Star Trek's Jonathan Frakes - acting, writing & directing

Jonathan Frakes                                                                                              (Photo/Wiki)

6' 4" Jonathan Scott Frakes is an American actor, author and director, best known for his portrayal of Commander William T. Riker in the television series Star Trek: The Next Generation.  (Star Trek created by Gene Roddenberry)

Frakes is a 1970 graduate of Bethlehem's Liberty High School, where he ran track and played with the famous Liberty High School Grenadier Band. Frakes received a Bachelors of Fine Arts in Theater Arts at Penn State University in the early 1970s, where he was a member of the Thespians. He continued his studies at Harvard and spent several seasons performing at the Loeb Drama Center.

Also in the1970s, Frakes worked for Marvel Comics, appearing at conventions in costume as Captain America.

Moving on to directing in recent years, Frakes directed and also starred in Star Trek: First Contact as well as Star Trek: Insurrection, which earned him the nickname Two-Takes Frakes for his speed.

Frakes is also the author of a book called "The Abductors: Conspiracy."

Jonathan Frakes works with The Workshops, The Waterfall Arts Center and The Saltwater Film Society, all located in Maine, where he teaches classes on film direction.

When asked about himself and Star Trek:

I always enjoyed going into the holodeck.

I don't think you ever leave Star Trek for good.

I think Star Trek has been very double-edged for all of us - as actors, writers, directors.

I think that I've been pigeon-holed by virtue of the fact that I've spent so much time in front of a green screen.

I think, frankly, that I'm a better director than I was an actor.

I've always thought that we, as human beings, would be naive and arrogant to pretend that we're the only life form in the galaxy."
- Jonathan Frakes