Brent Spiner Ham Syndrome. Discuss.
Posted by PRULULAU@reddit | TNG | View on Reddit | 196 comments
So I'm watching "Masks" from season 7. Anyone else notice how Brent Spiner goes to absolute TOWN chewing scenery in the rare moments he doesn't have to be Data? I mean, understandably - it must have been a pretty confining role. But damn he slaps you right in the face with that giant slice of ham the SPLIT SECOND the reigns are off. Like, it's ok Brent - we know you have range - please calm down now. š
kank84@reddit
In listening to his podcast with Frakes it's clear that ham is just his natural state of being
wendellbudwhite@reddit
That and EVERY OTHER ROLE HE EVER PLAYED
BackJurton@reddit
TheJohnnyFlash@reddit
wendellbudwhite@reddit
techie1980@reddit
Important question: is he playing the same character on Cheers as on Frasier? Or is he the heretofore unmentioned identical twin like Roz and Martin had?
TrajantheBold@reddit
He's also the same character in Independence Day, which makes it a spinoff of cheers
techie1980@reddit
Cheers is of course a holodeck program. so it all works.
ckdblueshark@reddit
Tommy Westphall's snow globe is the holodeck!
AssumptionLive4208@reddit
Rosebud!
MasterJack_CDA@reddit
Redditors never disappoint š¤£
AssumptionLive4208@reddit
Thatās not what your mom said last nightā¦ š„
Wait.
zevonyumaxray@reddit
Wow, a St. Elsewhere reference.
Ok-Web8641@reddit
And this is why this group should have a million followers. Bahahahaha. You guys killed me with laughter again!!!
FrostyMirror6162@reddit
"Cheers" was Data's second holodeck attempt at developing humor. Honestly, anything not involving Joe Piscopo will be better.
TrajantheBold@reddit
It's turtles all the way down
ogresound1987@reddit
Don't forget his role in "dude where's my car"!
Credit-Financial@reddit
Stampede...
LargoVonBob@reddit
Nice to see the Wheelers again
efuzed@reddit
This was such an amazing character
One_Waxed_Wookiee@reddit
Loved him in independence Day, even with it being a tiny part š
auntiecrow@reddit
Not that tiny.
Spaghetti_Bird@reddit
I shamelessly love the original Independence Day and Spiner's scenes are just fucking cinematic gold.
WhoMe28332@reddit
No shame in that at all. Itās not art but itās a really well-paced, fun movie.
auntiecrow@reddit
Which is all I really want from a movie. Which is why I don't watch rom-coms or anything else resembling a chick flick. And I'm a chick! (Well okay dried up old hen but still)
meglingbubble@reddit
I recently rewatched it. Wasn't hugely enthusiastic because ive seen it a million times already, but my brother put it on. Hadn't seen it in years.
Damn it is an entertaining movie. As you say, its not art, but it is peak blockbuster movie. It hit every single note needed. Its definitely not art but it is very good.
jared_buckert@reddit
The first time we watched that movie my mom and I both missed him. It wasn't until the credits when we saw his name that Mom said "Holy shit, Data was in this?"
Lokitusaborg@reddit
Brent Spiner In Out to Sea is a fantastic performance.
I_aim_to_sneeze@reddit
Ironically, one of the only times he didnāt go full ham was on warehouse 13, which is one of the campiest, ham-filled shows ever created
KassieMac@reddit
Not as fun when everyone is doing it!
Minouris@reddit
Phoenix_713@reddit
I was looking for Puck. I absolutely adore him.
calculon68@reddit
He had a cameo in The Aviator(2004) that wasn't wet-dripping with ham.
It probably one of the most normal performances I ever saw from him.
bactchan@reddit
One of my more favorite cameos of his was as Bob the test proctor/brain science guy who tested John Travoltas character in Phenomenon.Ā
Genshed@reddit
'We're all made of the same thing.'
'. . . wood?'
