Brent Spiner

Brent Jay Spiner (born February 2, 1949) is an American actor best known for his role as the android Data on the television series Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987–1994), four subsequent films (1994–2002), and Star Trek: Picard (2020–2023).

After his father's death, Spiner was adopted by his mother's second husband, Sol Mintz, whose surname he used between 1955 and 1975.

Spiner attended Bellaire High School in Bellaire, Texas.

He became active on the Bellaire speech team, winning the national championship in dramatic interpretation.

He attended the University of Houston, where he performed in local theater.

In 1968, he worked as a performer at Six Flags Astroworld, first as a gunfighter, then in Dr. Featherflowers' Medicine Show with his friend Trey Wilson, with whom he alternated as Dr. Featherflowers.

Spiner also performed the role in the 1968 TV special The Pied Piper of Astroworld.

Spiner moved to New York City in the early 1970s, where he became a stage actor, performing in several Broadway and off-Broadway plays, including The Three Musketeers and Stephen Sondheim's Sunday in the Park with George.

As Brent Mintz, he appeared as an imposter on a 1972 episode of To Tell the Truth.

He had a brief non-speaking role in the film Stardust Memories, credited as Fan in Lobby, the one with a Polaroid.

He can also be seen as a passenger on the train full of misfits that the Allen character is trapped on in one of the films-within-the-film.

Spiner appeared as a media technician in "The Advocates", a second-season episode of the Showtime cable series The Paper Chase.

In 1984, he moved to Los Angeles, where he appeared in several pilots and made-for-TV movies.

He played a recurring character on Night Court, Bob Wheeler, patriarch of a rural family.

His first and only starring film role was in Rent Control (1984).

In the Cheers episode "Never Love a Goalie, Part II", he played acquitted murder suspect Bill Grand.

He also appeared in the Tales from the Darkside episode "A Case of the Stubborns" as a preacher, and portrayed Jim Stevens in the made-for-TV movie Manhunt for Claude Dallas.

Spiner guest-starred in Friends as James Campbell, a man who interviews Rachel for Gucci.

In 1986, he played a condemned soul in "Dead Run", an episode of the revival of Rod Serling's series The Twilight Zone on CBS.

He made two appearances in season three (1986) of the situation comedy Mama's Family, as two different characters.

In 1987, Spiner was cast as android Starfleet officer Lieutenant Commander Data on Star Trek: The Next Generation, which spanned seven seasons and four feature films.

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

He appeared as Data in all but one of the series' 178 episodes, and 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 a possible avenue for the return of Data.

However, Spiner felt he was too old to continue playing the part, as Data does not age.

In 1997, he won the Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actor for his portrayal of Data in Star Trek: First Contact, and was nominated in the same category for portraying Dr. Brackish Okun in Independence Day, a role he reprised in Independence Day: Resurgence.

Spiner has also enjoyed a career in the theater and as a musician.

In 1997, he returned to Broadway as John Adams in the Roundabout Theater Company revival of the musical 1776, whose production was nominated for a Tony Award.

A cast recording was released.

He also played Lore, Data's evil android brother, in several Next Generation episodes; and B-4, another brother android with a less developed mind, in Star Trek: Nemesis (2002).

In 2004, Spiner returned to Star Trek as Dr. Arik Soong, an ancestor of Data's creator Dr. Noonien Soong, whom he also played in a three-episode story arc of Star Trek: Enterprise: "Borderland", "Cold Station 12", and "The Augments".

Spiner also recorded dialogue as Data that was heard in the final episode of Star Trek: Enterprise, "These Are the Voyages...", which aired in 2005.

He's also known for voicing The Joker in the animated series Young Justice (2011–2022).

Spiner was born in Houston, Texas to Jewish parents Sylvia (née Schwartz) and Jack Spiner, who owned a furniture store.

At age 29, Jack died of kidney failure when his son was ten months old.

Eighteen years after last appearing as Data, he reprised the role in the 2020 Star Trek series Star Trek: Picard as well as that of Dr. Altan Inigo Soong, the son of Data's creator.

Spiner said that he does not intend to play that role again, though he might be open to playing Altan Soong.

In Season 2, he plays another of Noonien Soong's ancestors, Dr. Adam Soong.

In Season 3 of Picard, he simultaneously played Noonien Soong, B4, Lore, and a version of Data that was designed to feel emotions and naturally use verbal contractions, which the original Data could not do.

In addition to the series and films, Spiner voiced his character in several Star Trek video games, including Star Trek: Generations, Star Trek: The Next Generation – A Final Unity, Star Trek: Hidden Evil, Star Trek: Away Team, and Star Trek: Bridge Commander.