Classic Data moment:

Processing...
Processing...

"Data, we..."

Stand by...processing!

Mr. Spiner would like to be known for his other works. ...Such as his reoccurring, yokel character from "Night Court".

"In the last few days all the lights and gizmos inside have come on...it's been really neat."

I remember how Nimoy went sour on Spock, until they offered him big bucks to reprise the roll.

Trek type-casts it's actors. These TNG guys knew that going in. Unfortunately for him, I doubt Mr. Data will see the same resurrection as Spock in the years to come. As his career fades, as it seems to be doing, he will become a little more grateful for past glories. Don't worry, Brent will be doing the $25.00 "Chiller" autograph tour soon enough.

@Zantor: He's been doing a lot of stage work. If he was smart with his money (which he may or may not have been) he never really has to take a project in exchange for real live dollars ever again.

He can just do 1776 until his eyes bleed, if he feels like it, or a ten-hour, one-man production of Faust.

@Miranda Kali: Or maybe as Dr. Brackish Okun, the long-haired wild-eyed scientist killed by an alien in Independence Day.

@braak: I guess he will be charging $30.00 for an autograph then... I like Brent's work, but there is an old southern saying "Don't go beyond your raisings". Which means always remember, respect and honor that which got you to where you are.

Heard about this on All Things Considered this weekend. Especially telling was the story of why the Hall inducts both real and imaginary robots. One of the sitting board members was: Arthur C. Clarke. He nominated his creation HAL. Well, nobody was going to argue with him, even though technically HAL is a computer, not a robot. So now they accept both types of robot.

@Zantor: There are a lot of Southern sayings.

@braak: Aint' that tha' truth!...

Hey, he's a busy guy. You know, making quality movies such as "Super Hero" movie. He doesn't have time for such trivial matter such a Robot Hall of fame. It's not like people will remember him for the role of Data.

Met Spiner after a play in NYC, and he was kind of a dick.

@braak: I saw him on Broadway in Life X 3 and he was pretty impressive. I think he'd like to put a lot of distance between himself and Data.

Wow, feeling a lot of Spiner hate in the room. Since I don't know the guy I don't want to make any judgments or sweeping generalizations but it seems that as he's gotten older he has tried to move away from "being" Data. Also looking at his work history, he does seem to be very busy. At the same time it does seem a little petty not to attend considering the other GoH. But then again if you were famous for portraying a robot, and you were invited would you feel comfortable among a group like that. I know I wouldn't.

Seems to me that an overwhelming # of inductees would be 'imaginary' robots.
I mean, who knows the names of the car factory welding robots..." and for best seam on a sub-compact mini-van, the award goes to..."

@Miranda Kali: Nice! I always get a good chuckle at your obscure trivia!

@NefariousNewt: HAL is hooked up to mechanical processes it controls, so I'd say that it definitely counts as a robot. Unless you consider Discovery One the robot, and HAL 9000 just a component...

@CmdrHunt: Thanks. :) I watched waaaaay to much T.V. as a kid. You should hear me go off on W.B. cartoon quoting, jig sometime.. "There is a rabbit loose in the castle, Rudolph. Return him to me and I shall reward you with a spider goulash." "*squee!*"

@NefariousNewt & wolfjoat: Has he really moved away from Data that much? I mean, he was playing Arik Soong only a few years ago. Also, it's too bad he didn't attend the ceremony, but people, there are a lot of reasons for that outside of bitterness. I mean, it wasn't the Oscars.

I think it's fine not to love doing cons and so forth, but I hope he's not embarrassed by Data. I really, really admire how Patrick Stewart stands up for his TNG work. Newsweek interviewed him a few weeks ago and made a crack about weirdo Trekkies, and Jean-Luc was not having it.

@moff: I think he has a case of "I'm Not Spock." Let's face it, he played arguably the most interesting character on ST:TNG, once that required a lot of sacrifice, not only in what he had to do for the role but by making Brent Spiner the actor disappear. So he's played other Star Trek roles, but perhaps out of necessity more than desire. Who knows? I think given the waning of the franchise and his desire to expand his repertoire, it should come as no shock that the thought of accepting an accolade for playing Data doesn't appeal to him. And you're right: it's not the Oscars.