CustomerOutside8588@reddit
So, if he weighs the same as a duck, he's made of wood
Edenza@reddit
And therefore...
sir_jamez@reddit
... He's a witch!!!
wendellbudwhite@reddit
Cate Blanchet woke up before him every morning to steal all the ham for herself in that one
calculon68@reddit
Don'tchafind?
pseudohim@reddit
Hepburn eyes widen menacingly
calculon68@reddit
Gollee!
airforceteacher@reddit
In Phenomenon, heās a government scientist testing John Travoltaās superpowers and plays it very straight.
Aellithion@reddit
Don't forget ostrich guy from "dude where's my car?"
ImpluseThrowAway@reddit
Even that role in Dude, Where's My Car?
sarcasticbaldguy@reddit
He touched on this TNG episode in one of the recent podcast episodes. He said they had just finished a Data centered episode and then they rolled into Masks where he had to play multiple characters without adequate time to prepare. The "quality" of the performance was intentional on his part given the constraints he had to work with.
nebelmorineko@reddit
I'm not sure it was intentional, from what he said in various places after, it sounds like he was very unhappy with it because essentially it was a 'rough draft' version due to time constraints, he didn't really have time to memorize lines and work out the personalities he was supposed to play so it's kind of just winging it. And since his default mode is 'ham' this is what happened. You're seeing something closer to his natural personality because he wasn't able to refine the characters.
Dumac89@reddit
From what I remember him saying it was extremely fast turnaround after thine own self which was a data show. So he essentially had to come up with several different personalities for masks on the fly. He asked for them to push the episode out to give him time to prepare, but they didnāt. The cast had a hard time keeping a straight face. They also spent a ton of budget on the set pieces for that episode.
Honestly a good idea for them to end with season 7 because they were running on fumes. Some fantastic episodes like lower decks, preemptive strike and of course the finale. But at the same time some amazing stinkers like sub Rosa (so bad itās good), journeyās end (fake Native American consultant), and force of nature (badly handled climate change episode).
KassieMac@reddit
Are you mixing some Voyager in there?
MonCappy@reddit
Hamfisted as it was, I rather liked Force of Nature. It's way too on the nose, but it still keeps me watching.
Dumac89@reddit
Itās too bad they didnāt stick with the implications for a bit. I think Picard mentions it once and then they magically solve the issue.
DatTomahawk@reddit
Makes sense, iirc the episode before it is the one where Data lands on a planet, loses his memory, and inadvertently exposes the population of a local village to radiation
Ralph--Hinkley@reddit
"Thine Own Self"
Feisty_Analysis808@reddit
One of my favorites.
cam52391@reddit
Oh absolutely his book is absolutely wild it's a mix of memoir and noir detective story. The audiobook is amazing it has the whole TNG cast
Other-Cantaloupe4765@reddit
He talked about his role as Data and said it was so difficult because they wanted him to be lowkey and emotionless whereas his typical acting style was over-the-top.
PRULULAU@reddit (OP)
I love the irony of the iconic stoic Data being played by the biggest insufferable spaz in every high school theater class ā¤ļø
MorningSquare5882@reddit
Spaz? Does that mean something different in America?
PRULULAU@reddit (OP)
Yes, in the US it isn't the offensive term it is in the UK. Here it describes someone being hyperactive in am awkward, nerdy way, like being so excited and/or nervous you're unintentionally making a spectacle of yourself.
MorningSquare5882@reddit
Ah, right. I was pretty shocked to read it, it's decibel not something you'd hear said in the UK any more.Ā
PRULULAU@reddit (OP)
Only in the UK however is the slang word āspasticā used specifically in reference to the handicapped. Itās never used in that capacity here. āGeekā and āspazā are almost interchangeable in the US - while not exactly compliments, lol, theyāre certainly not making any reference to disabilities. Itās funny you mention this because I recently discovered UK singer Ian Dury and have been listening to him nonstop. In reading about his song āSpasticus Autisticusā I was confused as to why it caused such a fuss when released over there. Thatās when I learned the word has a much different context than in the US.
AllesK@reddit
No, no theyāre not. Youāre being ableist.
Apprehensive-Deer-35@reddit
"ableist" lol go back to 2018
3Mug@reddit
For additional context in America "spaz" is usually crazy high energy and unexpected behavior. Think Jim Carey in The Mask or pretty much anything from the 90s. Or think if Will Farrellin his high-energy roles... or even Chris Farley....
