The Independence Day star reportedly hated sitting for hours under makeup during TNG.
BRENT SPINER remembers the time "WILLIAM SHATNER" hit on him
The new generation series Star Trek: Picard brought back many fan favorite characters from The Next Generation, including Sir Patrick Stewart and Brent Spiner's Data. The latter in particular was a surprise to fans as he was revealed to have sacrificed himself in the recent original film Star 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 to remove it was an appealing factor for him to return.
Both Sir Patrick Stewart and Brent Spiner had not been a part of any subsequent Star Trek material after the end of TNG and the movies. Unlike actors such as LeVar Burton and Jonathan Frakes, Spinner did not return to the franchise in the form of a director. He even mentioned in 2018 that he was too old to return as Data because the character does not age.
