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Brent Spiner’s Reluctance to Reprise Data in Star Trek: Picard Explained

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Brent Spiner is primarily recognized for portraying Data in “Star Trek: The Next Generation,” and he’s undeniably one of those actors who delivered outstanding performances as robots. After the death of Data in “Star Trek: Nemesis” and Spiner expressing his reluctance to reprise the role, it seemed like we wouldn’t witness him onscreen again. However, the arrival of “Star Trek: Picard” brought about Spiner returning to the character of Data in both the first and third seasons. As a dedicated fan of “The Next Generation,” I was thrilled to see Spiner revive Data, but I can also empathize with the actor’s initial lack of interest in playing the android again.

Brent Spiner admitted during an interview with Katee Sackhoff on “The Sackhoff Show” that there were instances when he stated he wouldn’t play Data anymore. However, the actor from “Night Court” now swears off making such statements again. He did share his reasons for initially being hesitant about reprising the role of Data.

At first, I believed that Data should have been portrayed as a young character, since there was an enchanting quality about him when he was younger, much like Harpo Marx. As Harpo grew older, his charm and childlike essence became less endearing, and the same applied to Data once he aged. This is why I concluded that I was too old for the role, and indeed, I was.

It’s striking to picture Jean-Luc Picard, William Riker, Beverly Crusher, Deanna Troi, Geordi LaForge, and Worf growing older, but it’s unexpected that Data, being an android, wouldn’t age. I can understand Brent Spiner’s perspective on this, as there’s nothing preventing Data from aging, which would strip him of the youthfulness that appealed to Spiner. It’s fascinating to compare Data to Harpo Marx, a renowned comedic talent from the early 20th century, whom I wouldn’t have thought of in connection with Star Trek: The Next Generation’s characters before now.

Consider subscribing to Paramount+, where you can relive all of Data’s appearances across the Star Trek movies and series. Choose between the Essential plan at $7.99/month or $79.99/year, or upgrade to the Premium plan for an ad-free experience and double the content library by including Showtime, priced at $12.99 a month. Check out this deal now!

However, Spiner adjusted his stance upon being presented with Terry Matalas’ concept for Data’s complete comeback in Season 3 of “Star Trek: Picard,” which included a reunion of the original Next Generation crew. Reflecting on this, the actor reminisced:

Regarding the Picard series, particularly season 3 where I reprised my role as Data, Terry Matalas brought an innovative concept and method that wasn’t entirely certain to succeed at first. However, it seems to have paid off, as it resonated with the audience.

In the final episode of Star Trek: Picard Season 1, a duplicate of Data’s consciousness was observed. Jean-Luc Picard granted this iteration of his friend’s wish to be deactivated, allowing him to experience something akin to death. Later in Season 2, Brent Spiner portrayed Adam Soong, a descendant of Noonian Soong, the inventor of Data, Lore, and their progenitor B-4. Lastly, in Picard Season 3, a fresh version of Data’s consciousness was reactivated within a new synthetic body that bore a more aged appearance. This new body combined elements of Lore, B-4, and his daughter Lal’s personalities, resulting in a more humanlike Data than ever before.

Although a character from another universe, sporting a purple uniform, surfaced in the final season of Star Trek: Lower Decks, it’s uncertain if we’ll encounter the original universe version of this character after Star Trek: Picard wraps up. Nevertheless, there are more exciting Star Trek TV series on the horizon. The third season of Strange New Worlds is set to premiere next month in the 2025 TV schedule, and Starfleet Academy is expected to debut in 2026.

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2025-06-05 19:10

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