It's very much.NOT a derogatory comment, though it's not exactly something complimentary as it does input a bit of un-hinged and/or awkward behavior, though a character in a movie/tv show might be played that way. Not nice to call your friend a spaz, since he/she would be tough to deal with, but "The Mask" character is supposed to be a space, so its a good acting job.
Dont know if that helps at all, but its my 2 cents.
Counter point - a "fag" in thr UK may be a cigarette, but in the US it is definitely a derogatory term for a gay man. Context matters! :)
Apprehensive-Deer-35@reddit
"cunt" means the same thing originally in both the US and Australia, but has evolved to have very different usage and levels of offensiveness.
Stop being so sensitive. The American use of spaz has no modern connection to anything about disability.
willstr1@reddit
To quote Patrick Stewart: "Acting"
michaelaaronblank@reddit
Check out his web series Fresh Hell where he plays a version of himself trying to rebuild his life after "the incident".
https://youtube.com/@freshhellseries?si=yXOQRd9Wji3LMmkv
Miami_Mice2087@reddit
such riches in this thread!
Any other podcasts or web series from the TNG crew we should be watching/listening?
michaelaaronblank@reddit
A ton of the cast have been on Inside You with Michael Rosenblum and on Katie Sackoff's podcast.
Also, adjacent is the Delta Flyers podcast with Tom Paris and Harry Kim's actors from Voyager for the entire run of Voyager. They went on to do DS9 and they are working through the episodes with Quark and Dax's actors.
thirdeyefish@reddit
I haven't checked in on that in a while. I got tired of waiting for new episode. It was funny watching him hit LeVar up for money.
kank84@reddit
Truly. I love him so much. I'm also enjoying the running joke in the podcast that Data was everyone's favourite TNG character, because he was definitely my favourite character when I was watching TNG as a child.
LaidbackTim@reddit
I need to listen to this podcast from the very beginning š
pawogub@reddit
He was my favorite too. I was Data for Halloween one year.
Dragonsweart@reddit
I have to admit I first started watching TNG when I was already 22 and Data is also my favourite character :D
and1984@reddit
He has a podcast???? !!! I've been missing out.
Who_is_homer@reddit
With Frakes! Itās called Dropping Names
s1500121400@reddit
This just makes him magnetic to me. I can't help but smile as soon as I see/hear him. This man is a treasure!
Miami_Mice2087@reddit
what's the podcast called?
sarcasticbaldguy@reddit
Dropping Names
e2346437@reddit
Was lucky enough to see his panel at Boston ComicCon a few years back. A disabled lady in her wheelchair up front cut him off at the beginning of his speech to ask him if this was āThe Star Wars Eventā. Brent politely referred her to the space a few doors down and waited while she was wheeled out. On her way out, she loudly said āMay the Force be with youā. Spiner just about died laughing but quickly recovered and continued on.
kcotsnnud@reddit
Upvotes while singing ālife forms, lovely little life forms. Where. Are. You?ā to himself.
bbbourb@reddit
Spiner is That Theater Guy who hears "Ok, your character is a bit whackadoo" and is like "HELL YES I GOT THIS!" then makes everyone the biggest, most delicious ham-and-cheese they've ever seen.
Left_Adeptness7386@reddit
Exactly, he's a Theater Kid. We're always gonna be "too big" for the camera cuz we're used to stages.
bbbourb@reddit
As a former Debate/Forensics kid, I'm there with ya.
ProfessionalBench832@reddit
Same. The other NFL.
bbbourb@reddit
Haha, YES!
sqplanetarium@reddit
MASAKA IS WAKING!!!
bbbourb@reddit
coachkler@reddit
So hard... To stay warm.
Raterus_@reddit
Brent Spiner is about the only real character actor in TNG, he plays so many roles in Trek and outside of Trek, the guy is fantastic.
michaelaaronblank@reddit
Patrick Stewart and Colum Meany?
qlanga@reddit
Character actors play more exaggerated, eccentric roles (almost always comedic) and are often intentionally typecast. Iād say most of them are recognized as āthat actor is in everything but I canāt remember their nameā.
