Cast & creator
Jonathan Frakes
Best known for Family Guy, Family Guy, American Dad!
Jonathan Scott Frakes (born August 19, 1952) is an American actor and director. He is best known for his portrayal of Commander (later Captain) William T. Riker in the television series Star Trek: The Next Generation and subsequent films and series. He has also hosted the series Beyond Belief: Fact or Fiction, voiced David Xanatos in the Disney animated series Gargoyles, and narrated the History Channel documentary, Lee and Grant. His other well known TV roles are as Stanley Hazard on the miniseries North and South, Sandy Parris on ABC's Paper Dolls, Marcus Marshall on NBC's Bare Essence, and Damon Ross, a recurring character on Falcon Crest. He began directing episodes of The Next Generation during its third season, and went on to direct the feature films Star Trek: First Contact (1996) and Star Trek: Insurrection (1998) and episodes of the later Star Trek series Deep Space Nine, Voyager, Discovery, Strange New Worlds, and Picard. He later directed the feature films Clockstoppers (2002) and Thunderbirds (2004). He has since directed prolifically for television, including for The Librarian television films and series, Leverage, Burn Notice, and Roswell (of which he is also a producer). He is the credited author of the novel The Abductors: Conspiracy, which was ghostwritten by Dean Wesley Smith. He has been married to actress Genie Francis since 1988 and they have 2 children.
Also known as: Jonathan Scott Frakes , جاناتان فریکس
63
film credits
112
television credits
123
1972–2026 · acting roles
6.7
average across scored titles
Signature credits
Known for
Across film & television
Filmography (175)
Showing 175 of 175 credits
Family Guy
Commander William T. Riker (voice)
1999Family Guy
Jonathan Frakes (voice)
1999
American Dad!
(voice)
2005
Criminal Minds
Dr. Arthur Malcolm
2005
Castle
Richard Castle Fan
2009Castle
Director
2009
NCIS: Los Angeles
Navy Commander Dr. Stanfill (uncredited)
2009NCIS: Los Angeles
Director
2009
Star Trek: The Next Generation
William T. Riker
1987Star Trek: The Next Generation
Director
1987
Star Trek: Discovery
Director
2017
Star Trek: Voyager
Commander William T. Riker
1995Star Trek: Voyager
Director
1995
Diagnosis: Murder
Director
1993
Futurama
Jonathan Frakes (voice)
1999
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
Thomas Riker
1993Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
Director
1993
Star Trek: Enterprise
Commander William T. Riker
2001
Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.
Director
2013
Falcon Crest
Damon Ross
1981
The Orville
Director
2017
Quincy, M.E.
Leon Bohannon
1976Quincy, M.E.
Young Surgeon
1976
Hill Street Blues
Eddie Sims
1981
Charlie's Angels
Brad
1976
3rd Rock from the Sun
Larry
1996
The Waltons
Ashley Longworth Jr.
1972
Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman
Tim Lake
1993
Star Trek: Strange New Worlds
Director
2022
Matlock
Prosecutor Mr. Park
1986
Wings
Gavin Rutledge
1990
Burn Notice
Director
2007
Stuart Fails to Save the Universe
Director
2026
Hotel
Ted Travers
1982
The Twilight Zone
Steve (segment "But Can She Type?")
1985
Highway to Heaven
Arthur Krock, Jr.
1984
Star Trek: Lower Decks
William T. Riker (voice)
2020
Hart to Hart
Adam Blake
1979
Switched at Birth
Director
2011
Falling Skies
Director
2011
Barnaby Jones
David Douglas
1973
Beyond Belief: Fact or Fiction
Self - Host
1997
Fantasy Island
Kirk
1978
Leverage
Director
2008
Gargoyles
David Xanatos (voice)
1994
Roswell
Jonathan Frakes (uncredited)
1999Roswell
Director
1999Roswell
Producer
1999
Star Trek: Picard
William Riker
2020Star Trek: Picard
Director
2020
The Fall Guy
Connors
1981
Angie Tribeca
Commandant Van Zandt
2016
The Gifted
Director
2017
The Twilight Zone
Director
2002
Powers
Director
2015
Cybill
Jonathan Frakes
1995
The Librarians
Director
2014The Librarians
Supervising Producer
2014The Librarians
Co-Executive Producer
2014
The Dukes of Hazzard
Jamie Lee Hogg
1979
The Glades
Director
2010
Leverage: Redemption
Director
2021
Dollhouse
Director
2009
Eight Is Enough
Chapper
1977
V
Director
2009
North and South
Stanley Hazard
1985
The Super Hero Squad Show
High Evolutionary (voice)
2009
The Ready Room
Self
2019
Star Trek: Starfleet Academy
Director
2026
The Mighty Nein
Zeenoth (voice)
2025
Make It or Break It
Director
2009
Glenn Martin, DDS
Peter (voice)
2009
The White Shadow
Basketball Player
1978
It's a Living
Steve
1980
Oh Baby
Don
1998
The Good Guys
Director
2010
Girlfriends' Guide to Divorce
Director
2014
Voyagers!
