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,
Family (Star Trek: The Next Generation) episode "" as Captain Jean-Luc Picard, when the character is changed into a pre-adolescent child by the transporter. The characters of Robert and René were later mentioned in the film "Star Trek Generations", as they were killed off-screen in a fire. Doug Wert portrayed Jack Crusher, and later returned as the character in the fifth-season episode "". The episode was also the only episode of "The Next Generation" in which Brent Spiner did not appear as Data. "Family" aired in broadcast syndication during the week commencing October 1, 1990. It received Nielsen ratings of 9.6, reflecting the percentage of all