Luis GuzmĆ”n is a well-known character actor. Iād put John Lovitz and Rob Schneider in this category as well.
Patrick Stewart and Colm Meaney definitely donāt fall into that category, they lean heavily towards more nuanced, dramatic roles.
michaelaaronblank@reddit
Nothing about character actor drives them into comedic roles. Peter Lorre was a character actor and his characters were rarely comedic.
Paul Giamatti, Steve Buscemi, John Turturro, Christopher Lloyd, and Gary Oldman are all widely regarded as character actors and only Lloyd is predominantly known for comedic roles. Stewart has done a ton of supporting roles over the years. Gurney Halleck and the Poop Emoji, if you want two extremes. And Colm Meany is WIDELY regarded as a character actor.
KassieMac@reddit
Someone recently asked me what ācharacter actorā meant, and the definition I settled on is an actor whoās good enough to get cast even though theyāre not Hollywood pretty.
qlanga@reddit
I can definitely accept that Iām incorrect on some/many points in my comment; it was my understanding of the term and Iām no expert.
michaelaaronblank@reddit
No problem at all. Google AI response included often comedic, but when you look at the lists of top character actors, there aren't a ton that you immediately think "comedy".
qlanga@reddit
I use that workaround that disables the auto AI summary for Google results precisely because itās unreliable, but Iād almost exclusively heard the term ācharacter actorā applied to comedic actors so I was just going off of that. TIL.
mrselfdestruct2@reddit
What does Column Meany think of Row Laren?
getmybehindsatan@reddit
"They are very perpendicular."
Shop-S-Marts@reddit
Brent spiner is a comedian, thats what he likes to do
MonCappy@reddit
Brent Spiner is a human slab of bacon. Every time he gets the opportunity to play Data differently he chews the scenery.
aRand0mWord@reddit
He's great in Threshold if youve never seen the series.
Stars Peter Dinklage and Carla Gugino as well
ExcitingWinter1800@reddit
There's definitely something going on by season 6 or 7 that I like to call the Brent Spiner Acting Showcase - specific episodes that feel like they were given to Data for the purposes of ham production.Ā
But IIRC there was also a story about how having to do two Data-centric stories in a row wiped him out and he blames that for his performance in Masks.Ā
rvanier@reddit
I love him talking about his natural state as an actor is to be huge and broad and hammy (on the ep of Dropping Names when they had Seth McFarlane on).
Those moment for Data (and literally everything heās ever played other than Data) totally line up with his self assessment as a clown/ham.
neko_designer@reddit
He was apparently incredibly tired during the shooting because the previous episode had also been data heavy
SMc1701@reddit
Masks was a challenge for him. He had a week to prepare multiple characters. He asked for something like a month to get them all worked out but he had no time at all, so he did what he could. Credit to him for making it work as well as he did.
IggyDrake64@reddit
thats odd though.... wouldn't the script/writing dictate those characters?
qlanga@reddit
My understanding of scripts is that they give a brief description of the character and the actor has to fill in the blanks according to their interpretation, and usually with guidance from the director.
So, it might say āzealous sycophant determined to restore his leader to powerā and he would have to come up with the voice, cadence, inflection, delivery, physicality, reactions, facial expressions, etc. Then the director might say something like āletās try that with a softer deliveryā or āless humble, more maliciousā and so on.
Separate_Emotion_463@reddit
That depends on the director, some will give actors freedom like that, but some are very restrictive and specific giving actors no say in how they act, (often due to ego to be real) Though yeah itās not unusual for actors to have some level of creative freedom to work with
michaelaaronblank@reddit
It was less than a week actually and he was just finishing another Data led episode, when they normally rotate the focus character week to week.
SMc1701@reddit
Right thank you! My memory was a little fuzzy. His workload was insane for those episodes.
michaelaaronblank@reddit
Only reason he said he got through it was because he set himself a rule that he couldn't go to bed without finishing the next day's lines without a mistake once.
dantheplanman1986@reddit
That and cocaine. Or that's what I'd need
Weird_Technology_282@reddit
Also the holodeck Sherlock Holmes, LOL.
