Brent Spiner
Brent Spiner played the android Lieutenant Commander Data in Star Trek: The Next Generation, and was featured in the three ST: TNG motion pictures "Star Trek Generations," "Star Trek: First Contact" and "Star Trek: Insurrection." The character Data possesses super-strength and an incredible memory. He's virtually an encyclopedia, but only in terms of information, not behavior. Data is totally innocent; however, he does possess a sense of question and wonder that allows him to evolve.
Born and raised in Houston, Texas, Spiner moved to New York after college, where he performed in numerous off-Broadway plays. "The play that finally pushed me over into the serious-actor category was a public theater production of 'The Seagull' [Anton Chekhov] for Joseph Papp," he says. Spiner eventually won roles in the Broadway musical productions of "Sunday in the Park with George," "The Three Musketeers" and "Big River," which was based on the story of Huckleberry Finn.
After moving to Los Angeles in 1984, Spiner appeared in the Westwood Playhouse production of "Little Shop of Horrors." His other credits include the Woody Allen film "Stardust Memories," a cameo in the movie "The Miss Firecracker Contest" and guest-starring roles in such television series as Cheers, Twilight Zone, Night Court and Hill Street Blues. Spiner has also featured in the films "Phenomenon," "Independence Day" and "Out to Sea."
During the fourth season hiatus of Star Trek: The Next Generation, Spiner co-produced and released his first album. Entitled "Ol' Yellow Eyes is Back," the album features some of the most popular classic standards ever recorded. Included on the album is the single "It's A Sin To Tell A Lie," which has background vocals provided by the "The Sunspots," more familiar to Star Trek: The Next Generation fans as Patrick Stewart, Jonathan Frakes, LeVar Burton and Michael Dorn.
Following on from his Star Trek duties, Spiner has performed in a variety of capacities. His vocal talents can be heard impersonating late night talk show host Conan O'Brien in the feature length animated movie "South Park: Bigger, Longer and Uncut." He has also appeared in "Introducting Dorothy Dandridge," the movie based on the tragic life of the first African-American woman to be nominated for an Oscar ("Carmen Jones" 1954). Spiner plays her faithfull manager Earl Mills. In 2000, Brent portrayed Stromboli in Disney's musical live action version of "Geppetto." Spiner also appeared in the 2000 mini-series "A Girl Thing."
