The Best Star Trek Actor From Each State
By Jeremy Dick
Pennsylvania – Jonathon Frakes
Growing up in Pennyslvania, Jonathon Frakes attended Penn State University. There he would earn a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Theater Arts. He’d go on to do some stage work, before relocating to Los Angeles to pursue television. Frakes would bounce around with some bit parts before landing his breakout role, which is certainly the one we all know him best for.
Jonathon Frakes plays Commander William T. Riker on the series Star Trek: The Next Generation. I don’t need to tell you how much of a fan favorite he is. He is such a popular character that he appears on four separate Star Trek television shows. Frakes reprises his role as Riker in cameos on Voyager, Deep Space Nine, and Enterprise.
While filming The Next Generation, Frakes also took an interest in directing. He would direct multiple episodes of the show himself, later directing DS9 and Voyager episodes as well. In addition, Frakes directs two Star Trek movies— First Contact and Insurrection.
Aside from his work with Star Trek, Frakes would also host his own show Beyond Belief: Fact or Fiction. On the show, Frakes would present multiple stories for viewers to guess which ones were real and which were made up.