Jonathan Frakes

Actor • Director • Writer

Birth Date: August 19, 1952

Age: 71 years old

Birth Place: Bellefonte, Pennsylvania

This tall leading man with a Cheshire cat grin and an engagingly relaxed quality is best known as Commander Riker, Captain Picard's 'Number One' man, on the syndicated sci-fi smash, "Star Trek: The Next Generation" (1987-94). A Pennsylvania native, Frakes began his career on stage at the Loeb Drama Center in Cambridge, Massachusetts. He landed in NYC where he continued to hone his craft in such theatrical productions as the musical "Shenandoah." Frakes began landing roles on TV in the late 1970s and has since found plenty of work in miniseries. His stalwart, manly charm has adorned the Southern-fried soaps "Beulah Land" (NBC, 1980), "North and South" (ABC, 1985), the simultaneously shot "North and South, Book II" (ABC, 1986) and the eternal return, "John Jakes' Heaven and Hell: North and South, Part III" (ABC, 1994). Frakes also starred opposite his future wife Genie Francis in the TV-movie "Bare Essence" (NBC, 1982), which showed how much the perfume industry really stunk. The actor has also racked up credits in several other longforms.