Charles Lindbergh
1982
The Shuttlepod Show
Self
2022
King & Maxwell
Director
2013
Finding Carter
Director
2014
How to Sell Drugs Online (Fast)
Jonathan Frakes
2019
Hit the Floor
Director
2013
The D-Con Chamber
Self
2024
Star Trek: First Contact
Commander William T. Riker
1996Star Trek: First Contact
Director
1996
Here's Boomer
Philip
1981
Star Trek: Nemesis
Commander William T. Riker
2002
Masters of Science Fiction
Director
2007Masters of Science Fiction
Creator
2007
Star Trek: Insurrection
Commander William T. Riker
1998Star Trek: Insurrection
Director
1998
Persons Unknown
Director
2010
The Arrangement
Director
2017
The Lot
Roland White
1999
Paris
1979
The Librarian: The Curse of the Judas Chalice
Trombone Player in Marching Band (uncredited)
2008The Librarian: The Curse of the Judas Chalice
Director
2008
The Librarian: Return to King Solomon's Mines
Debra's Husband
2006The Librarian: Return to King Solomon's Mines
Director
2006
Star Trek: Generations
Commander William T. Riker
1994
Catwoman: Hunted
King Faraday / Boss Moxie (voice)
2022
After Trek
2017
I'm a Big Girl Now
1980
Paper Dolls
Sandy Parris
1984
Nutcracker: Money, Madness & Murder
Rosen
1987
Bare Essence
Marcus Marshall
1982
Five Mile Creek
Adam Scott
1983Harper Valley P.T.A.
Clutch Breath
1981
The Captains Close Up
Self
2013
Thunderbirds
Director
2004
The Astronauts
Director
2020
Star Trek: very Short Treks
Riker (voice)
2023
Star Trek Day
Self
2020University Hospital
Director
1995
Hindsight
Director
2015
Bare Essence
Marcus Marshall
1983
Bar Karma
Director
2011
Beulah Land
Adam Davis
1980
Clockstoppers
Bystander
2002Clockstoppers
Director
2002
Gargoyles the Movie: The Heroes Awaken
Xanatos (voice)
1995
Camp Nowhere
Bob Spiegel (uncredited)
1994Star Trek: Legenden
Self - William Riker
2026
Stuart Fails to Save the Universe Podcast
Self
2026
Devil's Gate
Sheriff Gruenwell
2018
The Captains
Self
2011
A Biltmore Christmas
Winston
2023
50 Years of Star Trek
Self
2016
The Sixty Year Mission: How Star Trek Changed Television and the World
Self
2026
Alien Autopsy
Self
2006
Dream West
Lt. Archibald Gillespie
1986
Butterfly in the Sky
Self (archive footage)
2024
Alien Autopsy: (Fact or Fiction?)
Self - Host
1995
Star Trek: The Next Generation - The Best of Both Worlds
Cmdr. William Riker (archive footage)
2013
Brothers of the Frontier
Ben Frye
1996
Star Trek: 25th Anniversary Special
Self
1991
Trekkies
Self
1997
Friend to Friend: Armenian Earthquake Relief
Self
1989
The Cover Girl and the Cop
Joshua Boyleston
1989
Star Trek: The Next Generation - All Good Things...
Cmdr. Will Riker
2014
Journey's End - The Saga of Star Trek: The Next Generation
Host / Self
1994
Chaos on the Bridge
Self
2014
Heroes Manufactured
Self (archive footage)
2017
Your Guide to Star Trek: Generations
Self
1993
A Grand Biltmore Christmas
Winston
2026
Star Trek: The Next Generation - Unification
Cmdr. Will Riker
2013
Star Trek: The Captain's Summit
Self
2009Make-Up Man: The Michael Westmore Documentary
Self
Star Trek: 30 Years and Beyond
Self
1996
The Star Trek Saga: From One Generation to the Next
Self
1988
Star Trek: Beyond the Final Frontier
Self
2007
Star Trek: Picard - The IMAX Live Series Finale Event
Captain William Riker
2023
Reunification - 25 Years After Star Trek: The Next Generation
Self
2012
Star Trek: The Next Generation - Redemption
Cmdr. Will Riker
2013Star Trek: The Next Generation Viewer's Choice Marathon
Self - Host
1994
That's Impossible!
Narrator (voice)
2009
Star Trek: The Next Generation - Chain of Command
Cmdr. Will Riker
2014No Strings Attached: The Making of Thunderbirds
Self
2004
The Night the City Screamed
Richard Hawkins
1980
How William Shatner Changed the World
Self
2005
Lee & Grant
Narrator (voice)
2011
Truth Be Told
Radio Sound Engineer
2011Truth Be Told
Director
2011
Dying to Live
Will
1999Dying to Live
Executive Producer
1999Holograms All the Way Down
Commander William T. Riker
Beach Patrol
Marty Green
1979Roswell: Coverups & Close Encounters
Narrator (voice)
1992
Ghosts Caught on Tape: Fact or Fiction?
Narrator (voice)
2000
Time Travel Through the Bible
Time Traveler
1995
Megaquake 10.0
Narrator (voice)
2012
Phish: Tracking
1994Phish: Tracking
Music
1994The Paranormal Borderline
Host
1996