Brent Spiner

Brent Jay Spiner was born on February 2, 1949, in Houston, Texas. His parents, Sylvia and Jack Spiner, owned a furniture store. His father passed away when Brent was ten months old. At six, his mother remarried Sol Mintz, who adopted Brent and his elder brother Ron. Brent used the surname Mintz until 1975, later reverting to his birth name. His interest in acting began in high school, guided by his drama teacher, Cecil Pickett, who also mentored other future Hollywood talents like Randy and Dennis Quaid. Spiner continued pursuing theater at the University of Houston and local colleges, while also beginning his professional career in regional theater and film with “My Sweet Charlie” (1970).

After initial attempts in New York and Hollywood, Spiner established himself as a stage actor in New York, featuring in Broadway and off-Broadway productions including “A History of the American Film” (1978), “Leave It to Beaver is Dead” (1979), Stephen Sondheim’s “Sunday in the Park with George” (1984), and “Big River: The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn” (1985). He had a minor role in Woody Allen’s “Stardust Memories” (1980) and starred in “Rent Control” (1981). A production of “Little Shop of Horrors” led him to permanently relocate to Los Angeles in 1984.

In 1986, after various character roles in television series and movies, Spiner secured his most iconic role as Data, the android in “Star Trek: The Next Generation” (1987-1994). This role propelled him to international recognition, and he reprised it in four subsequent Star Trek films: “Star Trek Generations” (1994), “Star Trek: First Contact” (1996), “Star Trek: Insurrection” (1998), and “Star Trek: Nemesis” (2002). He also played other characters within the Star Trek universe, including Lore, B-4, and various ancestors of Data’s creator, Dr. Soong, notably in “Star Trek: Enterprise” (2004-2005) and “Star Trek: Picard” (2020-2023). Beyond Star Trek, Spiner is known for his role as Dr. Brakish Okun in “Independence Day” (1996) and “Independence Day: Resurgence” (2016). He has also had roles in films such as “The Aviator” and voiced the Joker in “Young Justice.”