Jonathon Frakes

Jonathan Scott Frakes was born in Bellefonte, Pennsylvania. His early life in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, saw him develop an interest in jazz, leading him to play the trombone in fourth grade. Described by childhood friends as friendly and funny, Frakes graduated from Liberty High in Bethlehem in 1970. Initially, he pursued a psychology major at Pennsylvania State University, enrolling the day after his high school graduation. After working as an usher at a local theater, he was inspired to switch his major to theater arts, earning his bachelor’s degree in 1974. Following his graduation, Frakes moved to New York City to pursue an acting career.

In New York, Frakes took on various jobs, including waiter and furniture mover, while securing roles in the Broadway musical “Shenandoah” and the soap opera “The Doctors” (1977-1978), where he portrayed Vietnam veteran Tom Carroll. At the recommendation of his agent, Frakes relocated to Los Angeles in late 1978 to seek television guest appearances. He subsequently appeared in notable prime-time shows of the era, such as “Charlie’s Angels,” “Fantasy Island,” “Barnaby Jones,” “Quincy, M.E.,” “Highway to Heaven,” “The Waltons,” and “The Dukes of Hazzard.

During the 1980s, Frakes secured a starring role in the prime-time soap opera “Bare Essence” (1983) and later gained significant recognition as Stanley Hazard in the Civil War miniseries “North & South: Book 1, North & South” (1985). This project also marked a personal milestone, as he met and later married his co-star, Genie Francis. In 1987, after a six-week audition process, Frakes landed the role of Commander William Riker on “Star Trek: The Next Generation” (1987). This role brought him international fame and also led to his directing debut, where he helmed eight episodes of the series and later directed episodes for “Star Trek: Deep Space Nine” and “Star Trek: Voyager.” Frakes transitioned into feature film directing with “Star Trek: First Contact” (1996), which earned critical acclaim and became the franchise’s highest-grossing film at the time. He continued to direct, including “Star Trek: Insurrection” (1998), and expanded his work to include television series such as “Roswell,” “The Orville,” “Star Trek: Discovery,” “Star Trek: Picard,” and “Star Trek: Strange New Worlds,” solidifying his reputation as a respected director in and beyond the science fiction genre.