Brent Spiner (born February 2, 1949 in Houston, Texas) is an American actor, best known for his portrayal of the android "Data" on the television and movie series Star Trek: The Next Generation.

Spiner attended Bellaire High School, Bellaire, Texas, where he had the same drama teacher as Cindy Pickett, Randy Quaid, Dennis Quaid, Trey Wilson , Robert Wuhl and Thomas Schlamme. After attending the University of Houston and performing in local theatre there, Spiner moved to New York City, where he became an established 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 a small part in the film Stardust Memories. In 1984, Spiner moved to Los Angeles, appearing in several pilots and made-for-tv movie s, and played a recurring character on Night Court, before appearing on Star Trek.

Since his success in Star Trek, he has also acted in film, including a notable minor role in the movie Independence Day. In 1991, he recorded an album of 1940s pop standards entitled Ol' Yellow Eyes Is Back. He has since had guest appearances on Law & Order: Criminal Intent, Friends, Deadly Games, Mad About You, and Frasier, as well as movie roles in films such as Phenomenon, Out to Sea , South Park: Bigger Longer & Uncut, Geppetto , and Master of Disguise.

Spiner, not quite as active in the Star Trek convention scene as many of his costars, currently lives in Los Angeles, California with his wife, Loree, and his son, Jackson.

External link

• Internet Movie Database entry
• Star Trek.com Biography