I’ve actually thought about this a lot because I’ve had non-Trek friends roll their eyes when they see a picture of Data like, really? They painted a dude gold? That’s it? That’s supposed to make us think he’s a robot? But then they see Brent act and the instant suspension of disbelief that man creates pistol-whips them into the 24th century whether they want to be there or not.
I do think it comes down to Brent’s impeccable consistency. The facial expressions, mannerisms, movement, intonations, etc. In conjunction with the writers, he “found” Data very fast and honed that essence into a precision cut character.
That’s why it’s always so delightfully shocking when we see a “Data gets possessed” or “oh no! It’s Lore!” episode. We witness the pristine Data persona shatter into something unrecognizable even though the actor and his silly gold paint doesn’t change. Absolutely remarkable.
^^ six different characters but we all instantly know who the real Data is.
I think he has, as the industry folk say, catastrophic chops.