Jonathan Scott Frakes (born August 19, 1952) is an American actor and director. He is best known for his portrayal of Commander

William Riker William Thomas "Will" Riker is a fictional character in the '' Star Trek'' universe appearing primarily as a main character in '' Star Trek: The Next Generation''. Throughout the series and its accompanying films, he is the '' Enterprise''s f ...

in the television series '' Star Trek: The Next Generation'' and subsequent films and series. Frakes also hosted the

anthology series An anthology series is a radio, television, video game or film series that spans different genres and presents a different story and a different set of characters in each different episode, season, segment, or short. These usually have a dif ...

'' Beyond Belief: Fact or Fiction'', and was the voice for

David Xanatos David Xanatos is a fictional character and one of the primary villains of the Disney animated television series '' Gargoyles''. In the series, he is the founder, owner and CEO of Xanatos Enterprises and a member of the Illuminati. He was voiced ...

in the Disney television series '' Gargoyles''. In June 2011, he narrated the

History Channel History (formerly The History Channel from January 1, 1995 to February 15, 2008, stylized as HISTORY) is an American pay television network and flagship channel owned by A&E Networks, a joint venture between Hearst Communications and the Disney ...

documentary, ''Lee and Grant''. Frakes directed while starring in '' Star Trek: First Contact'' as well as '' Star Trek: Insurrection''. He has directed more than 70 television episodes, including episodes of several ''

Star Trek ''Star Trek'' is an American science fiction media franchise created by Gene Roddenberry, which began with the eponymous 1960s television series and quickly became a worldwide pop-culture phenomenon. The franchise has expanded into vari ...

'' television series and '' The Orville''. He is the author of the novel ''The Abductors: Conspiracy''.

Early life

Frakes was born in Bellefonte, Pennsylvania, the son of Doris J. (née Yingling; 1926–2020) and Dr. James R. Frakes (1924–2002). His father was a professor of English literature at

Lehigh University Lehigh University (LU) is a private research university in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania in the Lehigh Valley region of eastern Pennsylvania. The university was established in 1865 by businessman Asa Packer and was originally affiliated with the Epi ...

from 1958 to 2001, where he was the Edmund W. Fairchild Professor in American Studies and was a critic for ''

New York Times Book Review ''The New York Times Book Review'' (''NYTBR'') is a weekly paper-magazine supplement to the Sunday edition of ''The New York Times'' in which current non-fiction and fiction books are reviewed. It is one of the most influential and widely rea ...

'' and a book editor until his death in 2002. Frakes had a younger brother, Daniel, who died in 1997 from

pancreatic cancer Pancreatic cancer arises when cells in the pancreas, a glandular organ behind the stomach, begin to multiply out of control and form a mass. These cancerous cells have the ability to invade other parts of the body. A number of types of pancr ...

. Frakes was raised in

Bethlehem, Pennsylvania Bethlehem is a city in Northampton and Lehigh Counties in the Lehigh Valley region of eastern Pennsylvania, United States. As of the 2020 census, Bethlehem had a total population of 75,781. Of this, 55,639 were in Northampton County and 1 ...

in the

Lehigh Valley The Lehigh Valley (), known colloquially as The Valley, is a geographic region formed by the Lehigh River in Lehigh County and Northampton County in eastern Pennsylvania. It is a component valley of the Great Appalachian Valley bound to the no ...

region of eastern

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...

. He attended Liberty High School in Bethlehem, where he ran track and played with the Liberty High School Grenadier Band. He graduated from Liberty High School in 1970. Frakes attended

Pennsylvania State University The Pennsylvania State University (Penn State or PSU) is a public state-related land-grant research university with campuses and facilities throughout Pennsylvania. Founded in 1855 as the Farmers' High School of Pennsylvania, Penn State becam ...

