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 including some soft reboot elements with an all new cast. Some episodes connected to "TNG" directly including guest stars by Brent Spiner and connections to the events in "TNG"'s fictional universe. The three-episode story arc consisting of "", "Cold Station 12", and "The Augments", with a Soong ancestor portrayed by "The Next Generation" regular Brent Spiner provides some backstory to Data's origins. Also, the "Enterprise" episode "" also helps explain the smooth-headed Klingons that sometimes appeared, a retcon that helped explain this varying presentation between "TOS", "TNG", and the films. "Star Trek" would not return to television as a show