Jonathan Frakes facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Jonathan Frakes
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Frakes at GalaxyCon Austin in 2023
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Jonathan Scott Frakes
August 19, 1952 Bellefonte, Pennsylvania, U.S.
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| Alma mater | Pennsylvania State University (BFA) Harvard University (MA) |
| Occupation | Actor, director, television presenter |
| Years active | 1977–present |
| Spouse(s) | Debralee Scott
Genie Francis
(m. 1988) |
| Children | 2 |
Jonathan Scott Frakes (born August 19, 1952) is a famous American actor and director. He is best known for playing William Riker in the TV show Star Trek: The Next Generation. He also appeared in movies and other series from the Star Trek universe.
Besides Star Trek, Jonathan Frakes hosted Beyond Belief: Fact or Fiction, a show about strange stories. He also voiced David Xanatos in the cartoon Gargoyles. Frakes has directed many TV episodes and movies, including two Star Trek films.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Jonathan Frakes was born in 1952 in Bellefonte, Pennsylvania. His parents were Doris and James Frakes. His father was a professor and also reviewed books for The New York Times Book Review. Jonathan had a younger brother named Daniel.
He grew up in Bethlehem. He went to Liberty High School. There, he was part of the track team and played in the school band. He finished high school in 1970.
Frakes then studied at Pennsylvania State University. He earned a degree in Theater Arts in 1974. He was also a member of the International Thespian Society. Later, he joined an acting group at Harvard University.
Career Highlights
Early Acting Roles
In the 1970s, Jonathan Frakes worked for Marvel Comics. He even dressed up as Captain America at conventions! He moved to New York City to act. His first off-Broadway play was The Hairy Ape.
He also appeared on Broadway in the musical Shenandoah. At the same time, he got a role in the TV soap opera The Doctors. After that, he moved to Los Angeles. He had guest roles in many popular TV shows. These included The Waltons, Hart to Hart, and Hill Street Blues. He even played Charles Lindbergh in an episode of Voyagers!.
Becoming Commander Riker
In 1987, Frakes got the role of Commander William T. Riker. This was for the show Star Trek: The Next Generation. He was one of only two actors to be in every episode. The other was Patrick Stewart.
While on the show, Frakes learned a lot about making TV. He watched casting, design, and editing. This helped him prepare to become a director. He directed eight episodes of The Next Generation. He also directed 21 episodes across the Star Trek universe.
After the TV series ended, Frakes played Riker in Star Trek movies. He directed two of these films: Star Trek: First Contact (1996) and Star Trek: Insurrection (1998). He has appeared in six different Star Trek TV series. This makes him the only regular Star Trek actor to do so. He has also directed episodes for five of those series.
Directing and Voice Acting
After Star Trek, Frakes continued directing. He directed the family film Clockstoppers in 2002. His next film, Thunderbirds (2004), was a challenge. He said it made it harder for him to get directing jobs for a while.
Much of his acting work after Star Trek has been voice acting. He voiced David Xanatos in Gargoyles. He also voiced his own head in a jar in the Futurama episode "Where No Fan Has Gone Before". He even voiced an older Finn the Human in Adventure Time.
Frakes was also a producer for the TV series Roswell. He directed several episodes and appeared in some too. He hosted The Paranormal Borderline and Beyond Belief: Fact or Fiction. Both shows explored mysterious events.
He has directed many other TV shows. These include Leverage, Castle, and NCIS: Los Angeles. He also directed episodes for The Librarians and The Orville.
Jonathan Frakes also teaches film direction classes. He works with arts centers in Maine. He and his wife used to own a home furnishings store there.
Personal Life
Jonathan Frakes met actress Genie Francis while working on the mini-series North and South. They started dating in 1985. They got engaged in 1986 and married on May 28, 1988.
Jonathan and Genie have two children. Their son, Jameson Ivor Frakes, was born in 1994. Their daughter, Elizabeth Frances Frakes, was born in 1997. The family has lived in California for many years.
