‘I panicked… How am I going to play this?’: The Star Trek character that terrified Brent Spiner was neither data nor lore, he ended up playing it anyway

Actor Brent Spiner played fan favorite Data in Star Trek: The Next Generation. The actor played the second android of the USS Enterprise-d in the legendary show and also reprized his role in the new series Star Trek: Picard. Spiner, along with the original cast, went on to appear in four films based on Tng.

Spiner also played many of the alternate versions of Data in the series, including Sherlock Holmes in the classic episode “Elementary, My Dear Data”. He also played his evil twin, Lore, and his creator, Dr. Noonien Soong, which Spiner noted was his most terrifying role in the universe. He mentioned that he convinced the filmmakers to play the role despite casting another actor.

Brent Spiner convinced Star Trek creators to let him play Data’s creator Dr. Noonien Soong Brent Spiner as Data | Credits: Paramount Domestic Television

Actor Brent Spiner played the role of…