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.
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Biography from TMDB.
- August 19, 1952 (74)
- Bellefonte, Pennsylvania, USA
- Actor and director
- 83 on MovieCove · 126 credits in all
What are Jonathan Frakes' films like?
Across their 28 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Bonds and Self.
Genres
Their MovieCove films by primary genre. The badge is the typical Midcredits score of the genre's films, the median percentile; an up arrow marks a genre at or above their average across these genres.
Themes
What they feel like to watch
Ironic 0 · Wry 1 · Earnest 18
Light 13 · Serious 4 · Dark 3
A split, not a type: Grounded 9 · Stylized 8 · Heightened 3
A split, not a type: Gentle 10 · Charged 7 · Intense 3
Steady 15 · Shifting 5 · Whiplash 0
Straight-faced 7 · Some laughs 11 · Funny 2
Slow burn 9 · Even-paced 9 · Relentless 2
Casual 12 · Engaged 8 · Full focus 0
Easy watch 13 · Affecting 6 · Heavy 1
Resolved 19 · Open-ended 1 · Ambiguous 0
Roles they play
Usually the Ally: 6 of 12 analyzed roles.
Show the 12 rolesHide the roles
- Allyas Commander William Thomas 'Will' Riker in Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987)
- Shapeshifteras David Xanatos in Gargoyles (1994)
- Allyas Riker in Star Trek: Generations (1994)
- Allyas Riker in Star Trek: First Contact (1996)
- Allyas Riker in Star Trek: Insurrection (1998)
- Allyas William Riker in Star Trek: Nemesis (2002)
- Heraldas Narrator in Lee & Grant (2011)
- Heraldas Sheriff Gruenwell in Devil's Gate (2017)
- Mentoras Will Riker in Star Trek: Picard (2020)
- Threshold guardianas King Faraday in Catwoman: Hunted (2022)
- Mentoras Winston in A Biltmore Christmas (2023)
- Allyas Winston in A Biltmore Christmas (2023)
Moods and endings
- Happy15
- Bittersweet9
- Ambiguous4
AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.
Where can I watch Jonathan Frakes' films?
As of October 24, 2026, 60 of their 83 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Pluto TV (19).
- Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987) · actor, director · free
- Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (1993) · actor, director · free
- Burn Notice (2007) · director · free
- Leverage (2008) · director · free
- Criminal Minds (2005) · actor · free
- Star Trek: Voyager (1995) · actor, director · free
- Star Trek: Enterprise (2001) · actor · free
- The Librarians (2014) · director, producer · free
- The Librarian III: The Curse of the Judas Chalice (2008) · actor, director · free
- Hit the Floor (2013) · director · free
- Matlock (1986) · actor · free
- The Librarian: Return to King Solomon's Mines (2006) · actor, director · free
- +7 more
- What We Left Behind: Looking Back at Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (2018) · actor
- The Mighty Nein (2025) · actor
- Leverage (2008) · director
- Criminal Minds (2005) · actor
- Leverage: Redemption (2021) · director
- Make It or Break It (2009) · director
- The Waltons (1972) · actor
- The Librarians (2014) · director, producer · free
- The Librarian III: The Curse of the Judas Chalice (2008) · actor, director · free
- Matlock (1986) · actor
- The Librarian: Return to King Solomon's Mines (2006) · actor, director · free
- Highway to Heaven (1984) · actor
- +5 more
- Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987) · actor, director
- Star Trek: First Contact (1996) · actor, director
- Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (1993) · actor, director
- Star Trek: Strange New Worlds (2022) · director
- Criminal Minds (2005) · actor
- Star Trek: Voyager (1995) · actor, director
- Star Trek: Lower Decks (2020) · actor
- Star Trek: Enterprise (2001) · actor
- Star Trek: Picard (2020) · actor, director
- Star Trek: Generations (1994) · actor
- Wings (1990) · actor
- Hit the Floor (2013) · director
- +4 more
- What We Left Behind: Looking Back at Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (2018) · actor · free
- Roswell (1999) · actor, director, producer · free
- The Librarians (2014) · director, producer · free
- The Librarian III: The Curse of the Judas Chalice (2008) · actor, director · free
- The Librarian: Return to King Solomon's Mines (2006) · actor, director · free
- Highway to Heaven (1984) · actor · free
- It's a Living (1980) · actor · free
- V (2009) · director · free
- Fantasy Island (1977) · actor · free
- Charlie's Angels (1976) · actor · free
- Masters of Science Fiction (2007) · director · free
- Falcon Crest (1981) · actor · free
- Futurama (1999) · actor
- Lee & Grant (2011) · actor
- Castle (2009) · actor, director
- The Orville (2017) · director
- Burn Notice (2007) · director
- Criminal Minds (2005) · actor
- Switched at Birth (2011) · director
- Family Guy (1999) · actor
- Make It or Break It (2009) · director
- The Glades (2010) · director
- The Gifted (2017) · director
- What We Left Behind: Looking Back at Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (2018) · actor · free
- Castle (2009) · actor, director · free
- Voyagers! (1982) · actor · free
- The Librarian III: The Curse of the Judas Chalice (2008) · actor, director · free
- The Librarian: Return to King Solomon's Mines (2006) · actor, director · free
- Highway to Heaven (1984) · actor · free
- It's a Living (1980) · actor · free
- Fantasy Island (1977) · actor · free
- Charlie's Angels (1976) · actor · free
- Masters of Science Fiction (2007) · director · free
- Falcon Crest (1981) · actor · free
- Howdy, show their 3 titles on Howdy
- Wonder Project, show their 3 titles on Wonder Project
- Shout! TV, show their 2 titles on Shout! TV
- ViX, show their 2 titles on ViX
- Fox Nation, show their title on Fox Nation
- FOX One, show their title on FOX One
- Great American Pure Flix, show their title on Great American Pure Flix
- HISTORY Vault, show their title on HISTORY Vault
- Sundance Now, show their title on Sundance Now
Subscription and free streaming for Jonathan Frakes' titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.
Filmography
126 credits, 83 with a MovieCove page; 28 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.
A Grand Biltmore Christmas (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2026)
Midcredits score: 60th percentile of all shows
Midcredits score: 4th percentile of all shows
The Mighty Nein(2025)
Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all shows
A Biltmore Christmas(2023)
Midcredits score: 92nd percentile of all films
Star Trek: very Short Treks (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2023)