Silly-Elderberry-411@reddit
My dear friend before Patrick Stewart's 2 season Show came out where he played a journalist with a butler, spinner who played the pianist on the actual show published a series if tweets talking to an imaginary butler
orangeappeals@reddit
If I remember correctly, they shot that episode right after I, Frankenstein. Poor Spiner wasn't expecting to have 2 Data-heavy episodes back to back.I think he must have decided to just say f--- it and have fun with it.
sitcom-podcaster@reddit
Itās been a while since I watched Thine Own Self, but I donāt recall it being called I, Frankenstein. Is this an in-joke? I just call it The One Where Ron Jeremy Gets Electrocuted
Banjo-Oz@reddit
Just such a vivid mental image of that guy stabbing Data and getting fried. LOL!
orangeappeals@reddit
Wow, it's clearly been a while. The writers described the episode as "Data as Frankenstein" and that is somehow what my brain remembered, and for some reason mixed in I, Robot.
IDinnaeKen@reddit
There's also the TNG episode I, Borg that might have snuck I to the subconscious too
Aggravating-Cat-2183@reddit
He made up at least one of the voices on the spot after the cameras were rolling.
balor598@reddit
It's like the episode where he plays data, lore and dr singh all in one scene... He's giving it absolute socks
stubob1701@reddit
Iāve always thought Spiner did a great job of imbuing Dataās speech with enough emphasis on certain words to convey meaning without being emotional. Similar to the way the best Vulcan portrayals were such as Nimoy, Lenard etc.
Tall-Photo-7481@reddit
I seem to remember reading or hearing that one of the actors / characters he took as inspiration for Data was Stan Laurel.Ā
The way you can see the thoughts passing across his face as he works something out. Once you see the connection, you can't unsee it.
Anchovypirate@reddit
Many years ago I saw him at comic-con (with some other TNG actors signing stuff at a booth I was walking by).
Some guy got to the front of the line and was very excitedly like āaaaay! Data!!!ā
Brent Spiner said āData is a fictional character, my name is Brentā
So I am pretty sure Mr Spiner likes to smell his own farts.
He was great as Data though.
Banjo-Oz@reddit
I read that quote in his Data voice though. :)
roadtrip-ne@reddit
There are so many Brent Spiner non-Data episodes where he goes to town acting it up. Itās almost like there is a subgenre of episodes devoted to this, like- trouble on the holodeck, Picards archeology, a bizarre transporter malfunction, Wesley is right but none of the adults will listen to him. Beverly is in love with a candle, etcā¦
Copropositor@reddit
It was late in the 7th season, the show was definitely hovering over the shark, and apparently the production of this episode was a shitshow anyway. It was either phone it in or ham it up, but Data left his phone in Vertiform City.
Who_is_homer@reddit
I think they were filming Generations concurrently as well, so the cast was a bit overworked
doktor-frequentist@reddit
Brent Spiner can act. He, Picard, and Worf were clearly the most accomplished actors on set on day 1. Aside from John de Lancie of course.
dantheplanman1986@reddit
Just watched Insurrection and Nemesis tonight. In Nemesis, as B4, he was so over the top in a quiet sort of way. Reminded me of the first season ep where they were on Iconia and he got hit with the space lightning and was all stupid. THE.....PROBES!...SIR! and acting like he had a stick taped to his back and neck.
PermaDerpFace@reddit
Apparently he's not happy with it himself. They did a bunch of Data episodes in a row, then dumped this one on him with not much prep time, so it wasn't his best work.
Ralph--Hinkley@reddit
I used to tell my wife, "Masaka is waking" when it was horny time. She would roll her eyes every time and tell me to deal with Masaka myself.
OkHuckleberry4878@reddit
Atuk alunda Lana. Lana alunda atuk?
Ralph--Hinkley@reddit
The only time Ringo was funny. We're really showing our age here, you know that, right?
OkHuckleberry4878@reddit
Kaka
Ralph--Hinkley@reddit
Shit.
