Jonathan Frakes (born August 19, 1952 in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania) is a well-known American actor and director who is best known for his portrayal of Commander William Riker in the television series Star Trek: The Next Generation.

He has stepped back from being in front of the cameras to a large degree now, preferring to direct, with his work on Star Trek: First Contact earning him the nickname "Two-Takes" Frakes.

Frakes, originally a psychology major, received his Bachelor of Fine Arts (in theater arts) at Penn State University in the early 1970s and went on to receive his Masters from Harvard.

He moved to New York City and became a member of "The Impossible Ragtime Theater." In that company Frakes did his first off-Broadway acting in Eugene O'Neill's The Hairy Ape . His first Broadway appearance was in Shenandoah. At the same time, he landed a role in the NBC soap opera The Doctors. When his character was dismissed from the soap, Frakes moved to Los Angeles, California and played guest spots in many of the top television shows of the 1970s and 1980s such as The Waltons and Hill Street Blues. He had recurring roles in Falcon Crest and North & South before signing for the role of Riker on Star Trek: The Next Generation.

He is married to soap opera actress Genie Francis. The couple now live in London with their son, Jameson, and daughter, Elizabeth.

Directing filmography

Movies:

• Thunderbirds (2004)
• Clockstoppers (2002)
• Star Trek: Insurrection (1998)
• Star Trek: First Contact (1996)

Individual episodes of the following series:

• Roswell
• Star Trek:
  • Voyager
  • Deep Space Nine
  • The Next Generation
• University Hospital
• Diagnosis Murder

External links

• Jonathan Frakes http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000408/ at the Internet Movie Database
• Jonathan Frakes http://www.memory-alpha.org/en/index.php/ article at Memory Alpha, a Star Trek wiki
• Jonathan Frakes profile, NNDB http://www.nndb.com/people/249/000025174/