Star Trek: First Contact, the second motion picture featuring the Star Trek: The Next Generation cast, was released back in 1996. Those who have seen the movie know that the Borg play an essential part in this story — and the Star Trek canon in general. If you have not seen this movie, go watch it now.

The Borg make for great villains. We shudder a little every time their cold, cybernetic faces appear. Seeing the Borg Queen being lowered into her cyborg body was especially chilling. Alice Kreig did a phenomenal job of portraying the primary antagonist, but she wasn't always the hard and fast choice. Actor-singer Cher was in the running for the role. 

When The Hollywood Reporter interviewed members of the First Contact cast and crew, some strongly disagreed with the casting choice of Krige vs. Cher. Makeup artist Scott Wheeler said:

"They were talking about Cher playing the role. And no offense to Cher, she's had some great moments, but it would have been so gimmicky and I doubt she would be willing to sit through the four-and-a-half hour makeup we were putting on Alice [Krige]."

We don't know Cher personally, obviously, yet we're inclined to agree with Wheeler. Cher is an award-winning pop idol. However, it would have been difficult to separate Cher the Icon from Cher the Borg Queen. Krige does not play the Borg Queen. Krige is the Borg Queen. Wheeler was even frightened by her appearance once she was in full makeup.

"When the [contact] lenses went in, Alice looked in the mirror and you could see how the look all of a sudden informed her about the character. She changed her posture and her presence. She turned around — and when she turned around, I kid you not, everyone gasped and stepped back… The Borg Queen was born." 

Would Cher have been able to bring this character to life in the same way Alice Krige did? What do you think? 

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