Star Trek: Picard - The IMAX Live Series Finale Event (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2023)
Midcredits score: 87th percentile of all shows
Catwoman: Hunted(2022)
Midcredits score: 31st percentile of all films
Leverage: Redemption(2021)
Midcredits score: 85th percentile of all shows
The Astronauts(2020)
Midcredits score: 72nd percentile of all shows
Star Trek: Lower Decks(2020)
Midcredits score: 82nd percentile of all shows
Star Trek: Picard(2020)
Midcredits score: 68th percentile of all shows
Midcredits score: 85th percentile of all shows
Devil's Gate(2017)
Midcredits score: 14th percentile of all films
Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films
The Gifted(2017)
Midcredits score: 66th percentile of all shows
After Trek (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2017)

Star Trek: Discovery(2017)
Midcredits score: 43rd percentile of all shows
The Orville(2017)
Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all shows
The Arrangement(2017)
Midcredits score: 29th percentile of all shows
Angie Tribeca (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2016)

Powers(2015)
Midcredits score: 36th percentile of all shows
Hindsight(2015)
Midcredits score: 69th percentile of all shows
Guardians of the Galaxy(2015)
Midcredits score: 57th percentile of all shows
The Librarians(2014)
Midcredits score: 64th percentile of all shows
Midcredits score: 41st percentile of all shows
Star Trek: The Next Generation - All Good Things... (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2014)

Finding Carter(2014)
Midcredits score: 64th percentile of all shows
Star Trek: The Next Generation - Chain of Command (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2014)

Star Trek: The Next Generation - Unification (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2013)

Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.(2013)
Midcredits score: 73rd percentile of all shows
Star Trek: The Next Generation - Redemption (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2013)

King & Maxwell(2013)
Midcredits score: 56th percentile of all shows
Hit the Floor(2013)
Midcredits score: 58th percentile of all shows
Star Trek: The Next Generation - The Best of Both Worlds (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2013)

Megaquake 10.0 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2012)

Lee & Grant(2011)
Midcredits score: 93rd percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)
Falling Skies(2011)
Midcredits score: 57th percentile of all shows
Switched at Birth(2011)
Midcredits score: 81st percentile of all shows
Truth Be Told (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2011)

Bar Karma (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2011)

The Glades(2010)
Midcredits score: 70th percentile of all shows
Persons Unknown(2010)
Midcredits score: 40th percentile of all shows
The Good Guys(2010)
Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all shows
V(2009)
Midcredits score: 40th percentile of all shows
NCIS: Los Angeles(2009)
Midcredits score: 51st percentile of all shows
Midcredits score: 26th percentile of all shows
Glenn Martin DDS(2009)
Midcredits score: 3rd percentile of all shows
That's Impossible! (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2009)

Make It or Break It(2009)
Midcredits score: 76th percentile of all shows
Castle(2009)
Midcredits score: 93rd percentile of all shows
Dollhouse(2009)
Midcredits score: 77th percentile of all shows
Leverage(2008)
Midcredits score: 87th percentile of all shows
Midcredits score: 59th percentile of all films
Midcredits score: 30th percentile of all shows
Burn Notice(2007)
Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all shows
Midcredits score: 52nd percentile of all films
Criminal Minds(2005)
Midcredits score: 86th percentile of all shows
Thunderbirds(2004)
Midcredits score: 10th percentile of all films
Star Trek: Nemesis(2002)
Midcredits score: 51st percentile of all films
The Twilight Zone (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2002)

