It may not be as memorable as “ the last 24 hours have been really exciting,” the tone-deaf exclamation by Area 51 scientist Dr. Brakish Okun (portrayed by Brent Spiner) in the 1996 Independence Day: Resurgence (2016) - Cast and crew credits, including actors, actresses, directors, writers and more. Independence Day is based on a screenplay written by American screenwriter Dean Devlin and German film maker Roland Emmerich (who also directed). The idea for the film is said to come from a question asking Emmerich and Devlin, who were in Europe promoting their film Stargate (1994), whether they believed in aliens. Independence Day (1996) - Cast and crew credits, including actors, actresses, directors, writers and more. Brent Jay Spiner (/ ˈspaɪnər /; born February 2, 1949) is an American actor best known for his role as the android Data on the television series Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987–1994), four subsequent films (1994–2002), and Star Trek: Picard (2020–2023). In 1997, he won the Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actor for his portrayal of Data in Star Trek: First Contact, and was For 20 years, Independence Day fans thought Brent Spiner’s manic hippie scientist Dr. Brakish Okun was dead. And for good reason. In his last scene in Roland Emmerich ’s 1996 sci-fi David Levinson is a former satellite technician from New York City who became an integral figure in the War of 1996 in which he was responsible for saving Earth by disabling the aliens' deflector shield technology and the destruction of the alien mothership. Following the war, Levinson became a researcher on alien technology and later Director of the Earth Space Defense. David was born in 1962 Independence Day (also promoted as ID4) is a 1996 American science fiction action film [2][3] directed by Roland Emmerich, written by Emmerich and the film's producer Dean Devlin. Independence Day, released in 1996, featured a star-studded cast including Will Smith, Jeff Goldblum, Bill Pullman, Mary McDonnell, Judd Hirsch, Randy Quaid, and Vivica A. Fox. Will Smith played Captain Steven Hiller, has starred in numerous sci-fi movies, including the Men in Black trilogy and the post-apocalyptic film I am Legend. After attempts to communicate with the aliens go nowhere, David Levinson, an ex-scientist turned cable technician, discovers that the aliens are going to attack major points around the globe in By Tim Lammers For those who hoped that Brent Spiner’s loony yet lovable “Independence Day” character Dr. Brackish Okun somehow miraculously survived the death grip of a nasty alien in the blockbuster film 20 years ago, get ready for a dose of good news. Dr. Okun was not dead, he was merely sleeping. Turns out Continue reading Interview: Brent Spiner talks ‘Independence Day Independence Day (1996) - Cast and crew credits, including actors, actresses, directors, writers and more. Bill Pullman. Actor: Independence Day. William James Pullman was born in Hornell, New York, one of seven children of Johanna (Blaas), a nurse, and James Pullman, a doctor. He is of Dutch (mother) and English, Northern Irish, and Scottish (father) descent. After high school, Bill went into a building construction program at SUNY Delhi in New York. He transferred to State University of New York Brent Spiner (born February 2, 1949) is an American actor, comedian, musician and singer. He portrays Dr. Brackish Okun in Independence Day and Independence Day: Resurgence. Several actors from the 1996 mega-hit Independence Day are back for its upcoming sequel, Independence Day: Resurgence, including Jeff Goldblum, Bill Pullman, Judd Hirsch, and Vivica A. Fox. But no Dr. Brackish Okun was the director of research at Area 51. The son of Saylene Okun, Brackish graduated from the California Institute of Technology with a Ph.D. in astrophysics. In 1972, following his graduation, Okun was immediately recruited by the military, and due to the top-secret nature of his work, was isolated at Area 51 for his entire life. And how, exactly, Dr. Brackish Okun improbably survived the first Independence Day. Brent Spiner ’s character in the original film, Dr. Okun, was that hippie looking mad scientist from Area 51 who had been performing an autopsy on a crash-landed alien. " Diiieee," Spiner's character in Independence Day, the long-haired hippy scientist Dr. Brackish Okun, groans with a tentacle wrapped around his throat. In Independence Day (1996), the character Dr. Brackish Okun (played by Brent Spiner) is named after, and his appearance is modeled after, Jeffrey A. Okun, digital effects supervisor with whom director Roland Emmerich and producer Dean Devlin worked on their previous film, Stargate.
Articles and news, personal stories, interviews with experts.
Photos from events, contest for the best costume, videos from master classes.
![]() | |
![]() | ![]() |
![]() | ![]() |
![]() | ![]() |
![]() | ![]() |
![]() | ![]() |