Filmography
Acting credits
| Film | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1979 | Beach Patrol | Marty Green | Television film |
| 1994 | Camp Nowhere | Bob Spiegel | |
| Star Trek Generations | Commander William T. Riker | ||
| 1995 | Time Travel Through the Bible | Himself / Host | |
| 1996 | Star Trek: First Contact | Commander William T. Riker | Nominated–Blockbuster Entertainment Award for Best Supporting Actor Nominated–Saturn Award for Best Director |
| 1998 | Star Trek: Insurrection | ||
| 1999 | Dying to Live | Will | Television film |
| 2002 | Star Trek: Nemesis | Commander/Captain William T. Riker | |
| Clockstoppers | Janitor | Uncredited | |
| 2004 | Thunderbirds | Policeman | |
| 2011 | The Captains | Himself/Captain William T. Riker | |
| 2017 | Devil's Gate | Sheriff Gruenwell | |
| 2022 | Catwoman: Hunted | King Faraday, Boss Moxie | Voice, direct-to-video |
| Television | |||
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1977–78 | The Doctors | Tom Carroll | |
| 1978 | Charlie's Angels | Brad | Episode: "Angel on My Mind" |
| Barnaby Jones | David Douglas | Episode: "Stages of Fear" | |
| Fantasy Island | Kirk Wendover | Episode: "The War Games/Queen of the Boston Bruisers" | |
| 1979 | The Waltons | Ashley Longworth Jr. | 2 episodes |
| Eight Is Enough | Chapper | Episode: "Separate Ways" | |
| The White Shadow | Basketball Player | Episode: "One of the Boys" (uncredited) | |
| 1980 | Here's Boomer | Philip | Episode: "Private Eye" |
| Beulah Land | Adam Davis | ||
| The Night the City Screamed | Richard Hawkins | ||
| 1981 | The Dukes of Hazzard | Jamie Lee Hogg | Episode: "Mrs. Daisy Hogg" |
| Harper Valley PTA | Clutch Breath | Episode: "Low Noon" | |
| 1982 | Hart to Hart | Adam Blake | Episode: "Harts and Palms" |
| Hill Street Blues | ... | Episode: "Of Mouse and Man" | |
| Quincy, M.E. | Leon Bohannon/Surgeon | 2 episodes | |
| Voyagers! | Charles Lindbergh | Episode: "An Arrow Pointing East" | |
| 1983 | Bare Essence | Marcus Marshall | Several episodes. |
| 1984 | Highway to Heaven | Arthur Krock, Jr. | Episode: "A Divine Madness" |
| Five Mile Creek | Adam Scott | Episode: "Gold Fever" | |
| The Fall Guy | Connors | Episode: "Always Say Always" | |
| 1985 | The Twilight Zone | Single Guy | Episode: "But Can She Type?" |
| North and South | Stanley Hazard | ||
| Falcon Crest | Damon Ross | Season 4 Episodes 20 - 30 | |
| 1986 | Dream West | Lt. Archibald Gillespie | |
| Matlock | D.A. Park | Episode: "The Angel" | |
| 1987–1994 | Star Trek: The Next Generation | Commander William T. Riker | 176 episodes – Also portrayed transporter duplicate Lt. Thomas Riker in "Second Chances" |
| 1988 | Reading Rainbow | Himself | Episode: "The Bionic Bunny Show" |
| 1994 | Wings | Gavin Rutledge | Episode: "All's Fare" |
| Star Trek: Deep Space Nine | Lt. Thomas Riker | Episode: "Defiant" | |
| Journey's End: The Saga of Star Trek: The Next Generation | Host | Documentary | |
| 1994–1996 | Gargoyles | David Xanatos, Coyote, Alexander Fox | Voice, recurring role |
| 1995 | Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman | Tim Lake | Episode: "Don't Tug on Superman's Cape" |
| Cybill | Himself | Episode: "Starting on the Wrong Foot" | |
| Alien Autopsy: Fact or Fiction? | Host/Narrator | ||
| 1996 | Star Trek: Voyager | Commander William T. Riker | Episode: "Death Wish" |
| 1998–2002, 2021 - present | Beyond Belief: Fact or Fiction | Himself | 45 episodes |
| 1999 | Roswell | Episode: "The Convention" | |
| 2000 | 3rd Rock from the Sun | Larry McMichael | Episode: "Gwen, Larry, Dick and Mary" |
| Ghosts: Caught on Tape | Narrator | ||
| 2002 | Futurama | Himself | Voice, episode: "Where No Fan Has Gone Before" |
| 2005 | Star Trek: Enterprise | Commander William T. Riker | Episode: "These Are the Voyages..." |
| 2005, 2009 | Family Guy | Commander William T. Riker, himself | Voice, 2 episodes |
| 2009 | That's Impossible | Himself | |
| Leverage | Patient in Neck Brace | Episode: "The Snow Job" (uncredited) | |
| 2010 | Criminal Minds | Dr. Arthur Malcolm | Episode: "The Uncanny Valley" |