Pinchaser71@reddit
Masaka never dealt with someoneās wife. Masakaās wrath turning my house into a terrarium?ā¦ Meh
Source: married over 30 years
Ralph--Hinkley@reddit
Well, you have at least five on me.
Pinchaser71@reddit
Yeah and I get that very same eye roll. At least you know now it wonāt likely change in 5 yearsš¤£
knowbrainer23@reddit
I've been listening to "Fan Fiction: A Mem-Noir: Inspired by True Events" by him and Jeanne Darst, and yeah, he hams it up. So does the rest of the TNG cast that appears to voice themself. It's a really fun listen. It's also a damn shame Brent hasn't had more iconic roles in things to showcase his acting range. (And yeah, he can really dominate a scene when he doesn't have to be Data.)
OkHuckleberry4878@reddit
Human rebel in the outer limits anthology
damageddude@reddit
Watch Brent on Night Court and the last few episodes of S3 Picard.
sausage_eggwich@reddit
Fyi in this context itās āreinsā
āReignsā are always of the royal variety
slutty_chungus@reddit
Is it range if his only modes are āDataā or āthe worst performance youāve ever been subjected to?ā
Different-Try8882@reddit
I see your āMasksā and raise you āA Fistful Of Datasā
WhoMe28332@reddit
Iām of the (likely unpopular) opinion that Brentās natural inclination is to take things too far and that a major reason why he is so good as Data is that the character forces discipline on him.
IDICPainter@reddit
Wait till you figure it out Jonathan Franks directed a cartoon called gargoyles and Brent's role as Puck is truly amazing it's literally Lore and data in the same person.
lavardera@reddit
similar during the shakespeare and sherlock holmes episodes
cremecrulee@reddit
šš he does a great bit in a Walter Matthau and Jack Lemon movie Out To Sea I believe itās called.
DannyHusk42@reddit
I was going to mention this movie. He steals every scene he is in and gloriously hams it up the entire time.
TheNarratorNarration@reddit
I think I remember this one. "I'm your worst nightmare! A song and dance man raised on a military base!"
TheHylianProphet@reddit
I love "Masks." I see Spiner here as just getting to have some fun with an extremely goofy episode. I recall Patrick Stewart talking about it, and saying that they couldn't keep their faces straight in the final scene with them in the temple or whatever, entirely because of how ridiculous the whole thing was.
It doesn't belong among the best, but it does belong among the most fun.
Elim-tain@reddit
there's more then 1! I've always loved masks. it's not a great episode, but I do love it. and it's all just seeing Brent go at it non-stop.
nebelmorineko@reddit
I've loved Masks too because for once, what was happening actually felt alien and unexpected.
Beneficial_Grab_5880@reddit
Me too. I have a soft spot for that episode.
justinholmes_music@reddit
I also really love 'masks'. I have it ranked 58th - better than 68% of episodes.
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1oJQU0bcbWRa89088uZbj12A6vkSWD4pkzBjJKHAPqlo/edit?usp=sharing
Dixa@reddit
I hate all multiple personality stories in sci fi. Itās been done to death. So I always skip this one.
zmykula@reddit
I remember him saying in an interview that it was one of the most preposterous scripts he had read for the show. Such a great description for that episode. Preposterous.
CaptainMatticus@reddit
Kinda makes me wonder how hw got cast as Data to begin with, because season 1 Data didn't have the slight bit of humor later Data has.
Yochanan5781@reddit
I often find that having a comedic actor playing the "straight" character usually works out for the best
CaptainMatticus@reddit
I was just wondering what his audition must have looked like
Yochanan5781@reddit
That is an interesting thought
SportTop2610@reddit
Well, it was in his contract that he got one actual acting episode a season as his character is otherwise wooden and emotionless.
He came straight from night court as a Yugoslavian Appalachian bumpkin.
kewelgewel@reddit
I loved Q, and he seems like a super Ham
kewelgewel@reddit
And Troi's Mother Lwaxana
That-Drink4913@reddit
"TROI'S MOTHER LWAXANA".... absolutely love her being referred to this way.
Majel is the Queen......
