About the character:
William Thomas Riker is born in the year 2335 in Alaska. The childhood
is influenced by the death of the mother two years later and the
father, Kyle Riker, whose work for the Federation he is totally
absorbed to, he rarely sees. The father is seen once in the episode
"The Icarus Factor" (40). His biggest dream is to become captain
on a big space ship, which he is offered more than once, but he
never wanted to leave Enterprise.
Before becoming first officer on USS Enterprise NCC-1701-D, he
is first officer on the smaller space ship USS Pegasus. He was once
lover with the ships counselor Deanna
Troi, but they parted as friends when Riker pursuit his career.
Once in a while the old feelings they had for each others surfaces,
but they are just real good friends. Even though they both work
on Enterprise.
He often plays poker with Data,
Geordi La Forge, Beverly
Crusher, Worf, and Deanna,
is attracted to intellectual women and plays his trombone as often
as he can. His favourite music is jazz.
There is a double of William Riker created a year before Riker's
arrival on the Enterprise. Having evacuated a Federation base he
is beamed back to his space ship, but a transporter malfunction
creates a double remaining on the base but found seve years later
(watch the "Star Trek: The Next Generation" episode "Second
Chances" (150)).
Some years later Riker is promoted to captain and gets the command
over the space ship Titan (watch the movie "Star Trek: Nemesis").
About the actor:
Jonathan Frakes is born and raised in Pennsynlvania, make studies
on the university Penn State and continues his studies on Harvard.
At that time Jonathan Frakes also performs plays at Loeb Drama Center,
where he displays his talent some years forth.
He later on moves to New York, where he the next 5 years act
in small play-acts productions. Next stop on the career ladder is
guest appearances in a long list of TV series, among them "Hill
Street Blues" and "Remington Steele". With the big mini series production
of "North and South" from 1985-1986 about the american civil war
in 1800 centuries USA, he lands in a nice big role as Stanley, the
brother to one of the principal characters George Hazard. All included
the mini series cost the net sum of 25 millioner dollars to produce.
Playing his character in "Star Trek: The Next Generation" he
has created for himself a solid name with his most famous part ever.
According to rumours people thought he looked like William
Shatner, playing captain Kirk in "Star Trek", so he was asked
to grow a beard to remove him from any comparison between those
two. From season 2 he has a beard. It is not until the third movie
with the "Star Trek: The Next Generation" team, "Star Trek: Insurrection",
he shaves it off.
In the third season he is allowed to direct the episode "The
Offspring" (64), which he do so well it is not the last time. Ending
the production of "Star Trek: The Next Generation" he also directs
episodes for "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine" and "Star Trek: Voyager"
and makes guest appearances in the two series. Also Jonathan Frakes
has directed the movies "Star Trek: First Contact" and "Star Trek:
Insurrection".
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"The
Offspring" (64)