Jonathan Frakes net worth, divorce, married, girlfriend • biography

Early Life and Education

Jonathan Scott Frakes was born on August 19, 1952, in Bellefonte, Pennsylvania, and grew up in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. He attended Liberty High School, graduating in 1970. He went on to earn a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Theater from Pennsylvania State University. During his time at Penn State, he was a member of the Lambda Chi Alpha fraternity.

Early Acting Career

After moving to New York City to pursue acting, Frakes landed his first theatrical role in Eugene O'Neill's play The Hairy Ape, directed by George Ferencz. He later appeared in the musical Shenandoah and began working on television. One of his earliest roles was on the NBC soap opera The Doctors.

Following the cancellation of his role, Frakes relocated to Los Angeles, California, where he found guest-star opportunities in numerous popular television series, including Eight Is Enough, The Waltons, Matlock, Hill Street Blues, and The Dukes of Hazzard.

Television and Film Achievements

In 1983, Frakes appeared as Charles Lindbergh in an episode of the science-fiction series Voyagers! and was part of the NBC primetime soap opera Bare Essence. He also had a recurring role on Falcon Crest and appeared in the 1986 miniseries Dream West.

Star Trek: The Next Generation and Directorial Career

Frakes rose to international fame for his portrayal of Commander William T. Riker in the acclaimed science fiction series Star Trek: The Next Generation. His strong association with the franchise extended well beyond this single role: Frakes has reprised Riker across six different Star Trek series -- The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine, Voyager, Enterprise, Picard, and the animated Lower Decks -- with his Season 3 arc on Star Trek: Picard (2023) giving him his most substantial time as Riker since The Next Generation ended.

In addition to acting, Frakes established himself as a talented director. He directed the feature films Star Trek: First Contact and Star Trek: Insurrection, both of which received positive attention from fans and critics. He also received a Blockbuster Entertainment Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor and a Saturn Award nomination for Best Director.