Jonathan Frakes Reveals How Roddenberry Described Riker & How Nervous He Was In TNG Season 1

Jonathan Frakes reveals how Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry described the character of Commander William T. Riker and how “nervous” he was during production of Star Trek: The Next Generation season 1. For 37 years, Frakes has portrayed Riker, who appeared in Star Trek: TNG, four TNG movies, and Star Trek: Picard, as well as Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Star Trek: Voyager, and Star Trek: Enterprise. Frakes played Captain Riker in Star Trek: Picard, and Jonathan also voices Captain Riker in the video game Star Trek: Resurgence.

In an interview with Star Trek: Resurgence‘s lead writer Dan Martin about Captain Riker’s role in the game, Jonathan Frakes discusses how Gene Roddenberry saw Riker as a “loyal, honest, reliable, patient, and with ‘derring-do'”. Frakes also spoke about how proud he is to be associated with Riker for nearly four decades. Read Frakes’ quote and watch the video of the interview below:

The character of Riker, as Gene Roddenberry created him, was a man who had what… Gene used this phrase, he said, ‘He has derring-do, he’s incredibly loyal, he’s honest, and he’s reliable, and he’s patient.’ What great qualities to aspire to, not only as Riker, but as a dad, and a husband, and a friend. And it’s been a privilege to be associated with this guy for the last 37 years.

Jonathan Frakes also marveled at how Star Trek: Resurgence pulled story and alien villains from the Star Trek: The Next Generation season 1 episode, “The Last Outpost.” When Dan Martin asked if Frakes thought of that episode as a turning point for Riker, Jonathan spoke about what it was like for the TNG cast filming season 1:

I wish I could say I did. I think I was so nervous during season one. When we go back and watch clips of these original shows, you can just see we’re not really quite sure how we’re supposed to behave because we hadn’t found the characters yet. And whenever we went to Planet Hell, which is what we called Stage 16, and we had a strong villain, we were a little bit looser.

What Is Jonathan Frakes’ Future As Captain Riker In Star Trek?

Fans can interact with Captain Riker while playing Star Trek: Resurgence

Jonathan Frakes’ acting comeback in Star Trek: Picard season 3 earned him a Saturn Award for Best Actor in a Television Series, but will Frakes get to play Riker again? Like millions of fans, Frakes is hoping Paramount+ greenlights Star Trek: Legacy, the proposed continuation of Picard season 3, whether as an ongoing TV series or a possible 2-hour Star Trek streaming movie. Further, it’s hoped that Star Trek: Legacy would have a role for Riker, and would include Will’s long-deserved promotion to Admiral.

Frakes is one of the most beloved and prolific Star Trek directors, and his presence will continue to be felt behind the camera. Frakes is directing the penultimate episode of Star Trek: Discovery season 5, and he is helming a “Hollywood noir” episode of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 3. But video game fans can interact with Captain Riker by playingStar Trek: Resurgence, and encountering the Starfleet hero in the post-Star Trek: The Next Generation timeline.

Source: YouTube

Star Trek: The Next Generation is available to stream on Paramount+

Seasons

7

Writers

Rick Berman , Michael Piller , Brannon Braga , Jeri Taylor , Ronald D. Moore

Directors

David Carson

Showrunner

Rick Berman , Michael Piller , Jeri Taylor

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