Jonathan Frakes
Born: 1952-08-19 in Bellefonte, Pennsylvania, USA
Known For: Acting
Biography
Jonathan Scott Frakes (born August 19, 1952) is an American actor and director. He is best known for his portrayal of Commander (later Captain) William T. Riker in the television series Star Trek: The Next Generation and subsequent films and series. He has also hosted the series Beyond Belief: Fact or Fiction, voiced David Xanatos in the Disney animated series Gargoyles, and narrated the History Channel documentary, Lee and Grant. His other well known TV roles are as Stanley Hazard on the miniseries North and South, Sandy Parris on ABC's Paper Dolls, Marcus Marshall on NBC's Bare Essence, and Damon Ross, a recurring character on Falcon Crest. He began directing episodes of The Next Generation during its third season, and went on to direct the feature films Star Trek: First Contact (1996) and Star Trek: Insurrection (1998) and episodes of the later Star Trek series Deep Space Nine, Voyager, Discovery, Strange New Worlds, and Picard. He later directed the feature films Clockstoppers (2002) and Thunderbirds (2004). He has since directed prolifically for television, including for The Librarian television films and series, Leverage, Burn Notice, and Roswell (of which he is also a producer). He is the credited author of the novel The Abductors: Conspiracy, which was ghostwritten by Dean Wesley Smith. He has been married to actress Genie Francis since 1988 and they have 2 children.
Filmography
2025
- The Mighty Nein as Zeenoth (voice)
2024
- Butterfly in the Sky as Self (archive footage)
- The D-Con Chamber as Self
2023
- A Biltmore Christmas as Winston
- Star Trek: Picard - The IMAX Live Series Finale Event as Captain William Riker
- Star Trek: very Short Treks as Riker (voice)
2022
- Star Trek: Strange New Worlds ... (Director)
- Catwoman: Hunted as King Faraday / Boss Moxie (voice)
- The Shuttlepod Show as Self
2021
- Leverage: Redemption ... (Director)
- The Center Seat: 55 Years of Star Trek as Self
2020
- Star Trek: Lower Decks as William T. Riker (voice)
- Star Trek: Picard as William Riker
- The Astronauts ... (Director)
- Star Trek Day as Self
2019
- How to Sell Drugs Online (Fast) as Jonathan Frakes
- The Ready Room as Self
2018
- Devil's Gate as Sheriff Gruenwell
2017
- Star Trek: Discovery ... (Director)
- The Orville ... (Director)
- The Gifted ... (Director)
- Heroes Manufactured as Self (archive footage)
- The Arrangement ... (Director)
2016
- Angie Tribeca as Commandant Van Zandt
- 50 Years of Star Trek as Self
2014
- The Librarians ... (Director)
- Star Trek: The Next Generation - Chain of Command
- Finding Carter ... (Director)
- Girlfriends' Guide to Divorce ... (Director)
- Chaos on the Bridge as Self
2013
- Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. ... (Director)
- Star Trek: The Next Generation - The Best of Both Worlds as Cmdr. William Riker (archive footage)
- Hit the Floor ... (Director)
- Star Trek: The Next Generation - Redemption as Commander Will Riker
- King & Maxwell ... (Director)
- The Captains Close Up as Self
- Star Trek: The Next Generation - Unification
2012
- Reunification - 25 Years After Star Trek: The Next Generation as Self
- Megaquake 10.0 as Narrator (voice)
2011
- Falling Skies ... (Director)
- Switched at Birth ... (Director)
- The Captains as Self
- Truth be Told as Radio Sound Engineer
- Lee & Grant as Narrator (voice)
- Bar Karma ... (Director)
2010
- The Glades ... (Director)
- The Good Guys ... (Director)
- Persons Unknown ... (Director)
2009
- Castle as Richard Castle Fan
- NCIS: Los Angeles as Navy Commander Dr. Stanfill (uncredited)
- V ... (Director)
- Dollhouse ... (Director)
