iner ▁died ▁when ▁Br ent ▁was ▁ten ▁months ▁old . ▁After ▁his ▁father ' s ▁death , ▁Sp iner ▁was ▁adopted ▁by ▁his ▁mother ' s ▁second ▁husband , ▁Sol ▁M int z , ▁whose ▁surname ▁he ▁used ▁between ▁ 1 9 5 5 ▁and ▁ 1 9 7 5 . ▁ ▁He ▁attended ▁B ella ire ▁High ▁School ▁in ▁B ella ire , ▁Texas . ▁Sp iner ▁became ▁active ▁on ▁the ▁B ella ire ▁speech ▁team , ▁winning ▁the ▁national ▁championship ▁in ▁dram atic ▁interpretation . ▁He ▁attended ▁the ▁University ▁of ▁Houston , ▁where ▁he ▁performed ▁in ▁local ▁theatre . ▁ ▁Career ▁ ▁Early ▁work ▁Sp iner ▁moved ▁to ▁New ▁York ▁City ▁in ▁the ▁early ▁ 1 9 7 0 s , ▁where ▁he ▁became ▁a ▁stage ▁actor , ▁performing ▁in ▁several ▁Broadway ▁and ▁off - B road way ▁plays , ▁including ▁The ▁Three ▁Mus k ete ers ▁and ▁Stephen ▁S ond heim ' s ▁Sunday ▁in ▁the ▁Park ▁with ▁George . ▁He ▁had ▁a ▁brief ▁n ons pe aking ▁role ▁in ▁the ▁film ▁St ard ust ▁Mem ories , ▁cred ited ▁as ▁" F an ▁in ▁Lob by ", ▁the ▁one ▁with ▁a ▁Pol ar oid . ▁ ▁Sp iner ▁appeared ▁as ▁a ▁media ▁techn ician ▁in ▁" The ▁Adv oc ates ", ▁a ▁second - season ▁episode ▁of ▁the ▁Show time ▁cable ▁series ▁The ▁P aper ▁Ch ase . ▁In ▁ 1 9 8 4 , ▁he ▁moved ▁to ▁Los ▁Angeles , ▁where ▁he ▁appeared ▁in ▁several ▁pil ots ▁and