This is the kind of little thing that delights me.
In the “Star Trek: The Next Generation” episode “The Defector“, Data rehearses Shakespeare’s Henry V, in the title role. Data mentions he has studied the performances of numerous past actors in the role, including “Branagh” – presumably Kenneth Branagh.
Now, given that Branagh was born in the 20th century, Data can’t have seen him live on stage – he can only have seen his film work. (Unless there’s a time-travel plot in play that I’m unaware of.) Branagh did, in real life, star in a movie adaptation of Henry V, which, according to Wikipedia, was released on October 6, 1989.
Here’s the rub: the TNG episode in question aired on New Year’s Day, 1990, a mere three months after the movie was released. It’s my understanding – and I’m willing to be corrected – that Trek episodes, like most TV shows, were filmed months before they aired. Which means that when the cast and crew were filming this scene, Branagh’s movie wasn’t even out yet.
At the very least Patrick Stewart would've know about it and probably heard all the gossip, what with him being a Real English Shakespearean Actor. (Probably heard Brian Blessed shouting straight across the pond and the US!) A project like Henry V would've been well known long before its public release date.