Star Trek: Picard – Jonathan Frakes on returning to play Riker

Jonathan Frakes was at Fan Expo Canada, where he discussed all things Star Trek, including his return as Will Riker on Star Trek: Picard.

The highly anticipated Star Trek: Picard show is on every Trekkie’s lips. Not only will we see the return of Sir Patrick Stewart as the titular Picard, but several franchise actors will be reprising their roles, some to a lesser extent than others. One of those actors is Jonathan Frakes, who will appear on the show as William T. Riker, Picard’s former Number One. At the recently concluded Fan Expo Canada, Frakes told a packed room of fans about returning to the iconic role and starring opposite Sir Patrick.

"I hadn’t acted in a long, long, long time, I hadn’t played Riker in 18 years. I’ve been very fortunate to be busy directing. I acted briefly in a movie in Winnipeg about 10 years ago. And I had a major anxiety attack."

He also spoke about returning to be a director and what it was like working alongside Patrick Stewart.

"I had just directed two episodes of Picard with Sir Patrick; his acting muscle was well-toned. And Marina (Sirtis) had just closed having starred in a play in the West End in London. So, I knew she was going to be in good form. So, I was a nervous wreck. It ended up going very well. But don’t let anybody tell you it’s like getting back on a bike."

Without a doubt, Frakes loves his job as a director. Only recently, he posted from the set of Star Trek: Discovery season three, declaring how much he loved the ‘gig’. This passion can be seen on-screen in his emotionally-charged, yet vibrantly directed episodes. However, he did mention that being back as an actor came with a few perks – being pampered and waited on is something he could get used to.

Frakes was a consummate entertainer during his solo panel; he had the crowd in splits with hilarious anecdotes (some fact, others fiction), and received the loudest cheers when he applied his signature ‘Riker taking a seat’ move. Trekkies, you know which one we’re referring to. This was not an easy feat, either, considering the Fan Expo Canada chairs looked to be quite high-backed, but Frakes didn’t seem to mind at all.

It was clear from Frakes’ answers that the Star Trek family remains tightly knit. He jokingly referred to Sir Patrick as ‘old baldy’ throughout his panel and was effusive about his friendship with Marina Sirtis (Deanna Troi) and Michael Dorn (Worf).

Though Frakes had been barred from revealing any secrets from the Star Trek show, he reiterated that the next season of Discovery embraces a much more traditional and optimistic outlook. He also stated that, despite newer Star Trek shows veering away from Gene Roddenberry’s obvious optimism, as seen in the original series, Frakes doesn’t believe any of the shows (or even JJ Abrams’ reboot) deviated too far from Roddenberry’s initial vision.

It’s almost hard to believe it’s been nearly two decades since the cast of Star Trek: The Next Generation has been on screen. If anything, the hype around Picard is evidence of how far the show has come since its inception. Frakes shared the feeling of skepticism he got from Star Trek fans at his very first convention experience, and how rewarding it was for him to see a completely full room in 2019.

Star Trek: Picard has definitely piqued our curiosity; what will re-visiting these characters mean for fans and the cast alike? Frakes, who had only just finished filming alongside Sir Patrick, mentioned that Stewart was ‘better than ever; he is on fire’. He’s excited for fans to see the show, and Trekkies reciprocate that feeling.

Star Trek: Picard is set to air in early 2020 on CBS All Access.