, earning a

Bachelor of Fine Arts A Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) is a standard undergraduate degree for students for pursuing a professional education in the visual, fine or performing arts. It is also called Bachelor of Visual Arts (BVA) in some cases. Background The Bachel ...

in Theater Arts in 1974. He was a member of the Thespians. In 1976, he received his

Master of Arts A Master of Arts ( la, Magister Artium or ''Artium Magister''; abbreviated MA, M.A., AM, or A.M.) is the holder of a master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The degree is usually contrasted with that of Master of Science. Tho ...

from

Harvard University Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636 as Harvard College and named for its first benefactor, the Puritan clergyman John Harvard, it is the oldest institution of highe ...

and was active in Harvard's acting company, the Loeb Drama Center.

Career

Early work

For a time in the 1970s, Frakes worked for

Marvel Comics Marvel Comics is an American comic book publisher and the flagship property of Marvel Entertainment, a divsion of The Walt Disney Company since September 1, 2009. Evolving from Timely Comics in 1939, ''Magazine Management/Atlas Comics'' in ...

, appearing at conventions in costume as

Captain America Captain America is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by cartoonists Joe Simon and Jack Kirby, the character First appearance, first appeared in ''#Golden Age, Captain America Comics'' #1 (cover ...

. Frakes moved to

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

and became a member of the

Impossible Ragtime Theater The Impossible Ragtime Theater, the IRT, was an American theater company founded in 1974 by Ted Story, George Ferencz, Cynthia Crane and Pam Mitchell. It ran 100 productions over 10 years in four different theatre spaces. In its second season, i ...

. In that company, Frakes did his first off-Broadway acting in

Eugene O'Neill Eugene Gladstone O'Neill (October 16, 1888 – November 27, 1953) was an American playwright and Nobel laureate in literature. His poetically titled plays were among the first to introduce into the U.S. the drama techniques of realism, earli ...

's '' The Hairy Ape'' directed by George Ferencz. His first Broadway appearance was in '' Shenandoah''. At the same time, he landed a role in the NBC

soap opera A soap opera, or ''soap'' for short, is a typically long-running radio or television Serial (radio and television), serial, frequently characterized by melodrama, ensemble casts, and sentimentality. The term "soap opera" originated from radio drama ...

'' The Doctors''. When his character was dismissed from the show, Frakes moved to

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world ...

and had guest spots in many of the top television series of the 1970s and 1980s, including ''

The Waltons ''The Waltons'' is an American historical drama television series about a family in rural Virginia during the Great Depression and World War II. It was created by Earl Hamner Jr., based on his 1961 book '' Spencer's Mountain'' and the 1963 fil ...

'' in the episodes "The Legacy" and "The Lost Sheep"; ''

Eight Is Enough ''Eight Is Enough'' is an American television comedy-drama series that ran on ABC from March 15, 1977, until May 23, 1981. The show was modeled on the life of syndicated newspaper columnist Tom Braden, a real-life parent with eight children, who ...

''; '' Hart to Hart''; '' The Dukes of Hazzard''; '' Matlock''; '' Quincy, M.E.'' in "The Face of Fear"; and ''

Hill Street Blues ''Hill Street Blues'' is an American serial police procedural television series that aired on NBC in prime-time from January 15, 1981, to May 12, 1987, for 146 episodes. The show chronicles the lives of the staff of a single police station loca ...

''. He played the part of

Charles Lindbergh Charles Augustus Lindbergh (February 4, 1902 – August 26, 1974) was an American aviator, military officer, author, inventor, and activist. On May 20–21, 1927, Lindbergh made the first nonstop flight from New York City to Paris, a distance o ...

in a 1983 episode of '' Voyagers!'' titled "An Arrow Pointing East". In 1983, he had a role in the short-lived NBC prime time soap opera '' Bare Essence'' (which also starred his future wife Genie Francis), and a supporting role in the equally short-lived primetime soap '' Paper Dolls'' in 1984. He also had recurring roles in ''

Falcon Crest ''Falcon Crest'' is an American prime time television soap opera that aired for nine seasons on CBS from December 4, 1981, to May 17, 1990. The series revolves around the feuding factions of the wealthy Gioberti/Channing family in the California ...

