Biography
Who is Brent Spiner?
Early life and education
Brent Spiner was born in Houston, Texas, on February 2, 1949. His parents, Sylvia Schwartz and Jack Spiner, owned a local furniture business. His father passed away from kidney failure when Brent was only ten months old. Following this, his mother married Sol Mintz, and he used the surname Mintz from 1955 until 1975.
He attended Bellaire High School in Texas, where he won a national championship for dramatic interpretation as part of the speech team. Later, he studied at the University of Houston. While he performed in local theater during his time there, he did not complete his degree.
Career beginnings and stage work
In 1968, he worked at Six Flags AstroWorld, performing as a gunfighter and in Dr. Featherflowers' Medicine Show. He also appeared in the television special The Pied Piper of Astroworld. By the early 1970s, he had moved to New York City to pursue acting on Broadway and off-Broadway. His stage credits include productions such as The Three Musketeers and Sunday in the Park with George.
Brent also explored music and released an album of 1940s pop standards titled Ol' Yellow Eyes Is Back in 1991. In 1997, he returned to the Broadway stage for a revival of the musical 1776, playing the role of John Adams. This production received a Tony Award nomination and a cast recording.
Star Trek and television fame
Brent Spiner became widely known after being cast as the android Lieutenant Commander Data in Star Trek: The Next Generation in 1987. He played this character across seven seasons and four feature films, including Star Trek: Generations and Star Trek: Nemesis. He also portrayed Data's brothers, Lore and B-4, in various episodes and films.
His connection to the franchise continued through other series. He appeared in Star Trek: Enterprise as Dr. Arik Soong and later returned to the role of Data in the series Star Trek: Picard. In that show, he also played characters such as Dr. Altan Inigo Soong and Dr. Adam Soong. He has also provided voices for several Star Trek video games.
Film and other television roles
Beyond the Star Trek universe, he has appeared in many films like Independence Day and Independence Day: Resurgence, where he played Dr. Brackish Okun. He received a Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actor in 1997 for his work in Star Trek: First Contact. Other film credits include Rent Control, The Aviator, and South Park: Bigger, Longer and Uncut.
His television guest appearances are extensive, ranging from Friends to The Big Bang Theory. He voiced the character of the Joker in the animated series Young Justice. Also, he has appeared in shows like Night Court, where he played Bob Wheeler, and the comedy series Mama's Family.
Birthday and age
Brent Spiner was born on February 2, 1949, which makes Brent 77 years old today. That birthday falls under the Aquarius sign. Brent shares the date with 32 other famous people.
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