PRULULAU@reddit (OP)
The difference with Q and Lwaxana is the actors aren't giving a hammy performance - they're PLAYING hammy characters.
Feisty_Analysis808@reddit
His role as Conan O'Brien in the South Park movie. Blink and you'll miss it.
Set_the_Mighty@reddit
Watch his Night Court episodes. They are great.
Miami_Mice2087@reddit
He's hilariously nasty in the proshot of Summer in the Park With George, the Sondheim play with Mandy Patinkin and Bernadette Peters. c. 1983ish
KittyPyrate@reddit
This is a delicious deep dive. I love him in the part and want more Spiner on stage.
michaelaaronblank@reddit
He apparently returned for the revival too.
guygizmo@reddit
I call these episodes the "Brent Spiner gets to act" episodes, like all of the pent up hammy emotions he doesn't get to express as Data all come pouring out. Masks is one of the best examples, as is "A Firstful of Datas."
I feel like the writers went out of their way to come up with episodes where Spiner gets to play someone or something other than Data, even if it's just Data being taken over by an entity or something.
PRULULAU@reddit (OP)
Exactly!!
Ralph--Hinkley@reddit
I love it. Masks, and any time he plays Holmes, he really ramps it up. Same in "Okana" when he's trying to learn humor on the stand-up stage.
factoid_@reddit
The script was famously so bad they couldnāt stop laughing the whole timeĀ
Classic_Resist_7465@reddit
šµSpiner-Ham, Spiner-Ham. Hams whenever a Spiner Can...šµ
Miami_Mice2087@reddit
it's a high camp ep. he rose to the theme
david-saint-hubbins@reddit
It's hilarious, but he's talked in interviews about that episode specifically--he had just finished filming the previous episode "Thine Own Self" (where Data loses his memory and lives in a medieval-style town) and then he got the script for "Masks" literally that night, to start shooting the next morning. Usually they would rotate who was the leading character in each episode, but in this case he had one Data-heavy episode followed immediately by another Data-heavy episode, and in the case of "Masks" he not only had to memorize all the dialogue, he also had to come up with like 5 different voices, all in one night.
So, yeah, unsurprisingly it's pretty ridiculous.
jdlyga@reddit
That's a real wild episode to show someone who hasn't seen TNG before too
mittenknittin@reddit
Dad sat down to watch TNG with me for the first time one week and it was Masks and he never did again
randomusername_42069@reddit
Do you mean ham as in hard as a motherfucker or ham as in hamming it up?
Aspe4@reddit
Spiner loved Lore episodes.
Jasoco@reddit
Masaka is waking.
lax294@reddit
He over-acted the shit out of every single character that was allowed to have emotions.
OneOldNerd@reddit
You know you like it.
MarioJinn2@reddit
Brent Spiner absolutely loves to overact. The best Data scenes are when the director was able to keep him mostly restrained.
27803@reddit
Thereās an interview somewhere where he talks about this episode and how much he hated filming it and how him and Stewart couldnāt keep it together and it was a late night shoot and it was just a mess and the crew hated them
islcastaway1986@reddit
I loved Brent spinners cameo in āI am Samā
No_Designer_5374@reddit
My brother HATES Brent Spiner with a passion only because of his vocal fry as Noonian Soong LOL
MovingTarget2112@reddit
Itās just such a terrible episode. Belongs in season 1, not in a mature show.
First-Ad-7960@reddit
Just watch a couple minutes of him being Lore.
Fair_Custard_9179@reddit
I LOVE that episode. Picard finding several different ways to pronounce Ehat is a bonus
wendellbudwhite@reddit
It's well known that Brent struggled under Roddenberry's bizarre and draconian rules that, as Data, he needed to "act" with "skill" and "subtlety"
poshlostnik@reddit
If you think about it, his performance as Data is pretty hammy as well. A lot of actors would have tried to sand off the rough edges that character: "cheated" sort of, by insinuating emotions that the plot says can't be there to make him more palatable. Spiner doesn't do that and plays him as a toaster with eyes and wig, setting aside weepy episodes where the plot forces him to be more human.