'' and the

miniseries A miniseries or mini-series is a television series that tells a story in a predetermined, limited number of episodes. "Limited series" is another more recent US term which is sometimes used interchangeably. , the popularity of miniseries format ...

North and South North and South may refer to: Literature * ''North and South'' (Gaskell novel), an 1854 novel by Elizabeth Gaskell * ''North and South'' (trilogy), a series of novels by John Jakes (1982–1987) ** ''North and South'' (Jakes novel), first novel ...

''. Frakes appeared in the 1986 miniseries ''

Dream West ''Dream West'' is a 1986 American television miniseries starring Richard Chamberlain and directed by Dick Lowry. Development The seven-hour miniseries was broken into three parts (2 hours, 2 hours, and 3 hours). Part 1 aired on Sunday, April 13 ...

''.

''Star Trek: The Next Generation'' (1987)

In 1987, Frakes was cast in the role of Commander William T. Riker on '' Star Trek: The Next Generation''. He was one of only two actors to appear in every episode (the other being Patrick Stewart). While appearing on the show, Frakes was allowed to sit in on casting sessions, concept meetings, production design, editing, and post-production, which gave him the preparation he needed to become a director. He directed eight episodes of the show and 21 episodes of the ''Star Trek'' universe. After the TV series ended in 1994, Frakes reprised his role in the ''Star Trek: The Next Generation'' movies, two of which ('' Star Trek: First Contact'' and '' Star Trek: Insurrection'') he directed. Frakes has made appearances in ''

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine ''Star Trek: Deep Space Nine'' (abbreviated as ''DS9'') is an American science fiction television series created by Rick Berman and Michael Piller. The fourth series in the ''Star Trek'' media franchise, it originally aired in syndication from ...

'', '' Star Trek: Voyager'', '' Star Trek: Enterprise'', '' Star Trek: Picard'' and ''

Star Trek: Lower Decks ''Star Trek: Lower Decks'' is an American adult-oriented animated television series created by Mike McMahan for the streaming service CBS All Access (later rebranded as Paramount+). It is the ninth '' Star Trek'' series and was launched in 20 ...

'', making him the only ''Star Trek'' regular to appear in six ''Star Trek'' series. He has also directed episodes in five of the series (''TNG'', ''DS9,'' ''VOY'', ''DIS'' and ''PIC''). Frakes is also one of six ''Star Trek'' actors (the other actors being Kate Mulgrew,

Michael Dorn Michael Dorn (born December 9, 1952) is an American actor best known for his role as the Klingon Worf in the '' Star Trek'' franchise. He has appeared more times as a regular cast member than any other ''Star Trek'' actor in the franchise's hist ...

George Takei George Takei (; ja, ジョージ・タケイ; born Hosato Takei (武井穂郷), April 20, 1937) is an American actor, author and activist known for his role as Hikaru Sulu, helmsman of the fictional starship USS ''Enterprise'' in the televi ...

Avery Brooks Avery Franklin Brooks (born October 2, 1948) is an American actor, director, singer, narrator and educator. He is best known for his television roles as Captain Benjamin Sisko on ''Star Trek: Deep Space Nine'', as Hawk on '' Spenser: For Hire'' ...

and

Majel Barrett Majel Barrett-Roddenberry (; born Majel Leigh Hudec;
, ''

Wanting to branch out from the ''Star Trek'' franchise, Frakes turned down the opportunity to direct '' Star Trek: Nemesis'' to direct the family film '' Clockstoppers''. However, his next film, '' Thunderbirds'', was a box office bomb which he has said single-handedly almost destroyed what had been a successful directing career: " yname was taken off the lists ... I went from 60 to zero. It was a wake-up for me. I had been so positive, and so blessed, and so fortunate." It was several years before Frakes was given another opportunity to direct for television, and ''Thunderbirds'' remains his last theatrical directorial credit. Much of Frakes' acting work after ''Star Trek'' has been

animation Animation is a method by which still figures are manipulated to appear as moving images. In traditional animation, images are drawn or painted by hand on transparent celluloid sheets to be photographed and exhibited on film. Today, most ani ...

