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IMDbPro

Jonathan Frakes

  • Actor
  • Director
  • Producer
IMDbProStarmeter
Top 5,000389
Jonathan Frakes
Trailer for The Captains
Play trailer3:08
The Captains (2011)
26 Videos
99+ Photos
Jonathan Scott Frakes was born on August 19, 1952 in Bellefonte, in central Pennsylvania. He is the son of Doris J. (Yingling) and Dr. James R. Frakes, a professor. His parents moved with Jonathan and his younger brother Daniel to Bethlehem in eastern Pennsylvania. There, his father taught English at Lehigh University, where he held the Fairchild chair in American Literature until his passing in 2002. Frakes is of German, and some English, ancestry.

While growing up Jonathan was introduced to jazz by his father and started playing the trombone when he was in fourth grade. As a child Jonathan was always friendly, funny and somewhat of an actor according to a childhood friend. In high school he played in the band and ran track. He graduated from Liberty High in Bethlehem in 1970. The day after he graduated he started classes at Pennsylvania State University, enrolling as a psychology major. The next summer he worked as an usher for the local theater and observed his peers thoroughly enjoying acting. He was motivated to switch his major to theater arts and graduated with a bachelor's degree in 1974.

At this point he decided to move to New York City and try to make it as an actor. The roles did not come easily so he had to take side jobs, such as a waiter, a furniture mover (where he injured up his back), and a stint as Captain America for Marvel Comics. Meanwhile he won roles in the Broadway musical "Shenandoah" and on the soap opera The Doctors (1969) as Vietnam veteran Tom Carroll from 1977 to 1978. At his agent's urging Jonathan moved to Los Angeles in late 1978 to try his hand at television guest appearances. He guest-starred on several of the big prime-time shows of the time, including Charlie's Angels (1976), Fantasy Island (1977), Barnaby Jones (1973), Quincy M.E. (1976), Highway to Heaven (1984), The Waltons (1972), and The Dukes of Hazzard (1979).

During the 1980s Jonathan landed a starring role in a prime-time soap opera, Bare Essence (1983), which had spun off a successful miniseries of the same name. However the show did not take off with the viewers and was soon canceled. He went back to guest appearances for two more years until he got the part of Stanley Hazard in the Civil War epic North & South: Book 1, North & South (1985). After spending more than six months filming all over the southern United States, he and his co-star, Genie Francis, fell in love (he had met her three years before when they co-starred in Bare Essence (1983)). During that time he and Genie didn't have much to do with each other, other than his making fun of her hair, according to her. However three years later they were an item.

In early 1987 Jonathan went to an audition for a new television series at the urging of his soon-to-be wife and her family. After six weeks, and seven auditions, he won the role that would bring him worldwide fame: that of Commander William Riker on Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987). It was at this time, he and Genie announced their engagement. They would have to postpone their wedding twice because of his job but were finally married in the first-season hiatus on May 28, 1988. All of his new co-stars attended the wedding, along with Star Trek (1966) creator Gene Roddenberry. During the seven years Frakes starred on Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987), he not only acted but discovered that he had a talent for directing. He helmed eight episodes in all and was invited to direct on the Next Generation spin-offs, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (1993) and Star Trek: Voyager (1995).

The day after his 42nd birthday, on August 20, his son, Jameson Ivor Frakes, was born. Jameson is named after both his grandfathers, the late James Frakes and the late actor Ivor Francis, Genie's father. During this time Jonathan actually turned down work, preferring to stay at home and raise his son with his wife. For the next two years he did a few guest appearances on television.

