Acting 101: What courtroom TV show is Star Trek's Brent Spiner known for?

June 15, 8:53 PMActing ExaminerDeborah Smith Ford

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Brent Spiner                                                                                          ( Photo/Wiki)

Brent Jay Spiner is an American actor, best known for his portrayal of the android Lieutenant Commander Data in the television and film series Star Trek: The Next Generation with Commander Jean-Luc Picard and William T. Riker.

Star Trek originally created by Gene Roddenberry, with wife Majel Barrett  acting in most of the Star Trek episodes.

Spiner attended Bellaire High School in Bellaire, Texas, where he was influenced by drama teacher Cecil Pickett – the same drama teacher who coached such people as Cindy Pickett, Randy Quaid, Dennis Quaid, Trey Wilson, Robert Wuhl, and Thomas Schlamme.

Brent Spiner was active on a speech team, eventually winning the national championship in dramatic interpretation. After attending the University of Houston and performing in local theatre there, Spiner moved to New York City, 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.

In 1984, Spiner moved to Las Vegas, appearing in several pilots and made-for-TV movies. He played a recurring character on Night Court named Bob Wheeler, patriarch of a family of West Virginia hicks.

In 1986, Spiner also made two appearances as characters in the television show Mama's Family: Mr. Conroy and Billy Bob. Spiner's first and only starring film role was in Rent Control (1984). Also on televison, in the Cheers episode "Never Love a Goalie, Part II", Spiner played the acquitted murder suspect Bill Grand.

In 1987, Spiner started his 'Star Trek' 15 year run (on television for 7 seasons and in 4 feature films) portraying Lieutenant Commander Data on Star Trek: The Next Generation. As one of the main characters, he appeared in all but one episode of the series' 178 episode run.

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 felt that he was too old to continue playing the part, and that Data was best presented with a youthful appearance. 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.

Brent Spiner on Data, life, show business and mankind.

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!

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.

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

Spiner as Dr. Okun in Independence Day

In 2009, Brent Spiner provided the voice of himself for the Family Guy's Not All Dogs Go to Heaven.