Brent Spiner
Brent Spiner
Star Trek: The Next Generation (Lt. Cmdr. Data)
Brent Spiner is 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.
Brent attended the University of Houston where he performed in local theatre. Later, he moved to New York City, where he became a stage actor, performing in several Broadway and Off-Broadway plays. He went on to appear as a media technician in 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, tv shows, and made-for-TV movies. In 1987, he started his 15-year run portraying Lieutenant Commander Data on STAR TREK: THE NEXT GENERATION, which spanned 7 seasons and 4 feature films. As a main character, he appeared in all but one of the series' 178 episodes. 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). In addition to the shows and films he voiced his character in several Star Trek video games.
Brent has appeared in the television series RAY DONOVAN, DEADLY GAMES, DREAM ON, FRASIER, FRIENDS, GARGOYLES, LAW & ORDER: CRIMINAL INTENT, MAD ABOUT YOU, and THE OUTER LIMITS. In THE BIG BANG THEORY, and JOEY, he appeared as himself. Brent has also guest starred on Syfy's WAREHOUSE 13 as Brother Adrian in the third and fourth seasons.
In 2004 Brent returned to STAR TREK when he appeared 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.
In April 2011, he began starring in Fresh Hell, a comic webseries in which he plays a version of himself.
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Brent Spiner at the Internet Movie Database