| NCIS: Los Angeles | Navy Commander Dr. Stanfill | Episode: "Disorder" | |
| 2011 | The Super Hero Squad Show | High Evolutionary | Voice, episode: "The Devil Dinosaur You Say! (Six Against Infinity, Part 4)" |
| 2012 | Leverage | Man at Consumer Products Safety Commission | Episode: "The Toy Job" (uncredited) |
| Castle | Richard Castle Fan | Episode "The Final Frontier" (uncredited) | |
| 2013 | Adventure Time | Adult Finn | Voice, 2 episodes |
| 2014 | Hit the Floor | Hank | Episode: "Blow Out" |
| 2016–2019 | Guardians of the Galaxy | J'son, TV Narrator, J. Jonah J'Son | Voice, 14 episodes |
| 2016 | Miles from Tomorrowland | Grandpa Vincent | Voice, 2 episodes |
| Angie Tribeca | USCG Commandant Admiral Donald "Don" Van Zandt | Episode: "The Coast Is Fear" | |
| 2016–2018 | Future-Worm! | Steak Starbolt | Voice, 6 episodes |
| 2018 | After Trek | Himself | Aftershow Episode 11 |
| 2019 | How to ... Online (Fast) | Episode: "Life's Not Fair, Get Used to It" | |
| 2020, 2023 | Star Trek: Picard | Captain William T. Riker | 12 episodes – Also portrayed a Changeling in "Dominion" |
| 2020–2024 | The Ready Room | Himself | Aftershow 10 episodes |
| 2020–2021 | Star Trek: Lower Decks | Captain William T. Riker | Voice, 3 episodes |
| 2020 | The Astronauts | Rex Dowd | 3 episodes |
| 2022 | Allegedly | Roger | Episode: "Money Supply" |
| 2023 | A Biltmore Christmas | Winston | Television film |
| Video games | |||
| Year | Title | Voice role | Notes |
| 1995 | Multimedia Celebrity Poker | Himself | |
| Star Trek: The Next Generation – A Final Unity | Commander William T. Riker | ||
| 2017 | XCOM 2: War of the Chosen | Volk | |
| 2023 | Star Trek: Resurgence | Captain William T. Riker | |
| Web series | |||
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 2023 | Star Trek: Very Short Treks | Commander William T. Riker | Voice, 3 episodes |
Directing credits
| Film | |||
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| Year | Title | Notes | |
| 1996 | Star Trek: First Contact | ||
| 1998 | Star Trek: Insurrection | ||
| 2002 | Clockstoppers | ||
| 2004 | Thunderbirds | ||
| Television | |||
| Year | Title | Notes | |
| 1990–1994 | Star Trek: The Next Generation | 3.16 – "The Offspring" (1990) 4.07 – "Reunion" (1990) 4.21 – "The Drumhead" (1991) 5.18 – "Cause and Effect" (1992) 6.09 – "The Quality of Life" (1992) 6.20 – "The Chase" (1993) 7.08 – "Attached" (1993) 7.14 – "Sub Rosa" (1994) |
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| 1994–1995 | Star Trek: Deep Space Nine | 3.02 – "The Search, Part II" (1994) 3.08 – "Meridian" (1994) 3.13 – "Past Tense, Part II" (1995) |
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| 1995–1996 | Star Trek: Voyager | 2.03 – "Projections" (1995) 2.07 – "Parturition" (1995) 2.13 – "Prototype" (1996) |
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| 1996 | Diagnosis Murder | 3.18 – "Left-Handed Murder" (1996) | |
| 1999–2001 | Roswell | 1.07 – "River Dog" (1999) 1.19 – "Four Square" (2000) 1.21 – "The White Room" (2000) 3.04 – "Secrets and Lies" (2001) 3.08 – "Behind the Music" (2001) |
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| 2002 | The Twilight Zone | "The Lineman" (2002) | |
| 2006 | The Librarian: Return to King Solomon's Mines | Television film | |
| 2007 | Masters of Science Fiction | "The Discarded" (2007) | |
| 2008 | The Librarian: Curse of the Judas Chalice | Television film | |
| 2009–2012 | Leverage | 1.07 – "The Wedding Job" (2009) 1.11 – "The Juror#6 Job" (2009) 2.04 – "The Fairy Godparents Job" (2009) 2.11 – "The Bottle Job" (2010) 3.02 – "The Reunion Job" (2010) 3.06 – "The Studio Job" (2010) 3.13 – "The Morning After Job" (2010) 4.09 – "The Queen's Gambit Job" (2011) 4.12 – "The Office Job" (2011) 4.15 – "The Lonely Hearts Job" (2011) 5.03 – "The First Contact Job" (2012) 5.05 – "The Gimme a K Street Job" (2012) 5.14 – "The Toy Job" (2012) |
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| 2009 | Dollhouse | 2.04 – "Belonging" (2009) | |
| 2009–2013 | Castle | 2.08 – "Kill the Messenger" (2009) 5.06 – "The Final Frontier" (2012) 5.20 – "The Fast and the Furriest" (2013) |
