<Tr> <Th> Occupation </Th> <Td> Actor, comedian, musician, singer </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> Years active </Th> <Td> 1970--present </Td> </Tr> <P> Brent Jay Spiner (/ ˈspaɪnər /; born February 2, 1949) is an American actor, comedian, and singer best known for his portrayal of the android Lieutenant Commander Data in the television series Star Trek: The Next Generation and four subsequent films . In 1997, he won the Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actor for his portrayal of Data in Star Trek: First Contact, and was nominated in the same category for portraying Dr. Brackish Okun in Independence Day, a role he reprised in Independence Day: Resurgence . He has also enjoyed a career in the theatre and as a musician . </P> <P> Brent Jay Spiner was born on February 2, 1949, in Houston, Texas, to Sylvia and Jack Spiner, a Jewish family who owned a furniture store . After his father's death, Spiner was adopted by Sylvia's second husband, Sol Mintz, whose surname he used between 1955 and 1975 . </P>

Who played data in star trek the next generation