''I had a tremendous acting teacher in both high school and in college, Cecil Pickett (father of actress Cindy Pickett). There were other breaks growing up that helped Spiner realize that he wanted to be a performer. He loved outstanding pop music, standards and Tin Pan Alley, and had a phenomenal collection of records. ''My experience with my stepfather was completely negative,'' Spiner says, ''with the single exception that he was responsible for my interest in music. His father died before he was a year old, so he grew up with his mother-a very successful businesswoman-a brother and, for a few years, a stepfather. Spiner, 37, is a Houston native who grew up mesmerized by movies and music. And the dialogue usually consists of things that have never come out of my mouth in real life, so it isn`t easy.'' That`s usually the easiest part, but the dialogue from Data has to just flow-no luxury of being able to pause and look for the next line. ''The only parts of it that aren`t fun are the makeup routine and-in direct contrast to what most actors will tell you-learning the lines. ''Star Trek'' in all its forms, who died recently) agreed. Fortunately, Gene Roddenberry (creator and overseer of

''It`s a very complex, demanding role, but when my agent sent me the original script for the series, I knew immediately that this was the character I wanted to read for. He can act angry, for instance, but only after he`s seen how humans react when they`re angry. But he takes it one step further and tries out what he`s observed. ''Chauncey`s thing was always, `I like to watch.` That`s Data`s thing, too-to observe.

Spiner`s film hero is the late Peter Sellers, and he compares Data as a character to Chauncey Gardiner in Jerzy Kosinski`s novel ''Being There,'' and to Sellers` portrayal of Chauncey in the movie. ''There are many rich, hilarious moments.'' ''Everybody in the cast gets involved,'' Spiner says. Actually, Data could do very well at pickup bars.''Д«y all accounts, the ''Next Generation'' sets are a bundle of improvisational comedy. In one episode last year, I played the perfect mate, programming myself with all of the cliches and attributes of what Data would think would be the perfect male partner for a woman. I`ve done Sherlock Holmes, Henry V, Friar Tuck, Scrooge. ''Data likes to try on the clothes of other aspects of humanity. Granted the show was nearly over by then, and Wesley had only been in 11 episodes total since the start of season four, so, it was largely a nothing gesture but I consider it to be a symbolic gesture.The writers have given the actor chances to indulge his talents for comedy and mimicry. The Traveler was a very important character, as he took Wesley Crusher from us and we have Menyuk to thank for that minor miracle. ItвЂ™s why he was brought back to play the Traveler. While Spiner did a great job as Data, that doesnвЂ™t take away MenyukвЂ™s talent. It also explains why the showrunners eventually brought Menyuk back. So itвЂ™s not surprising that Menyuk was at one point considered to be Data. Kate Mulgrew literally started on Star Trek: Voyager on the second day of shooting the pilot, because the original actress didnвЂ™t work out. Gene Roddenberry hated Patrick Stewart as Jean-Luc Picard and didnвЂ™t want to cast him. Whenever a show is put together, many things come and go, with different actors being changed out or reconsidered. Deanna Troi was originally set to be played by Denise Crosby, and CrosbyвЂ™s eventual character, Tasha Yar, was going to be played by Marina Sirtis. Star Trek: The Next Generation nearly saw Eric Menyuk as DataДЄ lot of people may know that many in The Next Generation werenвЂ™t the first or favorite to land the role. That honor was almost Eric MenyukвЂ™s, an actor who would later land on The Next Generation as The Traveler. That wrinkle, of being able to play different characters in different time periods has helped keep Spiner around the franchise for years.Дespite his time with the franchise, there was a time when Spiner wasnвЂ™t the favorite to land Data.

In Picard (and Enterprise), Spiner played NooniansвЂ™ ancestors Adam, Altan, and Arik, all across different periods in time. In it, he plays not just Data (in season one), but also multiple descendants of the creator of Data, Noonian Soong.

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