Or maybe he didn't attend because Data was an android, not a robot.

I got a chance to attend the TNG reunion panel at DragonCon last year. The esteemed Mr. Spiner was part of the panel, and I was very excited to hear what the man had to say. Imagine my disappointment when Brent "I am not my character, Data" Spiner proceeded to mock and belittle the various (some borderline Asperger's) fans who mustered up the courage to ask him a question. He was truly ruthless, and seemed to have completely forgotten why he was famous in the first place. I say fie on you, Mr. Pasty Android Face.

Sorry guys, but the dicks have it. I was present at the Star Trek panel discussion at Dragon Con last August. I believe Brent, Gates and Jon were all there. When time came for audience questions, a very Asperger-y fellow posed a hypothetical question regarding Data's motive in some scene no one remembers, and Brent, with all the good feeling his sensitive heart could muster said something to the effect of, "See, I'm an actor. I get paid to read what's on the page. That's about as far as it goes." I personally thought that was a horrible way to answer the poor dork's question. I mean, he's an actor, so he has to interpret the words on the page, not just read them back... he actually could have provided some sort of answer to the guy. Instead, he chose to be a dick. I hate to see my heroes fall...

@gruntwerk & kityglitr: That's really, really too bad, especially considering that Data was a celebration of how wonderful it is to be human, even with all our flaws.

@NefariousNewt: I get that, and I sympathize with actors who are forever associated with one role, because that's sort of antithetical to the whole vocation. But that said, how many people are lucky enough to do something, anything, that'll touch so many other people? I mean, if playing Data is the worst thing that ever happens to you, life's not so bad, y'know?

So does this mean that people that only play musicians can get into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame now?

I vote for the Rutles and Spinal Tap.

...and Wyld Stallyuns too.

@NefariousNewt: I actually think it was Life X 3 where I met him. Did Helen Hunt co-star?

@Miranda Kali: Your Trivia Powers are indeed humbling. one of my fave W.B cartoon quotefests...
"Aha, pronoun trouble!"
But I digress. Brent Spiner; classy actor, maybe; class act, nope. It wasn't all that long ago actors would be strongly encouraged to leave town after a show before they started stealing chickens and generally driving down property values. Ego's a helluva drug.

Mr. Spiner was a talented and working Broadway actor before STNG, and I definitely understand his not wanting to be forever branded as Data. I also understand his undoubted impatience with fans (remember Shatner's SNL skit). The true greats, however, are unfailingy polite, patient and gracious, which he apparently is not.

I've seen him as a murderer on Matlock (at mom's!) and a murderer on Monk. Strangely enough, I am at this moment, watching a Monk guest starring Lavar Burton. He is not a murderer, but instead an incredibly rude and annoying FBI man. Coincidence? You be the judge.

@RAHfanboy: Correction, it is not Lavar Burton, but Chris Williams. Quite a resemblance. Sorry.

@RAHfanboy: Was he on Monk, too? Or do you mean Law & Order: CI ?

Not trying to nitpick -- just curious.

@kityglitr:
I would imagine having to deal with rafts of "Aspbergy" Trek fans for 20+ years would take its toll on most folks. These guys only totally embrace their typecasting after they Surrender All Hope, like Shatner and Doohan. Imagine how bitter Nimoy would be if he didn't have a directorial success outside of the Trek canon he could point to.

@braak: oh god I have crazy memories about Faust

@moff:"@RAHfanboy: Was he on Monk, too? Or do you mean Law & Order: CI ?

Not trying to nitpick -- just curious."

Actually you may be right, I was watching them "back-to-back" for a while. I do remember the L&O now, he turned out to be innocent, it was the daughter. I still vaguely remember a "Monk" though. Let me check on it and get back to you.

@moff: Nope, no "Monk," unless Wikipedia's out of date, which seems unlikely. It's weird, I can see him talking to Shaloub, but it must be my imagination.

@Cacafuego: If an actor's biggest problem is that he still has rabid fans for a role he did in the sixties that is not part of our cultural canon, he's doing pretty well.

@edosan:
Dude, you kind of miss the point--Special Ed teachers have to undergo a LOT of training to keep from slapping "Aspbergy" kids silly, phsyically or verbally. You're not going to find that kind of patience/tolerance with most people. Especially actors.