Jonathan Frakes
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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.
Known for
Credits
Star Trek: First Contact (1996)
as Commander William T. Riker
Star Trek: Insurrection (1998)
as Commander William T. Riker
Star Trek: Nemesis (2002)
as Commander William T. Riker
Star Trek: Generations (1994)
as Commander William T. Riker
The Librarian: The Curse of the Judas Chalice (2008)
as Trombone Player in Marching Band (uncredited)
The Librarian: Return to King Solomon's Mines (2006)
as Debra's Husband
Clockstoppers (2002)
as Bystander
Catwoman: Hunted (2022)
as King Faraday / Boss Moxie (voice)
Camp Nowhere (1994)
as Bob Spiegel (uncredited)
Devil's Gate (2018)
as Sheriff Gruenwell
Gargoyles the Movie: The Heroes Awaken (1995)
as Xanatos (voice)
A Biltmore Christmas (2023)
as Winston
The Captains (2011)
as Self
Alien Autopsy (2006)
as Self
50 Years of Star Trek (2016)
as Self
Lee & Grant (2011)
as Narrator (voice)
Friend to Friend: Armenian Earthquake Relief (1989)
as Self
Trekkies (1997)
as Self
Star Trek: The Next Generation - The Best of Both Worlds (2013)
as Cmdr. William Riker (archive footage)
Star Trek: Picard - The IMAX Live Series Finale Event (2023)
as Captain William Riker
Star Trek: The Next Generation - All Good Things... (2014)
as Cmdr. Will Riker
Journey's End - The Saga of Star Trek: The Next Generation (1994)
as Host / Self
A Grand Biltmore Christmas (2026)
as Winston
Heroes Manufactured (2017)
as Self (archive footage)
Star Trek: The Next Generation - Chain of Command (2014)
as Cmdr. Will Riker
The Star Trek Saga: From One Generation to the Next (1988)
as Self
No Strings Attached: The Making of Thunderbirds (2004)
as Self
The Cover Girl and the Cop (1989)
as Joshua Boyleston
Chaos on the Bridge (2014)
as Self
Make-Up Man: The Michael Westmore Documentary (—)
as Self
Star Trek: The Next Generation - Redemption (2013)
as Cmdr. Will Riker
Reunification - 25 Years After Star Trek: The Next Generation (2012)
as Self
Brothers of the Frontier (1996)
as Ben Frye
Butterfly in the Sky (2024)
as Self (archive footage)
Star Trek: 30 Years and Beyond (1996)
as Self
Star Trek: The Next Generation - Unification (2013)
as Cmdr. Will Riker
The Sixty Year Mission: How Star Trek Changed Television and the World (2026)
as Self
Alien Autopsy: (Fact or Fiction?) (1995)
as Self - Host
Star Trek: 25th Anniversary Special (1991)
as Self
Truth Be Told (2011)
as Radio Sound Engineer
Star Trek: The Captain's Summit (2009)
as Self
Beach Patrol (1979)
as Marty Green
Dying to Live (1999)
as Will
Your Guide to Star Trek: Generations (1993)
as Self
The Night the City Screamed (1980)
as Richard Hawkins
Star Trek: Beyond the Final Frontier (2007)
as Self
Star Trek: The Next Generation Viewer's Choice Marathon (1994)
as Self - Host
How William Shatner Changed the World (2005)
as Self
Phish: Tracking (1994)
Actor
Holograms All the Way Down (—)
as Commander William T. Riker
Megaquake 10.0 (2012)
as Narrator (voice)
Roswell: Coverups & Close Encounters (1992)
as Narrator (voice)
Ghosts Caught on Tape: Fact or Fiction? (2000)
as Narrator (voice)
Time Travel Through the Bible (1995)
as Time Traveler