Jack Wagner

Peter John Wagner II was born on October 3, 1959, in Washington, Missouri. He is the son of Peter John Wagner, a car salesman, and Irene M. (née Amberg) “Scotty” Wagner, a homemaker. Raised in a Catholic household, Wagner attended St. Gertrude’s parochial school and St. Francis Borgia Regional High School. He pursued higher education at the University of Missouri for a year before transferring to the University of Arizona, where he received a full scholarship from the drama department. Wagner initially auditioned for the role of Frisco Jones on “General Hospital” without singing, having primarily focused on his acting skills. However, his musical abilities came to the forefront during a final audition with ABC, where he performed an instrumental song. This led to a significant turning point in his career, as his singing talent was recognized and cultivated.

Wagner gained widespread recognition in 1983 for his role as secret agent Frisco Jones on the soap opera “General Hospital,” a character he reprised across multiple years (1983–1987, 1989–1991, 1994–95, 2013). During this period, he also launched a successful music career, with his song “All I Need” reaching number 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 Charts in 1985. His acting career continued with roles such as Warren Lockridge on “Santa Barbara” (1991–1993) and Dr. Peter Burns on Aaron Spelling’s “Melrose Place” (1994–1999), where he also directed episodes. From 2003 to 2012, Wagner portrayed Nick Marone on “The Bold and the Beautiful,” a role he reprised in 2022 and 2025. His work earned him Daytime Emmy nominations for “Best Younger Actor” in 1985 and “Best Lead Actor” in 2005.

Beyond acting and singing, Wagner is an accomplished golfer. He won the Missouri junior college championship in 1980 and is the only non-professional athlete to win the American Century Celebrity Golf Classic twice, in 2006 and 2011. Since 2014, he has been a main cast member as Bill Avery on “When Calls the Heart.” He also starred in and executive produced the “Wedding March” movie franchise for Hallmark Channel and appeared in the 2022 Netflix film “Falling for Christmas.”