|
Hot Videos
Female Celeb
Wallpapers
|
Brent Jay Spiner (born February 2, 1949) is an American actor, best known for his portrayal of the android Lieutenant Commander Data in the television and movie series Star Trek: The Next Generation.
Early life
Brent was born to Jack and Sylvia Spiner in Houston, Texas. After Jack's death, Brent was adopted by Sylvia's second husband, Sol Mintz, whose surname he used between 1955 and 1975.
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. Spiner would become active on the Bellaire Speech Team; later, 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, most notably with the original cast of the Stephen Sondheim musical Sunday in the Park with George. At the same time, he also had nonspeaking background in the film Stardust Memories as one of the silent Felliniesque "grotesques" on Sandy Bates' train car.
Career
In 1984, Spiner moved to Los Angeles, 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 season 3 of the television show, Mama's Family: Mr. Conroy, and Billy Bob.
Spiner's first and only starring movie role was in Rent Control in 1984.
In Cheers episode "Never Love a Goalie - Part II", he memorably played the acquitted murder suspect Bill Grand.
Since his success in Star Trek, he has also acted in film, including a notable role in the movie as Dr. Brackish Okun (chief scientist at Area 51) in Independence Day. In 1991, he recorded an album of 1940s pop standards entitled Ol' Yellow Eyes Is Back, the title of which was a play on the yellow eyes Spiner sported as Data. He has since had guest appearances on Law & Order: Criminal Intent, Friends, Deadly Games, Mad About You, Gargoyles, Frasier, Joey, The Outer Limits, as well as movie roles in films such as Phenomenon, Dude, Where's My Car? , Out to Sea, South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut, Geppetto, I Am Sam, Master of Disguise and The Aviator. He had a sizable lead role as Dorothy Dandridge's manager/confidant Earl Mills in the HBO production Introducing Dorothy Dandridge, which was partially based on Mills' book Dorothy Dandridge.
In 1997, Spiner returned to the Broadway stage, playing the leading role of John Adams in the Roundabout Theatre Company revival of the musical 1776. His performance met with generally positive reviews, and the production was nominated for a Tony Award. A cast recording was released of the revival production.
In 2004, Spiner returned to the world of Star Trek when he appeared as Dr. Arik Soong, a perhaps equally brilliant but much sleazier ancestor of Data's creator Dr. Noonien Soong, whom he also played, in a three-episode story arc of Star Trek: Enterprise in "Borderland", "Cold Station 12", and "The Augments". He also briefly reprised the role of Data for the series, providing a voice-only cameo in the Enterprise finale, "These Are the Voyages...". Spiner also cameo'd in Joey playing himself. He had also guest-starred in Friends as the man who interviews Rachel for Gucci.
In 2005, Spiner began a role in a short-lived science-fiction television series, Threshold, that was cancelled on November 23, 2005.
Personal life
Spiner currently lives in Los Angeles. He maintains a high level of privacy about his personal life. Spiner was attached to the actress Swoosie Kurtz for many years in the late 1970s and early 1980s. His marital status is uncertain; some sources have cited Loree McBride as his wife, while others maintain that the two are not married. The two do have a son named Jackson, who was born in 2002. He is not as active in the Star Trek convention scene as many of his co-stars, but he is nonetheless close to his Next Generation colleagues and counts Patrick Stewart, Gates McFadden and LeVar Burton amongst his best friends. But he will be attending London Film & Comic Con (www.londonfilmandcomiccon.com)on the 8th and 9th of September 2007.
Trivia
* The 1997 documentary Trekkies included an interview with Spiner discussing a group of female fans who called themselves "Spiner Femmes." The documentary profiled Anne Murphy as an example of a Spiner Femme. Murphy kept several photo albums filled with pictures of Spiner.
* Brent Spiner is left-handed, as demonstrated in TNG's episode "Hero Worship" while painting.
* Spiner is the voice of Conan O'Brien in the South Park movie.
| Latest news about Brent Spiner |
Data weeps: Does Brent Spiner have anti-vaccine proclivities ...One thing you should know before I continue is that Brent Spiner is an active Twitterer (although after this incident I may have to refer to him as an active twit if his response to criticism shows that he is not educable). ... Continue reading
Brent Spiner goes Antivax « SCIENCE-BASED PARENTINGI was going to write about it this morning, as this is a topic that means something to me (and I even tried replying to @BrentSpiner, but look, I'm just this guy, you know?), but I see that Orac has beaten me to it. ... Continue reading
Will Brent Spiner ever play Data again in the new Star Trek movies?Former Star Trek star, Brent Spiner who played Data the android in, “Star Trek: the Next Generation” seems pretty annoyed at the question if he is ever going to play Data again. Brent took to his twitter page hoping this will help ... Continue reading
me and Brent Spiner on Flickr - Photo Sharing!Click this icon to see all public photos and videos tagged with brent brent · Click this icon to see all public photos and videos tagged with spiner spiner · Click this icon to see all public photos and videos tagged with Star Trek TNG ... Continue reading
Facing Autism in New Brunswick: Respectful Insolence Is A "Science ...Brent Spiner appeared on the surface to have drunk deeply of the anti-vaccine Kool Aid. But was it just on the surface, or is Spiner really an anti-vaccinationist? Let's see if we can figure it out. I waded into the Twitter exchange ... Continue reading
Twitter Details For Brent Spiner | TruthTweetBrent Spiner is best known for his portrayal of the android Lieutenant Commander Data in the television and film series Star Trek: The Next Generation. Brent. Continue reading
Various Trek actors including Leonard Nimoy & Brent Spiner...Various Trek actors including Leonard Nimoy & Brent Spiner perform Orson Welles's War Of The Worlds. Continue reading
ontd_startrek: omg it's a siiiiignSlightly off topic but still relevant to our interests, I seem to recall Brent Spiner having one of those extreeeeeeeeme macros shown to him on twitter - or was it someone else, or am I making that up entirely? If I'm not, anyone happen ... Continue reading
ontd_startrek: On Soviet Twitter - Brent Spiner GQMF's YOU!On Soviet Twitter - Brent Spiner GQMF's YOU! This morning, Brent Spiner twittered: "I'm thinking of marketing a bust of myself. The plaque underneath would read, of course..."GQMF" I think this has gone to my head." YOU GUYS OMGWTFGQMF! ... Continue reading
Don't phase me, @BrentSpiner! at jozjozjoz.comDon't phase me, @BrentSpiner!, originally uploaded by !!! :: jozjozjoz :: !!!. Now to play some Beatles RockBand with Dave! Pasadena, CA. -J Pecked out on my iPhone. Sorry for any typos. Share and Enjoy: ... Continue reading
Hollywood Actors Jessica alba Brent Spiner pictures and Brent Spiner biography
|
|
|