voice acting Voice acting is the art of performing voice-overs to present a character or provide information to an audience. Performers are called voice actors/actresses, voice artists, dubbing artists, voice talent, voice-over artists, or voice-over talen ...

, most notably voicing the recurring role of

in the animated series '' Gargoyles'', and he provided the voice of his own head in a jar in the ''

Futurama ''Futurama'' is an American animated science fiction sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series follows the adventures of the professional slacker Philip J. Fry, who is cryogenically preserved for 1000 years ...

'' episode "

Where No Fan Has Gone Before "Where No Fan Has Gone Before" is the eleventh episode in the fourth season of the American animated television series ''Futurama''. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on April 21, 2002. Set in a retro-futuristic 31st ce ...

". He had a small, uncredited role in the 1994 movie '' Camp Nowhere''. Frakes also voiced

Finn the Human Finn Mertens, also known as Finn the Human, is a fictional character and one of the two protagonists in the American animated television series ''Adventure Time'' created by Pendleton Ward. He also appeared in the spin-off series '' Adventure ...

's adult version in the episodes "Puhoy" and "Dungeon Train" on ''

Adventure Time ''Adventure Time'' is an American fantasy animated television series created by Pendleton Ward for Cartoon Network and distributed by Warner Bros. Domestic Television. The series follows the adventures of a boy named Finn (Jeremy Shada) and ...

''. Frakes was an executive producer for the WB series '' Roswell'', directed several episodes, and guest-starred in three episodes. His relationship with ''Star Trek'' is downplayed in the season 3 episode "Secrets and Lies", in which the alien character Max auditions for a guest role as an alien for ''Star Trek: Enterprise''. Frakes appeared on the 1994

Phish Phish is an American rock band formed in Burlington, Vermont, in 1983. The band is known for musical improvisation, extended jams, blending of genres, and a dedicated fan base. The band consists of guitarist Trey Anastasio, bassist Mike G ...

album ''

Hoist Hoist may refer to: * Hoist (device), a machine for lifting loads * Hoist controller, a machine for raising and lowering goods or personnel by means of a cable * Hydraulic hooklift hoist, another machine * Hoist (mining), another machine * Hoist ( ...

'', playing

trombone The trombone (german: Posaune, Italian, French: ''trombone'') is a musical instrument in the brass family. As with all brass instruments, sound is produced when the player's vibrating lips cause the air column inside the instrument to vibrate ...

on the track titled "Riker's Mailbox". Frakes would occasionally perform on the trombone during his tenure as Commander Riker, drawing on his college marching band experience. He was also a member of "The Sunspots", a vocal backup group of ''Star Trek'' cast members that appeared on

Brent Spiner Brent Jay Spiner (; born February 2, 1949) is an American actor. He is best known for his role as the android Data on the television series '' Star Trek: The Next Generation'', as well as four subsequent films. In 2019, he reprised the role for ...

's 1991 album ''

Ol' Yellow Eyes Is Back ''Ol' Yellow Eyes Is Back'' is an album by Brent Spiner, best known for his role as Data in the American television series '' Star Trek: The Next Generation'', first released in June 1991. The title is a parodic reference both to Frank Sinatra ...