In 1996 it was announced that he was to be the director of the next Star Trek film, Star Trek: First Contact (1996). He received critical praise for his work on the film and it became the highest-grossing entry of the franchise to date. He formed a production company, Goepp Circle Productions, named after the street he lived on in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. Just two days after his ninth wedding anniversary in 1997, Elizabeth Francis Frakes was born. Sadly just two weeks prior Jonathan's brother, Daniel, passed away from pancreatic cancer. In 1998 he was asked to direct the ninth Star Trek film, Star Trek: Insurrection (1998). Following mixed reviews for this film he continued to direct in movies and television, act in a few non-Star Trek roles, and starred in the tenth Star Trek film, Star Trek: Nemesis (2002).
BornAugust 19, 1952
  • More at IMDbPro
    • Contact info
    • Agent info
    • Resume
BornAugust 19, 1952
IMDbProStarmeter
Top 5,000389
  • View contact info at IMDbPro
  • Awards

Photos119

Jonathan Frakes and Patrick Stewart in Star Trek: Picard (2020)
Jonathan Frakes in Star Trek: Picard (2020)
Jonathan Frakes and Patrick Stewart in Star Trek: Picard (2020)
Jonathan Frakes, Brent Spiner, LeVar Burton, and Patrick Stewart in Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987)
Jonathan Frakes, Anthony Rapp, and Matt Mira in After Trek (2017)
Jonathan Frakes and Patrick Stewart in Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987)
Jonathan Frakes and Patrick Stewart in Star Trek: Picard (2020)
Jonathan Frakes and Patrick Stewart in Star Trek: Picard (2020)
Jonathan Frakes and Patrick Stewart in Star Trek: Generations (1994)
Michael Dorn, Jonathan Frakes, Brent Spiner, LeVar Burton, and Patrick Stewart in Star Trek: Nemesis (2002)
Denise Crosby, Jonathan Frakes, and Patrick Stewart in Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987)
Jonathan Frakes in Alien Autopsy: (Fact or Fiction?) (1995)

Known for

Star Trek: First Contact (1996)
Star Trek: First Contact
7.6
  • Riker
  • 1996
F. Murray Abraham in Star Trek: Insurrection (1998)
Star Trek: Insurrection
6.4
  • Riker
  • 1998
William Shatner and Patrick Stewart in Star Trek: Generations (1994)
Star Trek: Generations
6.6
  • Riker
  • 1994
Brent Spiner, Patrick Stewart, and Tom Hardy in Star Trek: Nemesis (2002)
Star Trek: Nemesis
6.4
  • William Riker
  • 2002

Credits

Edit
IMDbPro

Actor

  • Patrick Stewart in Star Trek: Picard (2020)
    Star Trek: Picard
  • Allegedly (2022)
    Allegedly
  • Catwoman: Hunted (2022)
    Catwoman: Hunted
    • (voice)
  • Noël Wells, Jack Quaid, and Tawny Newsome in Star Trek: Lower Decks (2020)
    Star Trek: Lower Decks
    • (voice)
  • Keith L. Williams, Miya Cech, Bryce Gheisar, Ben Daon, and Kayden Grace Swan in The Astronauts (2020)
    The Astronauts
  • Lena Klenke, Damian Hardung, Maximilian Mundt, and Danilo Kamperidis in How to Sell Drugs Online (Fast) (2019)
    How to Sell Drugs Online (Fast)
  • Somebody Knows Something (2019)
    The Last 24
  • Trevor Devall, Will Friedle, Vanessa Marshall, Kevin Michael Richardson, and David Sobolov in Guardians of the Galaxy (2015)
    Guardians of the Galaxy
    • (voice)
  • Chelsea Kane, Justin Roiland, Scott Chernoff, and J.D. Ryznar in Hot Streets (2016)
    Hot Streets
    • (voice)
  • Future-Worm! (2015)
    Future-Worm!
    • (voice)
  • XCOM 2: War of the Chosen (2017)
    XCOM 2: War of the Chosen
    • (voice)
  • Shawn Ashmore, Amanda Schull, and Milo Ventimiglia in Devil's Gate (2017)
    Devil's Gate
  • B-52: Three Generations (2017)
    B-52: Three Generations
  • Mission Force One (2015)
    Mission Force One
    • (voice)
  • Jere Burns, Rashida Jones, Deon Cole, Hayes MacArthur, Andree Vermeulen, and Jagger in Angie Tribeca (2016)
    Angie Tribeca

