Today is Brent Spiner’s birthday. The actor who entertained us as Star Trek The Next Generation’s Data turns 61 years young today. So today we pay tribute to the man that played the android.
Happy Birthday, Brent Spiner
Certainly the break-out character from Star Trek The Next Generation, Brent Spiner’s Data took us fans along on his quest to understand what it means to be human.
TrekMovie wants to wish Brent the happiest of birthdays.
And to celebrate the auspicious event we lovingly share this tribute video to Data (made by GeneralGrin), set appropriately to Weird Al’s "White and Nerdy"…seems like the kind of thing Brent would think is funny (we hope).
Brent Tweets on his bday
Although his former captain has disavowed Twitter, Spiner continues to be one of the most popular celebrities on the micorblooging service (with 1.377 million followers). Here is what he had to say today about his birthday:
Just think…My birthday, a Syfy channel ST marathon and the Oscar nominations on the same day. I think there’s an omen in here somewhere
Dreamland
If you want to get in touch with Brent’s latest project, you should pick up his new ‘musical of the mind’ CD "Dreamland" (see TM review and Spiner interview). Here is a behind the scenes video of him recording it.
You can keep up with Brent and order "Dreamland" at therealbrentspiner.com
Dreamland ought to be renamed ZZZZZzzzzzzz…..
But congrats on your 61st birthday! I think the Data character had a lot of promise and got screwed over many times, but he did great things with it.
Happy Birthday to Brent Spiner!
I watched him live once, at Fed Con in Munich in 1995. Very funny.
Happy Birthday!!!
I love Brent Spiner and his performances as Data.
Its one of the best roles in all Star Trek series and he delivers it so wonderfully everytime
Happy Birthday Mr. Spiner! =)
3: I second that. IMHO, Kirk, Spock, Bones, Picard and DATA are the most iconic Trek characters.
Hbday Brent! :}
Happy Birthday to you,
Happy Birthday to you,
Happy Birthday to dear Brent,
Happy Birthday to you!
Happy b-day Data, err, I mean Brent! x-D
Happy Birthday! One of the best roles in all of Trek and always beautifully played. Even almost made Nemesis watchable. :)
I wonder if he’s playing STO to celebrate? :) nice of them to release it on his birthday
That White & Nerdy video is hilarious! Well done!
Happy birthday Brent! Long live family Soong!
Happy Birthday Brent
You are one of my favourite actors and Data is one of my all time favourite characters ever.
I read some of Wil Wheaton’s book he wrote about TNG, where he talks about some behind the scenes stuff for each episode. One thing that stood out with me was an exchange between Wil and Jonathan Frakes during the episode “The Offspring”. In reference to the actor that played Lal before she decided her appearance, Frakes apparently said something along the lines of “You don’t realize how subtle and amazing Brent’s performance is until you see someone try to do an impression of it.”
Happy Birthday Brent, and thanks for such a great performance!
Joyeux anniversaire, Brent!
61?
That’s so young, for an androïd…
Happy Birthday!
61???? How is that possible?
Happy Birthday, Brent!
Happy birthday to Brent Spiner!
Happy Birthday Mr Spiner – thought you were absolutely great in TNG & films, except when Data got emotions. Sorry!
Brent, there is only one android who makes the grade today, and that is YOU!
Happy birthday, Ol’ Yellow-Eyes! :-)
Happy Birthday. I see you added more than just a white stripe to your hair. (I kidz, cause I luvz.)
Best!
Cool. Brent and I have the same birthday! Data was awesome.
@18
I don’t want to debate performances on this thread but I think Brent’s portrayal of Data getting emotions on Generations was very well done. It really showed to me the intensity of the experience for Data and how unprepared he was to deal with the onslaught of feelings.
happy birthday brent! the uk loves you and your subtle, funny renditions on the human condition. all the very best to you!
Happy birthday Brent Spiner! Thanks for the memories. :)
A wonderful blessed Bday to you brent that isn’t the day Soong created you. Its the day you were born! Happiness always on many more to come
Happy Birthday Brent!!!! I turn 51 on Thursday!! You (and Data) are my all time favorite character(s).
Geez, I mangled that sentence…didn’t I?
PS to you’re eternal youth too! Through the tng years how you got on well with children. In all 7 years. Data the perfect nanny young at heart so count backwards on all future Bdays to come! From. The kids
Data, Lore, B4, Noonien Soong and Arik Soong. So many characters of the same “family”, yet Brent gave each their own personalities and traits while remaining consistent and true to canon. That is acting!
Happy birthday Brent! Thanks for all your good work!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY BRENT SPINER!!!! I think DATA is the Coolest Android in TV and Film History!!!!!
#28 – does that make Brent Spiner an….ACTor? A master thesbian? ;)
@30
I think that’s a typo. It should be “master thespian” or “master lesbian”.
Here’s an idea for the next movie — Data has to go back in time, but he doesn’t care to fix the alternate timeline he’s created. Oh, sorry, that’s been done. (In his quest to become more human, Data figured out how to molecularly alter his appearance to “age” — thereby allowing Brent Spiner to replay the role.)
Seriously, Spiner and Data helped make TNG enjoyable for this original series die-hard. Too bad Data went over-the-top in the movies.
From another interview:
J&R: Be honest, what’s your opinion about Trekkies?
BS: Well, if you mean the movie, “Trekkies”, I’ve never seen it. I hear it’s great, but I still haven’t seen “The African Queen”, so priorities…Now, if you mean the group of people who enjoy Star Trek on a grand scale, I’d say outside of Nelson Mandela and Mother Theresa they are among the finest people on earth.
—
I thought that was cool. I guess I should attribute the interview, hunh? blog.jr.com
#30 – LOL. Wear is spel chec win I knead it?
@32 But Data never slapped on some “gravity boots” and flew around like SuperGrover saving Picard the way Spock saved Kirk in ST5. THAT was over the top.
Okay, Data did “fly through space” and jumped from the Enterprise to Shinzon’s ship, but that was reasonable physics-wise compared to SuperSpock.
Happy Birthday Bert, erm, Bart, erm, Britt, erm, Brett, erm, Brent!
Is it Spy-ner or Spinn-er? (j/k!)
“One is my name. One is not.”
Yay for groundhog birthdays! I turned 17 and so did my twin, what better birthday then a Star Trek marathon too. <3
“I turned 17 and so did my twin”
—
Did you see your shadow today. :)
“Did you see your shadow today. :)”
Haha, good one! :-)
Happy birthday Mr. Spiner!! May you have many more!
Happy Birthday.
I thought DREAMLAND was great, I bought it from Brent at the 2008 CON in Vegas and had him autograph it. We spent a few minutes talking and he did not rush the moment, he was a blast on stage each time he was at the CONs. Dreamland is music and a play, like an old fashioned radio show. I guess you would have to be into nostalga.
Happy Birthday! Live long and prosper.
61? I don’t believe it. Where has the time gone?
Houston says Happy Birthday Brent!
@34 Rogue_Alice – LOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I usually don’t correct others’ typos but I couldn’t resist this one!
Data was a great character. And Brent is a great actor.
Happy Birthday Brent! What do you think about a made for tv movie for star trek TNG DS9 or VOY?
#43 – no problem at all. I knew I should have put that into Outlook to check the spelling. But, we all got some fun out of the error too. :)
Happy Birthday Mr. Spiner, from the guy who did those Motion Control shots in Nemesis.
Best wishes!
happy birthday!!!! got that cd autographed he is great to see in person hope hell be n vegas
Happy Birthday, Brent!!!