Clockstoppers(2002)
Midcredits score: 19th percentile of all films
Star Trek: Enterprise(2001)
Midcredits score: 76th percentile of all shows
Ghosts Caught on Tape: Fact or Fiction? (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2000)

Roswell(1999)
Midcredits score: 76th percentile of all shows
The Lot (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1999)

Dying to Live (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1999)

Futurama(1999)
Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all shows
Family Guy(1999)
Midcredits score: 77th percentile of all shows
Star Trek: Insurrection(1998)
Midcredits score: 57th percentile of all films
Oh Baby (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1998)

Star Trek: First Contact(1996)
Midcredits score: 94th percentile of all films
Brothers of the Frontier(1996)
Midcredits score: 42nd percentile of all filmsThe Paranormal Borderline (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1996)

3rd Rock from the Sun(1996)
Midcredits score: 83rd percentile of all shows
Time Travel Through the Bible (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1995)
Midcredits score: 92nd percentile of all films
Star Trek: Voyager(1995)
Midcredits score: 86th percentile of all showsUniversity Hospital (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1995)

Cybill (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1995)

Star Trek: Generations(1994)
Midcredits score: 64th percentile of all films
Gargoyles(1994)
Midcredits score: 91st percentile of all shows
Phish: Tracking (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1994)

Camp Nowhere(1994)
Midcredits score: 47th percentile of all films
Midcredits score: 71st percentile of all films
Diagnosis Murder(1993)
Midcredits score: 48th percentile of all shows
Midcredits score: 38th percentile of all shows
Midcredits score: 90th percentile of all showsRoswell: Coverups & Close Encounters (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1992)

Wings(1990)
Midcredits score: 64th percentile of all shows
Midcredits score: 28th percentile of all films
Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all shows
Nutcracker: Money, Madness & Murder (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1987)

Dream West (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1986)

Matlock(1986)
Midcredits score: 58th percentile of all shows
Midcredits score: 90th percentile of all shows
The Twilight Zone (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1985)

Paper Dolls (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1984)

Highway to Heaven(1984)
Midcredits score: 51st percentile of all shows
Five Mile Creek (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1983)

Bare Essence (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1983)

Bare Essence (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1982)

Voyagers!(1982)
Midcredits score: 86th percentile of all shows
Hotel (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1982)

Falcon Crest(1981)
Midcredits score: 17th percentile of all shows
The Fall Guy(1981)
Midcredits score: 61st percentile of all shows
Here's Boomer (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1981)
Harper Valley P.T.A. (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1981)

Hill Street Blues(1981)
Midcredits score: 92nd percentile of all shows
Midcredits score: 30th percentile of all films
I'm a Big Girl Now (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1980)

It's a Living(1980)
Midcredits score: 43rd percentile of all shows
Beulah Land (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1980)

Paris (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1979)

Hart to Hart (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1979)

Beach Patrol (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1979)

The Dukes of Hazzard(1979)
Midcredits score: 58th percentile of all shows
The White Shadow (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1978)

Fantasy Island(1977)
Midcredits score: 31st percentile of all shows
Eight Is Enough(1977)
Midcredits score: 29th percentile of all shows
Quincy, M.E. (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1976)

Charlie's Angels(1976)
Midcredits score: 30th percentile of all shows
Barnaby Jones(1973)
Midcredits score: 50th percentile of all shows
The Waltons(1972)
Midcredits score: 75th percentile of all showsHolograms All the Way Down (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)
Career shape
Star power in the 97th percentile of 239,109 people with a billed film role, over a full career of 124 titles, 122 of them dated from 1972 to 2026; peak year 1995.
Film career
Peak 1995 · fewer prominent film roles lately. Top draw in 1 MovieCove title. Film roles by billing, audience size and rating; 25+ votes. A show carries a single first-air date, so shows are not on the curve.
- 1981Screen debut· Falcon Crest
- 1994First film· Star Trek: Generations
Billing
Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored. Billing is TMDB cast order for roles with 25+ votes, billed in the top 30; the columns are the share of top-billed roles in each era, 5-year spans from the year on the label, merged until each holds at least 5 roles.
How do Jonathan Frakes' films land?
Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 52nd percentile, the median of all 19; across their 20 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 58th percentile for acclaim.
- 75th and up32
- 50th to 74th26
- 25th to 49th19
- Below 25th6
Shape of the crowd
40 of their 83 titles are Crowd Pleasers.
- Universally Loved19
- Divisive1
- Cult Classic3
- Crowd Pleaser40
- Broadly Agreed2
- Mixed18
Reviewers score the acting 64/100 in their films, across 13 reviewed titles; fans 74, detractors 44. The element that speaks to their work as an actor.
Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.
Is Jonathan Frakes' work okay for kids?
Across up to 13 MovieCove titles with content scores, alcohol & drugs runs lighter than most films.
Severity 0–100 from the Content Guide. Categories with under 10 votes on a title are not counted. The band's colour is the severity of their median, named beside it.
Who does Jonathan Frakes work with?
People who share at least 2 of Jonathan Frakes' MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Patrick Stewart shares the most, 10.
Writers
- Rick BermanShared titles: Chaos on the Bridge (2014), Star Trek: Beyond the Final Frontier (2007), Star Trek: Nemesis (2002), Star Trek: Insurrection (1998), Star Trek: First Contact (1996), Star Trek: Generations (1994)See all 6 shared titles with Rick Berman

