Brent Spiner quotes Sean Connery in regard to portraying Data in Star Trek: The Next Generation and Star Trek: Picard. Spiner began portraying Lt. Commander Data on Star Trek: The Next Generation, and the lovable android became one of the show's most popular characters. Despite his heroic death in Star Trek: Nemesis, Data made a triumphant return in Star Trek: Picard season 3, reuniting with his former USS Enterprise-D crew members.
Complete with an upgraded android body with the ability to experience emotions, Data finally achieved his lifelong dream of becoming (almost) human. Still, it remains to be seen what his Star Trek future holds. In a recent appearance on The Sackhoff Show, Brent Spiner spoke to host Katee Sackhoff about portraying Data and why he decided to reprise the role in Picard season 3. Read Spiner's quotes and watch the video below:
Katee Sackhoff: You’ve played that character [Data] in like 10 different projects.
Brent Spiner: Yeah, it seems like it. I think it’s a thousand, isn’t it? [laughs]
Sackhoff: At this point. But I feel like you’ve also said three times that you’d never play him again.
Spiner: Yeah. And I would never, by the way. [laughs] No, I would never say that again. I have to quote Sean Connery and say, "Never say never." Because I have come back even though I said I couldn’t do it again. Initially, I thought… Data has to be young. I thought because it’s like Harpo Marx. Harpo Marx was so wonderful when he was young, and there was something when Harpo got older [that] it didn’t quite land the same way because he wasn’t as angelic and childlike.
And that childlike quality was not so endearing - and I’m talking about Data, too - once he got old. So I said, "Well, I can’t do it. I’m too old to do it." And I was. But then, particularly where the Picard series was concerned, and particularly the third season of Picard where I actually played Data again… Terry Matalas came and had a great idea, and a way to do it. Wasn’t sure if it was gonna work. None of us were. And I guess it landed. It seemed to make the fans happy, anyway.
What Brent Spiner's Comments Mean
Like Sean Connery, Brent Spiner Has Learned To Never Say Never
Spiner began playing Data in 1987 when Star Trek: The Next Generation premiered, and by the time of Star Trek: Insurrection, he already felt he was getting too old to portray the android. Spiner himself requested that Data be killed off in that film, but he didn't get his wish until the unfortunately lackluster Star Trek: Nemesis. Spiner had understandable reasons for not wanting to play Data again, referencing the android's endearing "childlike quality."
Just as Connery declared he would "never again" portray James Bond before appearing in 1983's Never Say Never Again, Spiner also learned to "never say never." Thankfully, Spiner trusted Star Trek: Picard season 3 showrunner Terry Matalas, and he saw the potential in Data's big return. Throughout Star Trek: The Next Generation, Data longed to be human, and Picard season 3 allowed him to fulfill that dream in a way that made sense for the character. While Data's return was a treat for long-time fans, many would love to see more of the android.
Our Take On Data's Star Trek Future
We Hope Data Gets The Chance To Return In A Future Star Trek Project
After Star Trek: Picard season 3 came to a close, fans began clamoring for a spinoff following Captain Seven of Nine (Jeri Ryan) and her crew aboard the USS Enterprise-G. This potential project became known as Star Trek: Legacy and soon took on a life of its own. Many of Picard's cast and crew have voiced their willingness to return, and fans undoubtedly want to see more of these beloved characters. While Paramount appears to be focusing on other Star Trek projects at the moment, Legacy still remains a possibility.
We hope Data gets to continue exploring his newfound emotions in a future follow-up to Star Trek: Picard.
