Brent Spiner Brent Spiner Brent Jay Spiner (; born February 2, 1949) is an American actor, comedian, and singer best known for his portrayal of the android Lieutenant Commander Data in the television series "" and four subsequent films. In 1997, he won the Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actor for his portrayal of Data in "", and was nominated in the same category for portraying Dr. Brackish Okun in "Independence Day", a role he reprised in "". He has also enjoyed a career in the theatre and as a musician. Brent Jay Spiner was born on February 2, 1949, in Houston,
Star Trek: The Next Generation (season 3) timeline seen in the series. The events of that episode would set up appearances in "The Next Generation" for the actress as the half-Romulan character Sela in later seasons. The season also featured the first appearance of actors who would later reappear both in "The Next Generation" and later series of the franchise. These included Tony Todd as Worf's brother Kurn, who would appear in this role later in the series and also in "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine". "Hollow Pursuits" marked the first appearance of Dwight Schultz as Lt. Reginald Barclay in the franchise. He would become a recurring