Director

  • Patrick Stewart in Star Trek: Picard (2020)
    Star Trek: Picard
  • Sonequa Martin-Green in Star Trek: Discovery (2017)
    Star Trek: Discovery
  • Noah Wyle, Gina Bellman, Christian Kane, Andrea Navedo, Beth Riesgraf, and Aleyse Shannon in Leverage: Redemption (2021)
    Leverage: Redemption
  • Keith L. Williams, Miya Cech, Bryce Gheisar, Ben Daon, and Kayden Grace Swan in The Astronauts (2020)
    The Astronauts
  • Scott Grimes, Penny Johnson Jerald, Seth MacFarlane, Peter Macon, Adrianne Palicki, J. Lee, Mark Jackson, and Halston Sage in The Orville (2017)
    The Orville
  • The Gifted (2017)
    The Gifted
    • (directed by)
  • Josh Henderson and Christine Evangelista in The Arrangement (2017)
    The Arrangement
  • Rebecca Romijn, Lindy Booth, Christian Kane, John Larroquette, and John Harlan Kim in The Librarians (2014)
    The Librarians
  • Paul Adelstein and Lisa Edelstein in Girlfriends' Guide to Divorce (2014)
    Girlfriends' Guide to Divorce
  • NCIS: Los Angeles (2009)
    NCIS: Los Angeles
  • Michael Madsen, Olesya Rulin, Sharlto Copley, Logan Browning, Susan Heyward, and Raul Casso in Powers (2015)
    Powers
  • Valery M. Ortiz, Katherine Bailess, Logan Browning, and Taylour Paige in Hit the Floor (2013)
    Hit the Floor
  • Alexis Denisof, Cynthia Watros, Kathryn Prescott, Anna Jacoby-Heron, and Zac Pullam in Finding Carter (2014)
    Finding Carter
  • Falling Skies (2011)
    Falling Skies
  • Vanessa Marano and Katie Leclerc in Switched at Birth (2011)
    Switched at Birth

Producer

  • Rebecca Romijn, Lindy Booth, Christian Kane, John Larroquette, and John Harlan Kim in The Librarians (2014)
    The Librarians
  • Katherine Heigl, Jason Behr, Shiri Appleby, and Brendan Fehr in Roswell (1999)
    Roswell
  • Jonathan Frakes, Hayley DuMond, and Gabriel Mann in Dying to Live (1999)
    Dying to Live

Videos26

B-52: Three Generations (2017)
Full Movie 4:28
B-52: Three Generations (2017)
Simone
Clip 1:21
Simone
Large Collections
Clip 2:10
Large Collections
Judas Chalice
Clip 1:45
Judas Chalice
Interrogation
Clip 1:56
Interrogation
Barber Shop
Clip 2:06
Barber Shop
The Best of Star Trek: The Next Generation
Clip 1:33
The Best of Star Trek: The Next Generation
The Best of Star Trek: The Next Generation
Clip 1:01
The Best of Star Trek: The Next Generation
The Best of Star Trek: The Next Generation
Clip 1:48
The Best of Star Trek: The Next Generation
THE SECRET WORLD OF SUPERFANS
Clip 2:53
THE SECRET WORLD OF SUPERFANS
Official Trailer
Trailer 2:18
Official Trailer
Star Trek: The Next Generation
Trailer 2:14
Star Trek: The Next Generation

Personal details

Edit
  • Official sites
    • Cameo
    • Instagram
    • August 19, 1952
    • Bellefonte, Pennsylvania, USA
    • Genie FrancisMay 28, 1988 - present (2 children)
  • Other works
    "The Common Glory" play
  • Publicity listings
    • 14 Interviews
    • 4 Articles
    • 9 Magazine Cover Photos

Did you know

Edit
  • Trivia
    Frakes is also a talented Jazz trombonist, a skill he used multiple times through his time on Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987).
  • Quotes
    My favorite actor of all time is Genie Francis.
    • Deep resonant authoritative voice
    • Star Trek: First Contact
      (1996)
      $5,000,000

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