- Gene RoddenberryShared titles: Star Trek: Nemesis (2002), Star Trek: Insurrection (1998), Star Trek: First Contact (1996), Star Trek: Generations (1994), The Star Trek Saga: From One Generation to the Next (1988)See all 5 shared titles with Gene Roddenberry

- David N. TitcherShared titles: The Librarian III: The Curse of the Judas Chalice (2008), The Librarian: Return to King Solomon's Mines (2006)See all 2 shared titles with David N. Titcher
- Marco SchnabelShared titles: The Librarian III: The Curse of the Judas Chalice (2008), The Librarian: Return to King Solomon's Mines (2006)See all 2 shared titles with Marco Schnabel

Actors
- Patrick StewartShared titles: Star Trek: Picard (2020), Chaos on the Bridge (2014), The Captain's Summit (2009), Star Trek: Beyond the Final Frontier (2007), Star Trek: Nemesis (2002), Star Trek: Insurrection (1998), Star Trek: First Contact (1996), Star Trek: Generations (1994), The Star Trek Saga: From One Generation to the Next (1988), Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987)See all 10 shared titles with Patrick Stewart

- Marina SirtisShared titles: Star Trek: Beyond the Final Frontier (2007), Star Trek: Nemesis (2002), Star Trek: Insurrection (1998), Star Trek: First Contact (1996), Gargoyles the Movie: The Heroes Awaken (1995), Gargoyles (1994), Star Trek: Generations (1994), The Star Trek Saga: From One Generation to the Next (1988), Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987)See all 9 shared titles with Marina Sirtis

- Brent SpinerShared titles: Star Trek: Picard (2020), Star Trek: Nemesis (2002), Star Trek: Insurrection (1998), Star Trek: First Contact (1996), Star Trek: Generations (1994), Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987)See all 6 shared titles with Brent Spiner

- Gates McFaddenShared titles: Chaos on the Bridge (2014), Star Trek: Nemesis (2002), Star Trek: Insurrection (1998), Star Trek: First Contact (1996), Star Trek: Generations (1994), Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987)See all 6 shared titles with Gates McFadden

Composers and editors
- David SiegelShared titles: The Librarian III: The Curse of the Judas Chalice (2008), The Librarian: Return to King Solomon's Mines (2006)See all 2 shared titles with David Siegel
- Joseph LoDucaShared titles: The Librarian III: The Curse of the Judas Chalice (2008), The Librarian: Return to King Solomon's Mines (2006)See all 2 shared titles with Joseph LoDuca

- Jerry GoldsmithShared titles: Star Trek: Nemesis (2002), Star Trek: Insurrection (1998)See all 2 shared titles with Jerry Goldsmith

- Peter E. BergerShared titles: Clockstoppers (2002), Star Trek: Insurrection (1998)See all 2 shared titles with Peter E. Berger
Producers
- Marty HornsteinShared titles: Star Trek: Nemesis (2002), Star Trek: Insurrection (1998), Star Trek: First Contact (1996)See all 3 shared titles with Marty Hornstein
- Helene LayneShared titles: What We Left Behind: Looking Back at Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (2018), Chaos on the Bridge (2014)See all 2 shared titles with Helene Layne

- Joseph KornbrodtShared titles: What We Left Behind: Looking Back at Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (2018), Chaos on the Bridge (2014)See all 2 shared titles with Joseph Kornbrodt

- Kevin LayneShared titles: What We Left Behind: Looking Back at Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (2018), Chaos on the Bridge (2014)See all 2 shared titles with Kevin Layne
Mixed roles
- Greg WeismanShared titles: Catwoman: Hunted (2022), Gargoyles the Movie: The Heroes Awaken (1995)See all 2 shared titles with Greg Weisman

- David ZapponeShared titles: What We Left Behind: Looking Back at Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (2018), Chaos on the Bridge (2014)See all 2 shared titles with David Zappone






