but mostly for fun. 

“I don’t think that there were any ‘Discovery’ scenes [where] it would have been suitable to have her looking as elegant as we did in ‘Section 31,’” Lewellyn said. “We were able to play around because we’re in this sector of space no one’s ever seen before. So for her to blend in, it had to kind of go the opposite way and we had to elevate everything up. And Michelle just knows how to play that role and carry herself. So there’s always an element of what Michelle brings to the table.” 

But one of the most fun parts of “Star Trek: Section 31” was playing with the opposite of elevated — in flashback, we see the young Georgiou (Miku Martineau), who returns to her family to take the final step to become emperor. Along with Martineau’s performance, a lot of exposure burns and wear on her face do the visual work of telling us who this young woman is in the moments before she becomes the Georgiou that “Star Trek” fans know and love/loathe. 

‘Star Trek: Section 31’Michael Gibson/Paramount+

It was a story that was news to the “Discovery” team, too, and so fun to put that missing piece of the character together. “It was really fun with all the beauty and fun looks in the bar room to have a completely contrasting look, [with] wear and tear almost like she went through a ‘Hunger Games’ trial to get to the end,” Llewellyn said. “So we reflected that in her face. She looks raw and broken down and has to do that ultimate task in order to become the emperor… I really wanted to play on how much she had to go through and see it immediately in her face.” 

Whether working with the most fantastical aliens or the most grounded, subtle human looks, that’s ultimately the make of good character design in film and television: Being able to see someone’s story on their face. While “Star Trek: Section 31” leaves the possibility of more missions open for the StarFleet scoundrels around Georgiou, Llewellyn and her team have left everything — including diamond eyeliner floating in a victorious trail — on the interstellar field. 

“Star Trek: Section 31” Jan Thijs/Paramount+

“We always come ready with a vision, and then [Yeoh] also knows what works for her and where her comfort zone is. So we take that into consideration and we definitely always test the looks, figure it out, and we always land on something. That’s the beauty of working with someone like Michelle,” Llewellyn said. “ She definitely wanted to do something elegant but edgy. And I think we combined all those elements and then the three departments delivered. I think we kind of nailed it.”  

“Star Trek: Section 31” is streaming on Paramount+.