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The new generation seriesStar Trek: Picardbrought back many fan-favorite characters fromThe Next Generation, including Sir Patrick Stewart and Brent Spiner’s Data. The latter especially was a surprise to fans as he was shown to have sacrificed himself in the last original filmStar Trek: Nemesis.
While Spiner had reportedly refused to return to the series, he was convinced by one key aspect of the new show. He mentioned that the chance to not spend hours in his signature yellow/gold makeup and removing it was an appealing factor for him to return.
Brent Spiner’s Disregard For Data’s Yellow Makeup Brought Him Back ToStar Trek: Picard
Both Sir Patrick Stewart and Brent Spiner had not been a part of any subsequentStar Trekmaterial after the end ofTNGand the films. Unlike actors like LeVar Burton and Jonathan Frakes, Spinner did not come back to the franchise in the form of a director. He evenmentioned in 2018that he was too old to return as Data as the character does not age.
“It’s going to piss off people”: The James Bond Actor Brent Spiner Wanted to Play Jean-Luc Picard in His Star Trek: The Next Generation Spinoff
However, the actor was reportedly convinced to reprise his role by the studio inStar Trek: Picard. The spinoff show saw many ofTNGcharacters such as Captain Picard, William Riker, Geordi LaForge, and others return after decades, and the makers even found a way to bring Data back from the dead (after the events ofNemesis).
Spiner mentioned in an interview withTrekMoviethat not having to sit for that yellow makeup was a huge win for him and the deal was insanely attractive. He said,
You know, [the makeup] wasn’t a big factor in convincing me to do it, although I was happy beyond belief not to wear the makeup. I mean, I still have the eyes. Yeah, certainly, it was more appealing to me knowing that I wasn’t going to be spending hours and hours and hours in makeup, and even worse, hours getting it off.
As Data returns in a more human-like form, the yellow/gold makeup was done away with inStar Trek: Picardbut the actor had to still wear his signature golden eyes.
Brent Spiner Said That The Studio Threw A Ridiculous Amount Of Money At Him To Return
Brent Spiner is no stranger to reprising his classic roles. While he was one of the few actors from Roland Emmerich’sIndependence Dayto return in the 2016 sequel, he was reportedly not that keen on coming back toStar Trek. The actor mentioned toYahoo! Newsthat he felt he looked ridiculous in the makeup and he was too old for the role.
“This is the best work I’ve ever seen him do”: Brent Spiner on The Star Trek Co-Star Who Did a Much Better Job on Picard Than in The Next Generation
However, the studio reportedly removed both of those obstacles and made him an offer that he could not refuse to return as Data inStar Trek: Picard.He said to TrekMovie,
They just threw hundreds of thousands of dollars at me. I kept saying, ‘No, no, no.’ And then it just got absurd and I said, ‘Well, okay, maybe one episode,’ and then it just got even crazier. And I thought, ‘Okay, I’ll do the whole season.’
In fact, Terry had some interesting ideas and had a way to address them–my first response to him was, ‘How are we going to do this?’ And they came up with this stuff and we tweaked it a bit and then I thought, ‘Yeah, I want to be there to play with my friends.”’I wouldn’t want to be home knowing they’re all having that fun and I’m not there.
While he only had a brief role in season one, Spinner had an emotionally charged sequence in season three where Data and Lore merged into one and finally came back to life.
Star Trek: Picardis available to stream on Paramount+.
Nishanth A
Senior Writer
Articles Published :2416
Nishanth A is a Senior Entertainment Writer at FandomWire, majorly focusing on TV shows with over 2,000 articles published. He has been an entertainment journalist for the past two years and a scriptwriter at various corporations before that, working on educational content. With a Communications, English Literature, and Psychology triple major, Nishanth usually covers news and analyses on Star Trek, particularly Strange New Worlds and The Next Generation; Doctor Who, the DCU, and more.A Nolan fan, Nishanth spends his time exploring the filmographies of various directors with an auteurial style or can be found making short movies of his own. He has also contributed as a feature writer for Film Companion, focusing on the South division.
