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
2026
- Star Trek: Starfleet Academy ... (Director)
2025
- The Mighty Nein as Zeenoth (voice)
2024
- The D-Con Chamber as Self
- Butterfly in the Sky as Self (archive footage)
2023
- Star Trek: very Short Treks as Riker (voice)
- A Biltmore Christmas as Winston
- Star Trek: Picard - The IMAX Live Series Finale Event as Captain William Riker
2022
- Star Trek: Strange New Worlds ... (Director)
- The Shuttlepod Show as Self
- Catwoman: Hunted as King Faraday / Boss Moxie (voice)
2021
- Leverage: Redemption ... (Director)
2020
- Star Trek: Picard as William Riker
- Star Trek: Lower Decks as William T. Riker (voice)
- The Astronauts ... (Director)
- Star Trek Day as Self
2019
- The Ready Room as Self
- How to Sell Drugs Online (Fast) as Jonathan Frakes
2018
- Devil's Gate as Sheriff Gruenwell
2017
- Star Trek: Discovery ... (Director)
- The Orville ... (Director)
- The Gifted ... (Director)
- The Arrangement ... (Director)
- After Trek
- Heroes Manufactured as Self (archive footage)
2016
- Angie Tribeca as Commandant Van Zandt
- 50 Years of Star Trek as Self
2014
- The Librarians ... (Director)
- Finding Carter ... (Director)
- Girlfriends' Guide to Divorce ... (Director)
- Chaos on the Bridge as Self
- Star Trek: The Next Generation - All Good Things... as Cmdr. William Riker
- Star Trek: The Next Generation - Chain of Command
2013
- Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. ... (Director)
- Hit the Floor ... (Director)
- King & Maxwell ... (Director)
- The Captains Close Up as Self
- Star Trek: The Next Generation - The Best of Both Worlds as Cmdr. William Riker (archive footage)
- Star Trek: The Next Generation - Redemption as Commander Will Riker
- Star Trek: The Next Generation - Unification
2012
- Megaquake 10.0 as Narrator (voice)
- Reunification - 25 Years After Star Trek: The Next Generation as Self
2011
- Falling Skies ... (Director)
- Switched at Birth ... (Director)
- Bar Karma ... (Director)
- The Captains as Self
- Truth be Told as Radio Sound Engineer
- Lee & Grant as Narrator (voice)
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)
- Dollhouse ... (Director)
- V ... (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)
- Masters of Science Fiction ... (Director)
- Star Trek: Beyond the Final Frontier as Self
2006
- The Librarian: Return to King Solomon's Mines as Debra's Husband
- Alien Autopsy as Self
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)
- The Lot as Roland White
- Dying to Live as Will
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
- University Hospital ... (Director)
- Gargoyles the Movie: The Heroes Awaken as Xanatos (voice)
- Alien Autopsy: (Fact or Fiction?) as Self - Host
- 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)
- Journey's End - The Saga of Star Trek: The Next Generation as Host / Self
- Star Trek: The Next Generation Viewer's Choice Marathon as Self - Host
- Phish: Tracking
1993
- Diagnosis: Murder ... (Director)
- Star Trek: Deep Space Nine as Thomas Riker
- 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 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
- Here's Boomer as Philip
- Harper Valley P.T.A. as Clutch Breath
1980
- It's a Living as Steve
- Beulah Land as Adam Davis
- I'm a Big Girl Now
- The Night the City Screamed as Richard Hawkins
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.