Brent's Bash

Image borrowed from Yahoo

Brent Jay Spiner (born February 2, 1949) is an American actor, best known for his portrayal of the android Lieutenant Commander Data in the television series Star Trek: The Next Generation and four subsequent films. His portrayal of Data in Star Trek: First Contact and of Dr. Brackish Okun in Independence Day, both in 1996, earned him a Saturn Award and Saturn Award nomination respectively. He has also enjoyed a career in the theatre and as a musician.

n 1987, Spiner started his 17-year run portraying Lieutenant Commander Data on Star Trek: The Next Generation, which spanned 7 seasons and 4 feature films. As one of the main characters, he appeared in all of the series' 178 episode run except in one episode, "Family". He reprised his role in the spin-off films, Star Trek Generations (1994), Star Trek: First Contact (1996), Star Trek: Insurrection (1998), and Star Trek Nemesis (2002). Although billed as the final Trek movie for the TNG cast, the ambiguous ending of Star Trek Nemesis suggested that there was a possible avenue for the return of Data. However, Spiner has opined that he is too old to continue playing the part, as Data embodies a "childlike innocence" that Spiner can no longer credibly exhibit, as his appearance already began to lose that quality by the time he filmed his last Trek films. In addition to the shows and films he voiced his character in several Star Trek video games, such as Star Trek Generations, Star Trek: The Next Generation - A Final Unity, Star Trek: Hidden Evil, and Star Trek: Bridge Commander.

In 1991, he recorded an album of 1940s pop standards entitled Ol' Yellow Eyes Is Back, the title of which was a play on the yellow contact lenses Spiner sported as Data and Frank Sinatra's nickname, Ol' Blue Eyes.

In 1997, Spiner returned to Broadway, playing the leading role of John Adams in the Roundabout Theatre Company revival of the musical 1776. His performance met with generally positive reviews, and the production was nominated for a Tony Award. A cast recording was released of the revival production.

He has since had guest appearances on Law & Order: Criminal Intent, Friends, Deadly Games, Mad About You, Gargoyles, Frasier, Joey, and The Outer Limits, as well as movie roles in Independence Day, Phenomenon, , Out to Sea, South Park: Bigger, Longer and Uncut, Dude, Where's My Car?, The Ponder Heart, I Am Sam, The Master of Disguise, and The Aviator. His TV movie appearances during this period include the 2000 TV musical Geppetto, and playing Dorothy Dandridge's manager/confidant Earl Mills in the HBO production Introducing Dorothy Dandridge.


Acting is acting.
Brent Spiner

And I think it's likely that there will be Data's out there one day. I hope so, if there are, that they all look exactly like me!
Brent Spiner

And, you know, when you are a kid, everybody wants to be an actor. I think that everybody wants to be in show business, frankly.
Brent Spiner

Having spent so much time in a fictional world, I prefer to read about the real world.
Brent Spiner

I don't read fiction at all.
Brent Spiner

I don't read Science Fiction.
Brent Spiner

I think he is an extremely accessible character. In Data there is no potential for cruelty.
Brent Spiner

I think it's the business part of the word show business that causes me the most concern.
Brent Spiner

I think the potential for man is so enormous, if we can stay alive long enough, we're going to be seeing a lot of what Star Trek is projecting.
Brent Spiner

I'm an avid biography reader.
Brent Spiner

If I'm not mistaken, I think Data was the comic relief on the show.
Brent Spiner

If you look around at the people in show business today they are basically the people who didn't give up.
Brent Spiner

My own personal favorite Cher song is the unforgettable Gypsies, Tramps and Thieves.
Brent Spiner

People think that being on Star Trek is career suicide, but it's really just the opposite.
Brent Spiner

Radical surgery is never fun.
Brent Spiner

There is no question that everybody who works in show business is lucky because of the number of people who wish they where working in show business.
Brent Spiner

Yes, Data is hairless but I am not. And we are both anatomically correct.
Brent Spiner