Brent Spiner needed Independence Day refresher

Brent Spiner had to re-watch Independence Day to get into character for the long awaited sequel.

After years of speculation the franchise premiered its second part later earlier this month (Jun16), bringing back original cast members Jeff Goldblum, Bill Pullman, Vivica A. Fox and director Roland Emmerich after two decades. Will Smith opted out of the new flick, but Brent is back as hippy Dr. Brackish Okun in Independence Day: Resurgence, despite fans believing he had died at the end of the 1996 movie.

“I had to watch the film to remember what I did but it all came back really quickly,” he smiled to SFX magazine. “I also feel really grateful to be doing a character that I did 20 years ago. I feel like I’m in a club with Harrison (Ford) and Carrie (Fisher) and Mark (Hamill) and (Arnold) Schwarzenegger. Maybe we should all have dinner one night.”

Liam Hemsworth is new to the franchise, which focuses on how the earth is coping in the wake of a new extra-Solar threat.

While Brent admits that he has changed a lot in real life over the last 20 years, his character hasn’t at all and is still channeling the ‘60s hippy vibe audiences saw all those years ago. Asked where his inspiration came from, Brent admits he didn’t have to look too far.

“It came out of myself, really, because I went to college in the ‘60s. I didn’t do that many drugs to that degree but if I had that’s who I would be. Oh I was hippy. I had long hair. But everyone did,” he said.