- Michael Dorn's character Worf on Star Trek: The Next Generation gained the unflattering nickname "Turtlehead" from Jonathan Frakes.
- Worf's famed volatility inspired an inside joke among the cast, using the term "Worfland" to describe situations spiraling out of control or someone in a bad mood.
- Patrick Stewart's memoir, "Making It So: A Memoir," delves into his time playing Captain Picard and reunions with the cast on Star Trek: Picard.
As reported by SlashFilm, Patrick Stewart writes in "Making It So: A Memoir" about how Michael Dorn's Worf gained an unflattering nickname from none other than Commander Will Riker himself, Jonathan Frakes. Stewart's recollection comes from how Dorn's Worf was often the last character who was filmed on the bridge of Star Trek: The Next Generation. Read the quote below:
Poor Michael Dorn, as Worf, was always the last character with dialogue to stay in uniform, because he had to stand in front of his security panel at the very back. What's more, he had to stay in his ridged, heavy Klingon makeup, which took hours to apply and had inspired Frakes's nickname for him: Turtlehead.Another Worf-inspired running joke arose on Star Trek: The Next Generation that was inspired by the Klingon's famed volatility, which bled into real life. Read the quote from Patrick Stewart's memoir below:
Michael's character, Worf, was also the basis for one of our cherished inside jokes. Worf is a Klingon who prides himself on his self-discipline – but precisely because he is of the warrior Klingon race, he can't help but occasionally lose his temper and fly into violent rages. Thanks to this disparity, we began using the term 'Worfland' to describe any situation where things were spiraling out of control or one person was in a bad mood and therefore emotionally unpredictable. 'Look out, it's Worfland!' became our shorthand for Proceed with caution.