- The Super Hero Squad Show as High Evolutionary (voice)
- Make It or Break It ... (Director)
- Glenn Martin, DDS as Peter (voice)
- Star Trek: The Captain's Summit as Self
- That's Impossible! as Narrator (voice)
2008
- Leverage ... (Director)
- The Librarian: The Curse of the Judas Chalice as Trombone Player in Marching Band (uncredited)
2007
- Burn Notice ... (Director)
- Star Trek: Beyond the Final Frontier as Self
- Masters of Science Fiction ... (Director)
2006
- Alien Autopsy as Self
- The Librarian: Return to King Solomon's Mines as Debra's Husband
2005
- Criminal Minds as Dr. Arthur Malcolm
- How William Shatner Changed The World as Self
2004
- Thunderbirds ... (Director)
- No Strings Attached: The Making of Thunderbirds as Self
2002
- The Twilight Zone ... (Director)
- Star Trek: Nemesis as Commander William T. Riker
- Clockstoppers as Bystander
2001
- Star Trek: Enterprise as Commander William T. Riker
2000
- Ghosts Caught on Tape: Fact or Fiction? as Narrator (voice)
1999
- Family Guy as Commander William T. Riker (voice)
- Futurama as Jonathan Frakes (voice)
- Roswell as Jonathan Frakes (uncredited)
- Dying to Live as Will
- The Lot as Roland White
1998
- Oh Baby as Don
- Star Trek: Insurrection as Commander William T. Riker
1997
- Beyond Belief: Fact or Fiction as Self - Host
- Trekkies as Self
1996
- 3rd Rock from the Sun as Larry
- Star Trek: First Contact as Commander William T. Riker
- Star Trek: 30 Years and Beyond as Self
- Brothers of the Frontier as Ben Frye
- The Paranormal Borderline as Host
1995
- Star Trek: Voyager as Commander William T. Riker
- Cybill as Jonathan Frakes
- Gargoyles the Movie: The Heroes Awaken as David Xanatos (voice)
- Alien Autopsy: (Fact or Fiction?) as Self - Host
- University Hospital ... (Director)
- Time Travel Through the Bible as Time Traveler
1994
- Gargoyles as David Xanatos (voice)
- Star Trek: Generations as Commander William T. Riker
- Camp Nowhere as Bob Spiegel (uncredited)
- Star Trek: The Next Generation Viewer's Choice Marathon as Self - Host
- Journey's End - The Saga of Star Trek: The Next Generation as Host / Self
- Phish: Tracking
1993
- Star Trek: Deep Space Nine as Thomas Riker
- Diagnosis: Murder ... (Director)
- Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman as Tim Lake
- Your Guide to Star Trek: Generations as Self
1992
- Roswell: Coverups & Close Encounters as Narrator (voice)
1991
1990
- Wings as Gavin Rutledge
1989
- The Cover Girl and the Cop as Joshua Boyleston
1988
1987
- Star Trek: The Next Generation as William T. Riker
- Nutcracker: Money, Madness & Murder as Rosen
1986
- Matlock as Prosecutor Mr. Park
- Dream West as Lt. Archibald Gillespie
1985
- The Twilight Zone as Steve (segment "But Can She Type?")
- North and South as Stanley Hazard
1984
- Highway to Heaven as Arthur Krock, Jr.
- Paper Dolls as Sandy Parris
1983
- Five Mile Creek as Adam Scott
- Bare Essence as Marcus Marshall
1982
- Hotel as Ted Travers
- Voyagers! as Charles Lindbergh
- Bare Essence as Marcus Marshall
1981
- Falcon Crest as Damon Ross
- Hill Street Blues as Eddie Sims
- The Fall Guy as Connors
- Harper Valley P.T.A. as Clutch Breath
1980
- It's a Living as Steve
- Here's Boomer as Philip
- The Night the City Screamed as Richard Hawkins
- I'm a Big Girl Now
- Beulah Land as Adam Davis
1979
- Hart to Hart as Adam Blake
- The Dukes of Hazzard as Jamie Lee Hogg
- Paris
- Beach Patrol as Marty Green
1978
- Fantasy Island as Kirk Wendover
- The White Shadow as Basketball Player
1977
- Eight Is Enough as Chapper
1976
- Charlie's Angels as Brad
- Quincy, M.E. as Leon Bohannon
1973
- Barnaby Jones as David Douglas
1972
- The Waltons as Ashley Longworth Jr.