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| 2010–2016 | NCIS: Los Angeles | 1.14 – "LD50" (2010) 2.11 – "Disorder" (2010) 3.16 – "Blye, K." (2012) 4.10 – "Free Ride" (2012) 5.02 – "Impact" (2013) 8.10 – "Sirens" (2016) |
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| 2010 | V | 1.07 – "John May" (2010) | |
| Persons Unknown | 1.05 – "Incoming" (2010) 1.10 – "Seven Sacrifices" (2010) 1.11 – "And Then There Was One" (2010) |
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| The Good Guys | 1.09 – "Don't Taze Me, Bro" (2010) 1.16 – "Silence of the Dan" (2010) |
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| 2010–2013 | The Glades | 1.08 – "Marriage Is Murder" (2010) 2.04 – "Moonlighting" (2011) 4.02 – "4.02 – Shot Girls" (2013) |
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| Burn Notice | 4.14 – "Hot Property" (2010) 5.06 – "Enemy Of My Enemy" (2011) 5.17 – "Acceptable Loss" (2011) 6.09 – "Official Business" (2012) 7.06 – "All or Nothing" (2013) |
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| 2011 | Truth Be Told | Television film | |
| Bar Karma | 1.09 – "Three Times a Lady" (2011) | ||
| 2013–2015 | Falling Skies | 3.09 – "Journey to Xilbalba" (2013) 4.06 – "Door Number Three" (2014) 5.06 – "Respite" (2015) |
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| 2013 | King & Maxwell | 1.08 – "Job Security" (2013) | |
| Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. | 1.08 – "The Well" (2013) | ||
| 2014–2015 | Switched at Birth | 3.06 – "The Scream" (2014) 4.08 – "Art Like Love is Dedication" (2015) |
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| 2014 | Hit the Floor | 2.03 – "Behind the Back" (2014) 2.04 – "Full-Court Press" (2014) |
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| 2014–2017 | The Librarians | 1.04 – "And Santa's Midnight Run" (2014) 1.06 – "And the Fables of Doom" (2015) 1.10 – "And the Loom of Fate" (2015) 2.06 – "And the Infernal Contract" (2015) 2.08 – "And the Point of Salvation" (2015) 3.05 – "And the Tears of a Clown" (2016) 3.06 – "And the Trial of the Triangle" (2016) 3.09 – "And the Fatal Separation" (2017) 4.04 – "And the Silver Screen" (2017) 4.06 – "And the Graves of Time" (2017) |
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| 2017–2019 | The Orville | 1.05 – "Pria" (2017) 2.12 – "Sanctuary" (2019) |
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| 2017–2024 | Star Trek: Discovery | 1.10 – "Despite Yourself" (2018) 2.02 – "New Eden" (2019) 2.09 – "Project Daedalus" (2019) 3.03 – "People of Earth" (2020) 3.08 – "The Sanctuary" (2020) 3.12 – "There Is a Tide..." (2020) 4.06 – "Stormy Weather" (2021) 5.09 – "Lagrange Point" (2024) |
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| 2018 | The Arrangement | 2.9 – "Truth" (2018) | |
| 2019 | The Gifted | 2.13 – "teMpted" (2019) | |
| 2020–2023 | Star Trek: Picard | 1.04 – "Absolute Candor" (2020) 1.05 – "Stardust City Rag" (2020) 2.05 – "Fly Me to the Moon" (2022) 2.06 – "Two of One" (2022) 3.03 - "Seventeen Seconds" (2023) 3.04 - "No Win Scenario" (2023) |
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| 2020 | The Astronauts | 1.03 – "Day 3" (2020) 1.04 – "Day 21" (2020) |
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| 2021 | Leverage: Redemption | 1.07 – "The Double-Edged Sword Job" (2021) | |
| 2023 | Star Trek: Strange New Worlds | 2.07 – "Those Old Scientists" (2023) | |
| TBA | Star Trek: Starfleet Academy | ||
| Video games | |||
| Year | Title | Notes | |
| 1996 | Star Trek: Klingon | Interactive film | |
Awards and Nominations
| Year | Award | Category | Nominated work | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 | Hugo Awards | Best Dramatic Presentation | Star Trek: First Contact | Nominated | |
| Saturn Awards | Best Director | ||||
| 1999 | Hugo Awards | Best Dramatic Presentation | Star Trek: Insurrection | ||
| 2013 | Saturn Awards | The Life Career Award | - | Won | |
| 2024 | Saturn Awards | Best Supporting Actor in a Television Series | Star Trek: Picard | Won | |
| Lifetime Achievement Award | The Cast of Star Trek: The Next Generation |
See also
In Spanish: Jonathan Frakes para niños
