Many of you are probably familiar with Christopher Lloyd primarily as Doc Brown from the Back to the Future films, and justifiably so, given how integral his portrayal was to the movies’ enduring appeal and entertainment value. In more recent years, another notable role featuring time travel that I find intriguing is Lloyd’s appearance in three episodes of 12 Monkeys, a top-notch sci-fi TV series. What makes this even more fascinating for me is discovering the outlandish concept he proposed for his villainous character in the show.
This information stems from Terry Matalas, the creator of the “12 Monkeys” series, who shared anecdotes about collaborating with Christopher Lloyd during an episode of “The Sackhoff Show.” Among other topics, he spoke about the demanding choices made for “Star Trek: Picard” Season 3. In this collaboration, Lloyd portrayed Zalmon Shaw, also known as The Missionary. When they first met, Lloyd proposed a unique alteration to his appearance right off the bat, which Matalas later discussed with Katee Sackhoff.
Christopher, let me share with you the story of our first encounter when he arrived at wardrobe. He went through the script and his enthusiasm was palpable, brimming with energy for the role. The character he portrayed was a villain who, in an interesting twist, turned out to be the father of Tom Noonan’s villainous character in the future. His idea was unique: ‘I want to create something unusual… I’d like to shave off my eyebrows. It would look quite eccentric.’
Indeed,
As Terry Matalas pointed out, Tom Noonan’s character in 12 Monkeys was actually the son of Zalmon Shaw, who went unnamed on the show but was often referred to as the “Tall Man.” Both men were loyal members of the Army of the 12 Monkeys. Zalmon already had a distinctive appearance with his black attire and hat, which Tom’s character adopted in adulthood. However, Christopher Lloyd decided to make this character even more unique by shaving off his eyebrows during the performance, a decision that surprised Matalas. He went on to say:
In this situation, I found myself questioning whether it was appropriate to make certain decisions about the character. As a showrunner, I wondered if it suited the character’s nature. Then I thought, “Why should I stand in the way of an esteemed figure like Christopher Lloyd, who wants to modify his appearance for the role on our show? He has such a distinguished career in film and television; it’s admirable that he would do this for us.
Christopher Lloyd initially appeared unaccredited at the end of “12 Monkeys” Season 3 episode “Casualty,” with a full debut in the subsequent episode titled “Nature.” He reappeared in Season 4’s “Legacy,” but this time, Lloyd opted for a less eager approach towards shaving his eyebrows. Terry Matalas concluded the narrative as such:
* Initially, Christopher Lloyd made a cameo appearance at the end of the “12 Monkeys” Season 3 episode “Casuality.”
* He then made a full debut in the following episode titled “Nature.”
* After that, he reappeared in Season 4’s “Legacy,” but this time, Lloyd was not as enthusiastic about shaving his eyebrows.
* Terry Matalas wrapped up the story as follows:
Initially, I replied, ‘Sure, give it a shot.’ And indeed, he carried out the task and it was peculiar. Then, six months later, his character reappeared, and he said, ‘I’m thinking I won’t pluck my eyebrows for this role.’ To which I responded, ‘That sounds fine by me.’
I agree with Terry Matalas’s standpoint. He was the one making decisions regarding 12 Monkeys, but if a renowned actor like Christopher Lloyd is willing to shave off his eyebrows for his role, why on earth wouldn’t you let him? After all, it’s not my place to tell him otherwise. However, I can understand why Lloyd might want to revisit that experience again. Zalmon was certainly intriguing enough to keep viewers engaged.
12 Monkeys isn’t currently available for streaming across any platforms at the moment. But if you’re intrigued to explore some of Christopher Lloyd’s other sci-fi roles, he starred as Kruge in Star Trek III: The Search for Spock, a movie that can be streamed with a Paramount+ subscription. Additionally, he appeared as Commissioner Helgait in the third season episode “Guns for Hire” of The Mandalorian, which requires a Disney+ subscription to watch. Lastly, Lloyd is set to make an appearance in Wednesday Season 2, which will premiere its first half on August 6, and can be viewed with a Netflix subscription.
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2025-05-26 21:37