''. Frakes hosted ''The Paranormal Borderline'', a short-lived television series on UPN, which dealt with the paranormal and mysterious happenings and creatures. In one episode, Frakes presented an interview of reporter Yolanda Gaskins with veteran astronaut Gordon Cooper, where they discussed the possibility of aliens having visited Earth in the past. He hosted seasons 2 through 4 of '' Beyond Belief: Fact or Fiction,'' which also dealt with the paranormal world. Frakes and Francis appeared together in ''

Lois & Clark ''Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman'' is an American superhero television series based on the DC Comics character Superman created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster. It stars Dean Cain as Clark Kent / Superman and Teri Hatcher ...

'' in the episode "Don't Tug on Superman's Cape" as a creepily too-good-to-be-true couple. He narrated the

's ''That's Impossible''. In addition to ''Roswell'', Frakes has directed episodes of '' Leverage'', ''

Castle A castle is a type of fortified structure built during the Middle Ages predominantly by the nobility or royalty and by military orders. Scholars debate the scope of the word ''castle'', but usually consider it to be the private fortified r ...

'', '' NCIS: Los Angeles'', ''

Burn Notice ''Burn Notice'' is an American espionage television series created by Matt Nix, which originally aired on the USA Network for a total of seven seasons from June 28, 2007, to September 12, 2013. The show stars Jeffrey Donovan, Gabrielle Anwar ...

'', ''

Falling Skies ''Falling Skies'' is an American science fiction television series set in a post-apocalyptic era, created by Robert Rodat and executive produced by Steven Spielberg. The series stars Noah Wyle as Tom Mason, a former history professor who bec ...

'' and most recently Marvel's ''

Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. ''Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.'' is an American television series created by Joss Whedon, Jed Whedon, and Maurissa Tancharoen for ABC, based on the Marvel Comics organization S.H.I.E.L.D. (Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement, an ...

'', '' Switched at Birth'', '' Hit the Floor'', '' The Librarians'', and '' The Orville''. Frakes works with the Workshops, the Waterfall Arts Center, and the Saltwater Film Society, all located in Maine, where he teaches classes on film direction. He has also previously taught directing and filmmaking courses at Rockport College, now called Maine Media College. He and Francis owned a home furnishings store in

Belfast, Maine Belfast is a city in Waldo County, Maine, in the United States. As of the 2020 census, the city population was 6,938. Located at the mouth of the Passagassawakeag River estuary on Belfast Bay and Penobscot Bay. Belfast is the county seat ...

, called ''The Cherished Home'', which closed in August 2012 due to her being too busy with her acting to spend adequate time at the store.

Personal life

Frakes first met actress

Genie Francis Eugenie Ann Francis (born May 26, 1962) is an American actress. She is best known for playing the role of Laura Spencer on the television soap opera ''General Hospital'' from 1977 to present, for which she won a Daytime Emmy Award in 2007. Fran ...

on the set of the television soap opera '' Bare Essence'', and again while filming the mini-series ''

''. They began dating in 1985, became engaged in 1986, and married on May 28, 1988. The couple have two children, Jameson Ivor Frakes, born in 1994, and Elizabeth Frances Frakes, born in 1997. They moved from

, to

Beverly Hills, California Beverly Hills is a city located in Los Angeles County, California. A notable and historic suburb of Greater Los Angeles, it is in a wealthy area immediately southwest of the Hollywood Hills, approximately northwest of downtown Los Angeles. ...

, in 2008 and later moved to

Calabasas, California Calabasas (from Spanish ''calabazas'' " gourds") is a city in the southwestern region of the San Fernando Valley, between the foothills of the Santa Monica and Santa Susanna mountains.Jonathan Frakes in-depth interview
at {{DEFAULTSORT:Frakes, Jonathan 1952 births Living people 20th-century American male actors 21st-century American male actors American people of English descent American people of German descent American male film actors American male television actors American male voice actors American television directors Harvard University alumni Liberty High School (Bethlehem, Pennsylvania) alumni Male actors from Pennsylvania Penn State College of Arts and Architecture alumni People from Belfast, Maine Science fiction film directors Writers from Bethlehem, Pennsylvania Film directors from Pennsylvania Film directors from Maine Audiobook narrators