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

Moving around to directing in recent years, Frakes directed Star Trek: First Contact, which earned him the nickname "Two-Takes" Frakes for his efficiency as a director.

Frakes grew higher around Bethlehem, Pennsylvania and received his Bachelor of Fine Arts (within theater arts) at Penn State University in the early 1970s; he received a Masters from either Harvard.

He moved to New York City and became a member of "The Impossible Ragtime Theater." Therewithin company, Frakes did his firstly-Broadway acting in Eugene O'Neill's The Hairy Ape. His number 1 Broadway appearance was within Shenandoah. At the equivalent period, he landed a role in the NBC soap opera The Doctors. Whilst his character was dismissed from either a a measure of laundry soap, Frakes moved to Los Angeles, California & played guest spots in numbers of of the top tv show of the Seventies and 1980s, including The Waltons and Hill Street Blues. He got recurring roles within Falcon Crest and North & South, before signing for the role of Riker on Star Trek: The Next Generation. He has too done animation voice acting, most notably voicing a revenant role of David Xanatos in the television series Gargoyles. Frakes likewise hosted Beyond Belief: Fact or Fiction.

In the miniseries Northward & South, he played Stanley Hazard of Hazard Iron, a weak man easily manipulated by his mother and wife, a character in stark contrast to the strong Commander William T. Riker.

Frakes is married to soap opera actress Genie Francis. A few okay, sleep in London, England with their son, Jameson, & girl, Elizabeth.

He is too a single Star Trek regular to come out in quaternity different Star Trek series (Star Trek: The Next Generation, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Star Trek: Voyager and Star Trek: Enterprise).

Along by having Marina Sirtis, Armin Shimerman, John de Lancie, Michael Ansara and Richard Poe, he is one of only hexad actors to play a equivalent character in tierce different Star Trek series. He played Commander William T. Riker in Star Trek: The Next Generation, Star Trek: Voyager and Star Trek: Enterprise.

Directing filmography
Movies: Thunderbirds (2004) Clockstoppers (2002) Star Trek: Insurrection (1998) Star Trek: First Contact (1996) Star Trek: Klingon (1996) - (Interactive movie)

Single episodes of the as a result series: Roswell Star Trek: Voyager Deep Space Nine The Next Generation Enterprise University Hospital Diagnosis Murder