[[quoteright:250:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Brent_Spiner_4474.jpg]]

->''"I think it's the business part of the word show business that causes me the most concern."''

Brent Jay Spiner (born February 2, 1949 in UsefulNotes/{{Houston}}, Texas) is an American actor best known for his role as the pale-skinned android Data in ''Series/StarTrekTheNextGeneration''.

By sheer coincidence, Spiner began his acting career the same way fellow ''Franchise/StarTrek'' alumnus Creator/WilliamShatner did: in the theater. Thanks to his inspirational drama coach, Cecil Pickett (who also launched the careers of Creator/DennisQuaid, Creator/TreyWilson, Robert Wuhl, and Thomas Schlamme), Spiner launched into an early career of professional theater after completing high school and college, performing in on- and off-Broadway plays like "A History of the American Film" and "Leave It to Beaver is Dead." People remember him most for his role of Data, but Spiner has also had an extensive career in other television series, ranging from science fiction to comedy to romance, to animation, even to children’s films.

!!Prominent roles that Brent Spiner has played:
* ''Series/TalesFromTheDarkside'' episode "A Case of the Stubborns": Reverend Peabody
* ''Series/NightCourt'': Bob Wheeler
* ''Series/StarTrekTheNextGeneration'' (and [[Film/StarTrekGenerations all]] [[Film/StarTrekFirstContact spin]]-[[Film/StarTrekInsurrection off]] [[Film/StarTrekNemesis movies]]): Data/Lore/Dr. Noonien Soong/B-4
** ''Series/StarTrekEnterprise'': Data/Dr. Arik Soong
** ''Series/StarTrekPicard'': Data/Altan Inigo Soong/Adam Soong/[[spoiler: Lore]]
* ''WesternAnimation/SouthParkBiggerLongerAndUncut'': Creator/ConanOBrien
* ''Film/IndependenceDay'': Dr. Brackish Okun
* ''WesternAnimation/{{Gargoyles}}'': Puck
* ''Series/{{Cheers}}'': Bill Grand
* ''Series/{{Frasier}}'': Albert
* ''WesternAnimation/GeneratorRex'': Gabriel Rylander
* ''Film/{{Geppetto}}'': Stromboli
* ''Westernanimation/YoungJustice2010'': The Joker
* ''WebVideo/FreshHell'': Himself
* ''WesternAnimation/FamilyGuy'': Himself (with the rest of the TNG cast, even [[AndZoidberg Denise Crosby]])
* ''WesternAnimation/TheAvengersEarthsMightiestHeroes'': Purple Man
* ''Series/{{Alphas}}'': Dr. Kerns
* ''Series/TheBigBangTheory'': Himself
* ''Theatre/SeventeenSeventySix'': UsefulNotes/JohnAdams (1997 Broadway revival).
* ''WesternAnimation/StarWarsRebels'': Senator Gall Trayvis
* ''Film/{{Phenomenon}}'': Dr. Rob Niedorf
* ''Series/TheOuterLimits1995'' episode "[[Recap/TheOuterLimits1995S2E16TheDeprogrammers The Deprogrammers]]": Professor Trent Davis
* ''Film/TheMasterOfDisguise'': Devlin Bowman
* ''Series/{{Leverage}}'' episode "[[Recap/LeverageS01E11TheJurorNoSixJob The Juror #6 Job]]": William Quint
* ''Series/{{Threshold}}'': Dr. Nigel Fenway
* ''Series/BluntTalk'': Phil
* ''Series/{{Outcast}}'': Sidney
* ''Series/PennyDreadfulCityOfAngels'': LAPD Capt. Ned Vanderhoff
* ''Podcast/BatmanTheAudioAdventures'': The Joker

!!Tropes Associated With Brent Spiner:
* ActingForTwo: Or three, or seven. Brent played not only Data, but also Lore, B-4, and all four Soongs[[note]]Noonien, who created both Data, Lore and B-4; Arik, Noonien's ancestor, who was involved in illegal genetic experiments; Altan, Noonien's estranged son; and Adam, their ancestor from 2024[[/note]], and at least two or three of the aforementioned characters have shared some screen time. And then there was [[Recap/StarTrekTheNextGenerationS6E8AFistfulOfDatas the time when several holodeck characters got turned into replicas of Data]].
* AdamWesting: In his webseries ''WebVideo/FreshHell''. And his Website/{{Twitter}} account. Also, in the ''WesternAnimation/FamilyGuy'' episode "Not All Dogs Go to Heaven" along with his castmates from ''Series/StarTrekTheNextGeneration''.
* CastingGag: In ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'' episode "Them, Robot" (the season 23 episode that's best described as "that 'replace human workers with robots' gag from 'Last Exit to Springfield' stretched out to a 22-minute episode), Brent provided the voices for all the robots. He is best known for playing another kind of cybernetic being, namely an entire "family" of [[Series/StarTrekTheNextGeneration androids]].
* DeathByCameo: Two of the aforementioned roles, Conan O'Brien and Dr. Brackish Okun, were just bit parts in their respective movies, and they both died horrible, bloody deaths:
** ''WesternAnimation/SouthParkBiggerLongerAndUncut'': Conan O'Brien [[spoiler:commits suicide by jumping out the window of his studio building after realizing what a horrible mistake he made by turning Terrance and Phillip in to MAC.]]
** ''Film/IndependenceDay'': [[spoiler:Okun, after attempting to perform an autopsy on the alien brought down by Will Smith, is seized by the alien's tentacles, beaten, and tossed around in a bloody and brutal fashion until Okun is lifeless, and then Okun is used by the alien as a mind puppet to send the main characters a message of death. Subverted in that the sequel reveals he survived his ordeal.]]
* FunnyCharacterBoringActor: {{Inverted}}. Best known for playing a rational, emotionless android, he's a very silly man off-camera. Just watch some of the TNG outtakes.
* IAmNotSpock: Zigzagged. After [=TNG=] ended, he expressed some irritation that he was always associated with Data instead of any of his other works, however, he eventually moved past it and now [[PlayedForLaughs plays it for a joke.]] His reluctance to reprise the role nowadays comes solely from the fact he feels himself too old play an ageless android.
* SpringtimeForHitler: A real-life example: He only took on the role of Data as he figured remaking a show as iconic as ''Star Trek'' would fail and he could take the money from the one season to build a career on. Instead, he ended up with his most famous role that would run for seven years, four movies, and one spin-off.
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