Gene Roddenberry had to fight for the casting of Star Trek’s Jonathan Frakes

In “Star Trek: The Next Generation”, Commander Riker (Jonathan Frakes) served as first officer aboard the USS Enterprise-D. Unlike the taciturn and serious Captain Picard (Patrick Stewart), Commander Riker was sociable and friendly. He earned the loyalty of his crew by being friendly, outgoing and joking, said one visiting tactician. He was also sold as the central heart of the show, as he was tall, elegant and handsome.

When “The Next Generation” began in 1987, Freaks was already a TV tentpole, appearing in shows such as “Doctors,” “Charlie’s Angels,” “Fantasy Island,” “Hill Street Blues,” and “The Road “Highway to Heaven” and “Highway to Heaven”. Dozens of others. His most notable television work was playing a character named Damon Ross in ten episodes of the series “Falcon Crest.” He was never a leading man, but he knew the business well.

The original casting sheet for Commander Riker had the character listed as “Number One, aka William Riker” and described the character as “a 30- to 35-year-old Caucasian born in Alaska. He is a pleasant-looking man with sex appeal.” “Medium height, agile and very strong, a natural psychologist.” The broad description of the character attracted many hopeful young actors, and Frakes was among several eventual possibilities for the role. In the oral history book “The 50-Year Mission: The Next 25 Years: From the Next Generation to JJ Abrams” It is said that the actor Billy Campbell was on the shortlistalong with Michael O’Gorman and Trek legend Jeffrey Combs. Meanwhile, casting note of Memo messages It also lists Ben Murphy under consideration.

in 2012 interview with StarTrek.comFrakes recalls being in a room with some of the aforementioned actors, and notes that the show’s creator, Gene Roddenberry, liked him better. In fact, Frakes says, Campbell was closely monitored by higher-ups and Paramount, and Roddenberry had to side with Frakes.

For those curious about what “Star Trek” actor Billy Campbell might look like, watch the “Next Generation” episode “The Outrageous Okona” in which Campbell played the main character. He was a charismatic, Han Solo-type rogue who was hugely impressive to the other characters. It’s not hard to see Campbell playing Riker. However, Frakes revealed in the aforementioned interview that he may have been secretly favored over Campbell because Gene Roddenberry kept calling him at home. Frakes knew Riker would go to him or Campbell eventually, and the calls from Roddenberry made him more confident that the job was his. Frex said:

“Gene called me directly. At that point, he had spent a lot of time explaining the character and the 24th century and his vision for Riker. I think he had to fight for me. I’m not sure if he was pro-Billy Campbell or if the people at the studio were, But I know it wasn’t a unanimous decision, and I think Roddenberry saw a little of himself in Riker, or a little more, and he told me that indirectly.

It should be noted that Riker was also a ladies’ man, and Roddenberry was very enthusiastic about his ideas about “Star Trek.” There is every reason to believe that Roddenberry was creating a sex symbol avatar for himself with Riker. Freaks seemed to match the way Roddenberry saw himself in his head.

Frakes played Riker well enough, though the real career coup came when he decided he wanted to direct. Frakes appeared in 178 episodes of The Next Generation, but directed 29 episodes of the series, in addition to two of his own feature films. More than just being Riker, he’s an elder statesman for the franchise. Meanwhile, Campbell has remained a prolific actor for decades. It was recently featured in An episode of the series “Mr. and Mrs. Smith.”